Paramount Hotel

The Paramount Hotel (formerly the Century-Paramount Hotel) is a hotel in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States. Designed by architect Thomas W. Lamb, the hotel is at 235 West 46th Street, between Eighth Avenue and Broadway. The Paramount Hotel is owned by RFR Realty and contains 597 rooms. The hotel building, designed in a Renaissance style, is a New York City designated landmark.

The hotel is 19 stories tall and is H-shaped in arrangement, with light courts to the west and east. The north and south faces of the hotel contain numerous setbacks. The facade is made of brick, stone, and terracotta; most of the decorative detail is concentrated on the south facade, along 46th Street. The hotel building contains a double-height colonnade at street level, as well as several terraces above each of the setbacks. The building has a double-height hip roof flanked by mansard roofs. The basement contains an event venue named Sony Hall, which has historically been used as a nightclub and theater. The double-height lobby's design dates to a 1990 renovation by Philippe Starck.

Isidore Zimmer, Samuel Resnick, and Frank Locker developed the Hotel Paramount starting in 1927, and it opened on June 12, 1928. The property went into foreclosure shortly after its completion, and Chase National Bank took over in the 1930s. The Paramount became popular after Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe nightclub (now Sony Hall) opened in the basement in 1938. When the Diamond Horseshoe closed in 1951, the hotel began to decline, and the property was sold multiple times over the next few decades. The hotel was known as the Century-Paramount during the 1980s. Philip Pilevsky and Arthur G. Cohen acquired the hotel in 1986, and Ian Schrager operated it for the next two decades. Starck renovated the hotel from 1988 to 1990, and several renovations have taken place since then. The hotel was sold in 2004 to Sol Melia Hotels and Resorts and Hard Rock Cafe, then in 2007 to Walton Street Capital. In 2011, the hotel was sold to Aby Rosen's RFR Holding.

## Site

The Paramount Hotel is at 235 West 46th Street, on the north sidewalk between Eighth Avenue and Broadway, near Times Square in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The rectangular land lot covers 15,062 sq ft (1,399.3 m2), with a frontage of 150 ft (46 m) on 46th Street and a depth of 100.42 ft (30.61 m). The Paramount Hotel shares the block with the Lena Horne Theatre to the south and the Hotel Edison and Lunt-Fontanne Theatre to the east. Other nearby buildings include the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre to the north; the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Longacre Theatre, and Morgan Stanley Building to the northeast; the Richard Rodgers Theatre and Music Box Theatre to the southeast; the Imperial Theatre to the south; and the off-Broadway 47th Street Theatre to the west.

The surrounding area is part of Manhattan's Theater District and contains many Broadway theaters. Prior to the Paramount Hotel's development in the 1920s, the site contained several low-rise buildings.

## Architecture

The Paramount Hotel was designed by Thomas W. Lamb and built by the O'Day Construction Company. It was one of Lamb's few non-theatrical buildings; most of his work consisted of over 300 theaters and cinemas. An early source characterized the hotel as being Italian Renaissance in design, but the hotel's own website and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission describe the building as being French Renaissance-inspired.

Due to the presence of a mezzanine level above the ground story, sources differ as to how many stories the hotel contains. While the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and SkyscraperPage give a figure of 19 stories (excluding the ground-story mezzanine), the New York City Department of City Planning cites the hotel as being 18 stories tall, and Emporis gives a figure of 20 stories. Originally, the hotel had 700 rooms.

### Form

The hotel is H-shaped in arrangement. The northern and southern elevations are twelve bays wide, while the western and eastern elevations are narrower and have light courts at their centers. The northern elevation faces the center of the block, toward 47th Street, and the southern elevation faces 46th Street. The massing includes several setbacks at the 12th, 14th, 16th, and 18th stories. Because the setbacks are only placed on the northern and southern elevations of the facade, they are only visible from the west and east.

