The Legacy of the Waldorf-Astoria Preserved Through Pop Culture

"You touch the hotel the way you touch moonlight
Or sunlight and you hum and the orchestra
Hums and you say 'The world in a verse,
A generation sealed, men remoter than mountains,
Women invisible in music and motion and color.'"
- "Arrival at the Waldorf," Wallace Stevens

It was the birthplace of red velvet cake and Waldorf salad. The Waldorf-Astoria opened its doors in 1931, and saw such famous faces as Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and Nikola Tesla. While the Waldorf may be closing this week, it lives on in popular culture. Many movies and TV shows were filmed inside the historic hotel. And it was featured in classic films like "Week-End at the Waldorf" and "Scent of a Woman." The hotel has been preserved in music as well, from Cole Porter's hit "You're the Top" to Rick Ross' "Maybach Music III."

The Waldorf is expected to reopen in a little over two years as a residential building. Meanwhile, parts of the hotel interior may be designated as a city landmark.