Along 46th Street, the first eleven stories occupy nearly the entire site (except for the light courts), extending outward to the lot line. The eight center bays on the 12th and 13th stories are recessed from the two end bays on either side. There is another setback across all twelve bays at the 14th story, though the center bays on the 14th and 15th stories are still recessed. Above the 16th story, the three outermost bays on each side are recessed significantly. Diagonal wall sections link the outermost bays with the four center bays, which continue straight up from the 14th-story setback. At the 18th and 19th stories, the outer bays on each side form a copper mansard roof with dormer windows, while the center bays are topped by a hip roof.

Along the north elevation (facing 47th Street), the lowest ten stories are obscured by neighboring buildings such as the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, though the 11th through 19th stories are visible from 47th Street. The setbacks on this elevation all span the width of the facade.

### Facade

The facade is made of brick, stone, and terracotta. Most of the decorative detail is concentrated on the south elevation, facing 46th Street. The most ornate decorations are on the ground story, mezzanine, and 2nd story, since that is the most prominent portion of the facade from the street level. The other floors contain simpler decorative details.

#### Base

At ground level, the 46th Street facade consists of a double-height colonnade with twelve round arches, spanning the width of the hotel. The arches are supported by white marble piers above a granite water table. Most of the ground-level openings contain storefront windows or doors. The third and fourth bays from the right contain the hotel's entrance, while the fifth bay from the left contains an entrance to Sony Hall. Two ornate marquees, one each in front of Sony Hall's and the hotel's entrances, were installed as part of a 2013 renovation. The piers on either side of the Sony Hall entrance contain bronze-framed sign boards. The upper portion of each arch contains a tripartite iron frame, which separates the cast-iron spandrels between the ground and mezzanine windows, as well as the mezzanine windows themselves. The tops of the arches are surrounded by moldings, and the keystone of each arch contains a volute with ribbons on either side. A marble string course runs above the first-story colonnade.

The 2nd-story windows are rectangular sash windows surrounded by eared moldings. All of the windows share a paneled window sill, which contains swags just beneath each window. There are volutes flanking each window, above which rise vertical bands of foliate decoration. The tops of each window contain keystones with shells and foliate swags. The windows are separated by marble panels that are alternatively round and rectangular, with ornate frames. The panels contain shells at their bottoms, as well as swags, curved pediments, and angels' heads above. A cornice runs above the 2nd story.

#### Upper stories

The 3rd through 10th stories are mostly clad in plain brick with rectangular window openings. The 3rd-story window openings are surrounded by eared moldings; above each window are volutes flanking swags, which support segmental-arched and triangular pediments. The 4th- through 10th-story windows are plain in design, except for window sills and air-conditioning vents below each window. Starting on the 3rd story, the two outer bays are flanked by narrow bands of brick quoins. The 11th-story windows contain eared moldings, swags below each window, and elaborate keystones. There are marble panels between most of the 11th-story windows (except in front of the quoins); the panels have alternating lozenge and circular shapes. Each of these marble panels is topped by three brackets shaped like acanthus leaves. A string course runs above the 11th story.At the 12th-story setback, there is a terracotta balustrade in front of the eight center bays. Each of these bays is separated by an urn with a terracotta finial. Metal security grates are installed between the facade and the urns, dividing the balcony into several sections. The four outer windows on the 12th story are filled with iron balustrades. At the 14th-story setback, there is a string course and a balustrade across all twelve bays; metal grates are installed at several points. Within each bay, the windows at the 12th and 13th stories are placed within the same terracotta molding, as are the 14th- and 15th-story windows in each bay. On each of the 12th through 15th stories, there are bands of quoins separating each of the bays, except for the two outermost bays on either side, which are separated by plain brick. Another cornice runs above the 15th story, supported by pairs of brackets and acanthus leaves.

At the 16th and 17th stories, the four central bays rise without setting back further. The three outermost bays on either side are significantly set back, creating the impression of a projecting central pavilion. The central bays and the outer bays are connected by diagonal wall sections, which are decorated with urns atop volutes. The two outermost bays on either side have stone balustrades, while the remainders of the outer pavilions contain iron railings and metal security grates. Within each bay, the windows at the 16th and 17th stories are placed within the same terracotta molding. Each of the four center bays is separated by a row of quoins. At the 17th story, the center bays have pediments decorated with cartouches and volutes. A terracotta frieze separates the 17th story from the roof.

The west and east elevations are generally designed in plain brick with rectangular window openings. The southern sections of these elevations contain chimneys above the 8th story, as well as stone bands at the 12th, 14th, 16th, and 18th-story setbacks. The north elevation contains terracotta balconies at each setback, which span the width of the facade. The setbacks also have metal security grates.

#### Roof

The hotel's southern and northern wings share a hip roof at the center, flanked by mansard roofs on either side of each wing. The central hip roof is topped by a frieze with ribbons and swags, with cartouches at the corners. A plain coping runs above the rest of the roof.

To the south, the hip-roofed section is flanked by two volutes on either side. The four center windows contain stone dormers at the 18th story; these are topped by arched pediments decorated with shells and foliate decorations. The center of the 19th story has three circular copper dormers with pediments, which alternate with the 18th-story windows. On the south elevation, the side bays each have three copper dormers on the 18th and 19th stories, with segmentally arched pediments. To the north, there are two square dormer windows at the 18th story.

### Interior

#### Lobby

The hotel's lobby was originally decorated in marble and contained art from Cornelius Vanderbilt's estate. The modern lobby design dates to a 1990 renovation by Philippe Starck, who drew inspiration from science-fiction themes and 19th-century ocean liners. The lobby is decorated with stucco, and the marble walls have niches decorated with roses, which enclose a newsstand, reception desk, cashier, and concierge. A 2,000 sq ft (190 m2) white-gold-leaf panel is placed on one wall. There is also furniture in various designs, as well as a carpeted central seating area with sofas, chairs, and a checkerboard carpet. Furnishings by designers such as Marc Newson, Antoni Gaudí, and Jean-Michel Frank are also featured in the lobby. On the main level was also a brasserie operated by Dean & DeLuca, as well as a take-out restaurant. At the rear of the lobby was the Whiskey Bar, designed in a "semi-industrial" manner with Polaroids on the walls. One reviewer said of the lobby: "Despite its severe, concrete-like interiors, the lobby has something spunky about it."

The lobby also has a mezzanine spanning 2,000 square feet, which wraps around the ground-floor space. The ground and mezzanine levels are connected by a plexiglass-and-marble stairway, which is designed to give the impression that it is floating. After the renovation in 1990, the mezzanine level had a movie theater, a fitness center, and a business center. The lobby mezzanine also contained a playroom designed by Gary Panter, though the playroom has since been dismantled. Starck designed custom lamps for the mezzanine, which subsequently were sold commercially under the name "Miss Sissi". Restrooms, decorated with multicolored tiles, are also placed on this level. When the hotel was renovated, Pierre Sabatti redesigned the mezzanine restrooms with stainless-steel sinks, shaped like cones and decorated with etchings of leaves and feathers. A writer for Newsday characterized the mezzanine bathrooms as among New York City's ten best restrooms.

#### Sony Hall

When the hotel was completed, it contained an 850-seat grill room measuring 75 by 100 ft (23 by 30 m), with a 19 ft-high (5.8 m) ceiling and attached dressing rooms. In 1938, the room became a night club called Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe. The basement space then became a theater and was known by several names, including as the Stairway Theatre, Mayfair Theatre, and Century Theatre. Since 2018, the theater in the basement has operated as an event venue named Sony Hall.

Lamb's original design for the space was a nostalgic take on a saloon from the 1890s. The design was based on that of grill rooms and restaurants in Europe, with pink, blue, and white Celanese satin at the entrance. The current design dates to a renovation in 2013, carried out by architectural firm Stonehill & Taylor and interior designer Meg Sharpe, as most of the original design elements were too badly deteriorated to be restored. Sony Hall's entrance leads to a grand marble staircase, which has been distressed with scenic painting techniques. The main room's interior, is largely new construction but takes design cues from Lamb's original intent, such as lunettes and a frieze. The hall's ceiling is designed with multiple domes and trim framing out a center ellipse containing a fiber optic night sky. The walls are lined with antique faceted mirrors above curving banquette seating built in tiers with curving railings. Additional raised seating pods dot the space.

#### Other spaces

The hotel's original decorative features included bronze elevator doors in the Baroque style, as well as marble stairs with iron handrails. After the 1990 renovation, the elevators were refitted with multicolored lights in emerald, ruby, indigo, and amber colors. The elevator lobby was redecorated with mirrored walls, which one publication likened to a "funhouse".

Since 1990, the hotel has had 610 rooms, which include both single and double rooms. Most suites are small, measuring only 8 by 10 feet. Newsday compared the sizes of the suites to a "janitorial supply closet", and a reviewer from the Orlando Sentinel wrote that his single room "was very small, verging on confining". Each suite contained a reproduction of a Vermeer painting. The beds were designed with gold-colored headboards beneath the paintings. Other features of the design include conical sinks as well as "high-backed chairs with unusual curves". According to Newsday, the renovated rooms have "weather-forecasting mirrors and mood lighting".

## History

Times Square became the epicenter for large-scale theater productions between 1900 and the Great Depression. During the 1900s and 1910s, most theaters in the neighborhood were clustered around Broadway, but the boundaries of the Theater District expanded westward to Eighth Avenue after World War I. In the late 1920s, dense developments were constructed around Eighth Avenue in conjunction with the construction of the New York City Subway's Eighth Avenue Line.

### Development

Four of the lots on the Paramount Hotel site, at 235–241 West 46th Street, had been acquired in 1925 by the Spear Construction Company. In December 1925, the 235 West 46th Street Company (a partnership between Isidore Zimmer, Samuel Resnick, and Frank Locker bought the sites at 235–241 West 46th Street. Zimmer, Resnick, and Locker further expanded the site in March 1926 with the acquisition of two lots at 243–245 West 46th Street, which could accommodate a structure of up to 23 stories. That June, Thomas W. Lamb filed plans for a hotel on the six lots on behalf of the 235 West 46th Street Company. The building was to contain a 1,015-seat theater at ground level with a ballroom, offices, and hotel rooms above it. Known as the Hotel Paramount, the building would have a Spanish Renaissance lobby, a 22-seat dining room, and nine storefronts, in addition to 12 stories of hotel rooms.

By January 1927, excavations had been completed on the site. At this time, the plans for the hotel were changed to provide for 612 rooms across 18 stories. Ultimately, the hotel was designed as a 700-room structure with 20 stories. The builders secured a \$2 million loan (about \$ million in ) from Hughes and Hammond in May 1927. That November, the Garment Salesmen's Association (GSA) leased the 19th story of the hotel for use as a clubhouse. In March 1928, the New York Building Congress gave craftsmanship awards to 20 construction workers, and the Realty Acceptance Corporation placed a second mortgage loan of \$350,000 on the building (). The hotel ultimately cost \$5 million to erect (about \$ million in ). The Eighth Avenue Association presented a plaque to celebrate the hotel's completion, recognizing the hotel's "contribution to the prestige of the district".

### 1920s to 1940s

A. Lincoln Scott was hired as the Hotel Paramount's first manager, and he assumed operation of the hotel when it informally opened on June 5, 1928. The Paramount Hotel formally opened on June 12, 1928, with a dinner banquet attended by 600 to 800 guests. The GSA opened its own clubhouse in the hotel on August 1 of that year. The Hotel Paramount was in receivership by 1929, and the Irving Trust Company took over. In April 1930, the Hotel Paramount was sold to William J. Knott's Knott Hotel Corporation, along with seven other hotels; the operators hired Charles L. Ornstein as the new manager shortly thereafter.

Following a yearlong investigation, in mid-1930, the United States government requested an injunction against the hotel's grill room because it violated Prohibition-era ordinances. A judge granted the injunction in July 1930, prohibiting the grill room from operating. Afterward, the Hotel Paramount Grill was being used for musical performances. Charlie Barnet led a band there from 1932 onward.

The Chase National Bank foreclosed on the hotel's first mortgage loan in 1933, and Joseph A. Gavagan was named as the receiver. The next year, the 235 West 46th Street Company announced plans to reorganize under the Federal Bankruptcy Act. The hotel was again placed for auction in early 1935, with Chase taking over the building after submitting a bid of \$500,000. In late 1938, entertainer Billy Rose hired Albert Johnson to design a nightclub in the hotel's basement, within the old grill room. The club opened that Christmas under the name Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe, earning \$2 million over its first two years. Chase National Bank sold the Hotel Paramount in 1945 to Louis Ritter and Eugene Bogdanffy. The next year, the hotel was resold for \$3.6 million to a Chicago-based syndicate represented by Abbell, Edelman, Portes, and Abbell. Charles Ornstein continued to manage the hotel. At the time, the Paramount was characterized as a "commercial transient hotel" with many full-time residents in the late 1940s. During this time, the hotel prospered and guests had full room service.

### 1950s to early 1980s

The Diamond Horseshoe nightclub in the Paramount's basement closed in 1951, and figure skater Sonja Henie then attempted to operate an ice rink in the basement. After the nightclub's closure, the prices of rooms began to decrease, and room service was eliminated. Subsequently, the U.S. federal government began negotiating to lease the Paramount Hotel. In October 1953, after 14 months of negotiations, the government agreed to take over the hotel and convert it into offices for the Internal Revenue Service, but this conversion did not occur. At the time, the General Services Administration, which controlled the federal government's office space, was trying to reduce the amount of space it was leasing. Anthony Parella also proposed opening a legitimate theatre venue in the old Diamond Horseshoe space in 1954. Herbert A. Weissberg bought the Paramount from the Abbell hotel group in 1957. The Hotel Paramount's new owners obtained a \$350,000 loan for the hotel in 1959, and George Geiger signed a lease to operate the hotel the same year.

The hotel's operators leased the Paramount's basement as a theater in December 1960 to the partnership of Irving Maidman and Norman Twain. Russell Patterson renovated the basement into the Mayfair Theatre, a 299-seat off-Broadway venue, which opened in March 1961. The following May, a real-estate syndicate headed by Frank H. Klein, Sheldon Hertz, Blair H. Goldberg, and Robert M. Rose acquired the Paramount's leasehold, and the Courtesy Operating Corporation took over the hotel's operations. At the time, the previous owners had spent \$750,000 over the previous five years to renovate the hotel. The Mayfair lasted two years as an off-Broadway house before Maidman converted it to a cabaret venue. The hotel was sold yet again in the late 1960s, and its basement operated as a burlesque venue by 1969. In addition, a production studio for Sear Sound was built within the hotel in 1972. During much of the 1970s, the basement operated as a Broadway-class theater.

By 1980, the building was operating as a mid-priced hotel called the Century-Paramount, with single rooms ranging from \$36 to \$46 per night. A reviewer at the time said that, though the rooms were "not quaint" with excessively small closets, the reviewer said that "everything is well-kept". The next year, the Century Theatre in the hotel's basement was closed and converted to a school for accountants. During the mid-1980s, The New York Times characterized the hotel as "a scruffy tourist stop off Eighth Avenue", appealing to "low-budget European travelers willing to sleep four to a room". The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) had started considering protecting the interior of the Century-Paramount's basement as an official city landmark in 1982, with discussions continuing over the next several years; The LPC denied landmark status to the basement interior in 1987, during a wide-ranging effort to grant landmark status to Broadway theaters.

### Schrager operation

Philip Pilevsky and Arthur G. Cohen acquired the Century-Paramount in 1986 for either \$30 million or \$35 million. The partners planned to renovate the hotel, including the basement theater. Pilevsky and Cohen delegated the operation to Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell, the former operators of the nightclub Studio 54. Schrager fired all of the hotel's 130 workers, interviewing 4,000 people to fill the positions; he advertised in entertainment magazines like Playbill and Variety, hosting auditions for candidates. Schrager had replaced the staff because he preferred workers who had "quirky beauty and elegance", as opposed to tenured hospitality workers, who he said were "too cynical" and "had too many ideas". Schrager was extremely selective about appearances as well; when he was selecting a uniform for workers at the hotel's bar, models tried on over a hundred outfits before Schrager found a uniform he liked. Occupancy rates more than doubled from 38 percent in 1986 to 82 percent in 1988. When Rubell died shortly afterward, Schrager operated the hotel alone, his first venture without his longtime partner. Pilevsky considered selling the hotels that he had co-owned with Rubell and Schrager, including Morgans, the Royalton, and the Paramount. Nonetheless, Harper's Bazaar credited the three hotels with popularizing the boutique hotel industry.

The hotel was closed for an 18-month remodeling project in 1988. The space, redesigned by Haigh Architects with decorations by Philippe Starck, was renovated and renamed the Paramount Hotel. The project, which cost \$31.3 million, added several amenities and eateries. The hotel's 610 rooms were reopened gradually starting in late 1989, with forty rooms being completed every two weeks. The hotel officially reopened in August 1990; to publicize the renovation, large numbers of apples were mailed to travel agents, an allusion to New York City's nickname, the Big Apple. Schrager also paid Wieden & Kennedy to create three advertisements for the hotel, which aired during the 1992 Academy Awards. The city's hotel-occupancy rate at the time was relatively high, and the surrounding neighborhood was rundown, leading one observer to write: "That Schrager would spend more than \$1 million on ads right now is questionable." Despite its central location, the Paramount charged less than \$100 per night for the cheapest rooms.

The hotel's restoration was part of a revival of the Times Square area. After the renovations, Schrager and Pilevsky fell behind on paying city taxes on the property, and they owed \$2.6 million by 1991. The Whiskey Bar opened at the hotel in 1991 and was instantly popular; this was followed in 1992 by a restaurant called Brasserie des Theatres. Schrager planned to spend \$2 million on renovating the vacant basement into a nightclub similar to Studio 54, but it remained empty. A restaurant named Coco Pazzo Teatro opened in the Paramount Hotel in 1996. Starck designed another renovation for the hotel in 1998, which took seven months and cost \$7 million. The lobby's lighting was brightened, while the rooms were largely painted white and were refitted with new furniture. By that time, revenue per available room was about 6.6 percent higher than the average rate in the hospitality industry. The Whiskey Bar relocated to the W Times Square in 2001, and the space was replaced with a small bar.

### 21st-century sales

In 2004, Schrager sold the hotel for \$126 million to Becker Ventures LLC, Sol Melia Hotels and Resorts, and Hard Rock Cafe. Sol Melia and Hard Rock, who were the minority stakeholders, planned to renovate the hotel and rename it as the Hard Rock Hotel New York. The renovation did not occur and the partnership between Sol Melia and Hard Rock dissolved in 2006, with the hotel being operated as the Paramount. Hard Rock was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida that year, and its ownership stake in the Paramount was sold to Walton Street Capital in 2007. The hotel was renovated in a project that was completed in April 2009. The LPC designated the hotel's exterior as a New York City landmark on November 17, 2009, citing the Paramount's importance as one of Lamb's few non-theatrical buildings.

By 2011, the hotel's owners Walton Street Capital and Highgate Holdings sought to sell off the hotel, which at the time had 597 rooms. That June, the hotel was sold to Aby Rosen's RFR Holding. RFR took out \$40 million of mezzanine loans to finance the purchase and subsequently renovated the hotel for \$40 million. The cost included a \$20 million conversion of the long-abandoned basement into the Diamond Horseshoe entertainment venue, which opened at the end of 2013. RFR renovated the hotel again in 2015 and started soliciting buyers for the property. The renovation, designed by Stonehill & Taylor and Meyer Davis Studios, included the guestrooms, lobby, and other public areas. The Paramount Bar & Grill and a coffee bar called Corso were also opened inside the hotel. The Diamond Horseshoe closed in 2015 and served as a private space for three years. In March 2018, Blue Note Records and Sony Music reopened the nightclub as the Sony Hall concert venue. RFR closed the Paramount Bar and Grill and the Corso coffee bar in February 2018, and it discontinued room service as well. That April, Rosen got a \$140 million loan from Aareal Bank.

The Paramount Hotel closed indefinitely in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. In late 2020, Rosen considered selling the hotel to Breaking Ground, a supportive housing group. According to Curbed, the hotel's quality had degraded by then, and "complaints on review sites ranged from mold on the ceiling to stained carpets to a cockroach in the bed". Breaking Ground formally proposed in early 2022 that the hotel be converted into 510 housing units and a 136-unit shelter for homeless adults. The plan required the support of the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council (HTC), a labor union representing the Paramount's workers. Although HTC supported legislation that allowed buildings to be converted to affordable housing, the conversion plan was ultimately canceled after HTC requested that Breaking Ground buy out the workers' contract for \$50 million, which the organization could not afford. As a result, the Paramount Hotel reopened as a hotel in late 2022.

## See also

- List of hotels in New York City
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets

Hotel in Manhattan, New York


Ocean sunfish

The ocean sunfish or common mola (Mola mola) is one of the largest bony fish in the world. It was misidentified as the heaviest bony fish, which was actually a different species, Mola alexandrini. Adults typically weigh between 247 and 1,000 kg (545 and 2,205 lb). The species is native to tropical and temperate waters around the world. It resembles a fish head without a tail, and its main body is flattened laterally. Sunfish can be as tall as they are long when their dorsal and ventral fins are extended.

Sunfish are generalist predators that consume largely small fish, fish larvae, squid, and crustaceans. Jellyfish and salps, once thought to be the primary prey of sunfish, make up only 15% of a sunfish's diet. Females of the species can produce more eggs than any other known vertebrate, up to 300,000,000 at a time. Sunfish fry resemble miniature pufferfish, with large pectoral fins, a tail fin, and body spines uncharacteristic of adult sunfish.

Adult sunfish are vulnerable to few natural predators, but sea lions, killer whales, and sharks will consume them. Sunfish are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world, including Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. In the European Union, regulations ban the sale of fish and fishery products derived from the family Molidae. Sunfish are frequently caught in gillnets.

A member of the order Tetraodontiformes, which also includes pufferfish, porcupinefish, and filefish, the sunfish shares many traits common to members of this order. The ocean sunfish, Mola mola, is the type species of the genus.

## Naming and taxonomy

Many of the sunfish's various names allude themselves to its flattened shape. Its scientific name, mola, is Latin for "millstone", which the fish resembles because of its gray color, rough texture, and rounded body. Its common English name, sunfish, refers to the animal's habit of sunbathing at the surface of the water. Its common names in Dutch, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Russian, Greek, Hungarian, Norwegian, and German (maanvis, peixe lua, Poisson lune, pez luna, peix lluna, Pesce luna, рыба-луна, φεγγαρόψαρο, holdhal, månefisk and Mondfisch, respectively) mean "moon fish", in reference to its rounded shape. In German, the fish is also known as Schwimmender Kopf, or "swimming head". In Polish, it is named samogłów, meaning "head alone" or "only head", because it has no true tail. In Swedish and Danish it is known as klumpfisk, in Dutch klompvis, in Finnish möhkäkala, all of which mean "lump fish". The Chinese translation of its academic name is 翻車魚; fān chē yú, meaning "toppled wheel fish". The ocean sunfish has various superseded binomial synonyms, and was originally classified in the pufferfish genus, as Tetraodon mola. It is now placed in its own genus, Mola, with three species: Mola mola, Mola tecta and Mola alexandrini (previously known as Mola ramsayi). The ocean sunfish, Mola mola, is the type species of the genus.

The genus Mola belongs to the family Molidae. This family comprises three genera: Masturus, Mola and Ranzania. The common name "sunfish" without qualifier is used to describe the marine family Molidae and the freshwater sunfish in the family Centrarchidae, which is unrelated to Molidae. On the other hand, the name "ocean sunfish" and "mola" refer only to the family Molidae.

The family Molidae belongs to the order Tetraodontiformes, which includes pufferfish and filefish. It shares many traits common to members of this order, including the four fused teeth that form the characteristic beak and give the order its name (tetra=four, odous=tooth, and forma=shape). Indeed, sunfish fry resemble spiky pufferfish more than they resemble adult molas.

## Description

The caudal fin of the ocean sunfish is replaced by a rounded clavus, creating the body's distinct truncated shape. The body is flattened laterally, giving it a long oval shape when seen head-on. The pectoral fins are small and fan-shaped, while the dorsal fin and the anal fin are lengthened, often making the fish as tall as it is long. Specimens up to 3.3 m (10 ft 10 in) in height have been recorded.

The mature ocean sunfish has an average length of 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) and a fin-to-fin length of 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in). The weight of mature specimens can range from 247 to 1,000 kg (545 to 2,205 lb), but even larger individuals are not unheard of. The maximum size recorded is 3.3 m (10 ft 10 in) in length, and maximum weight recorded is 2,300 kg (5,100 lb).

The spinal column of M. mola contains fewer vertebrae and is shorter in relation to the body than that of any other fish. Although the sunfish descended from bony ancestors, its skeleton contains largely cartilaginous tissues, which are lighter than bone, allowing it to grow to sizes impractical for other bony fishes. Its teeth are fused into a beak-like structure, which prevents them from being able to fully close their mouths, while also having pharyngeal teeth located in the throat.

The sunfish lacks a swim bladder. Some sources indicate the internal organs contain a concentrated neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin, like the organs of other poisonous tetraodontiformes, while others dispute this claim.

### Fins

In the course of its evolution, the caudal fin (tail) of the sunfish disappeared, to be replaced by a lumpy pseudotail, the clavus. This structure is formed by the convergence of the dorsal and anal fins, and is used by the fish as a rudder. The smooth-denticled clavus retains 12 fin rays and terminates in a number of rounded ossicles.

Ocean sunfish often swim near the surface, and their protruding dorsal fins are sometimes mistaken for those of sharks. However, the two can be distinguished by the motion of the fin. Unlike most fish, the sunfish swings its dorsal fin and anal fin in a characteristic sculling motion.

### Skin

Adult sunfish range from brown to silvery-grey or white, with a variety of region-specific mottled skin patterns. Coloration is often darker on the dorsal surface, fading to a lighter shade ventrally as a form of countershading camouflage. M. mola also exhibits the ability to vary skin coloration from light to dark, especially when under attack. The skin, which contains large amounts of reticulated collagen, can be up to 7.3 cm (2+3⁄4 in) thick on the ventral surface, and is covered by denticles and a layer of mucus instead of scales. The skin on the clavus is smoother than that on the body, where it can be as rough as sandpaper.

More than 40 species of parasites may reside on the skin and internally, motivating the fish to seek relief in a number of ways. One of the most frequent ocean sunfish parasites is the flatworm Accacoelium contortum.

In temperate regions, drifting kelp fields harbor cleaner wrasses and other fish which remove parasites from the skin of visiting sunfish. In the tropics, M. mola solicits cleaning help from reef fishes. By basking on its side at the surface, the sunfish also allows seabirds to feed on parasites from its skin. Sunfish have been reported to breach, clearing the surface by approximately 3 m (10 ft), in an apparent effort to dislodge embedded parasites.

## Range and behavior

Ocean sunfish are native to the temperate and tropical waters of every ocean in the world. Mola genotypes appear to vary widely between the Atlantic and Pacific, but genetic differences between individuals in the Northern and Southern hemispheres are minimal.

Although early research suggested sunfish moved around mainly by drifting with ocean currents, individuals have been recorded swimming 26 km (16 mi) in a day at a cruising speed of 3.2 km/h (1.7 kn). While this might be the case most of the time, they are also capable of moving rapidly when feeding or avoiding predators, to the extent that they can vertically leap out of water. Contrary to the perception that sunfish spend much of their time basking at the surface, M. mola adults actually spend a large portion of their lives actively hunting at depths greater than 200 m (660 ft), occupying both the epipelagic and mesopelagic zones.Sunfish are most often found in water warmer than 10 °C (50 °F); prolonged periods spent in water at temperatures of 12 °C (54 °F) or lower can lead to disorientation and eventual death. Surface basking behavior, in which a sunfish swims on its side, presenting its largest profile to the sun, may be a method of "thermally recharging" following dives into deeper, colder water in order to feed. Sightings of the fish in colder waters outside of its usual habitat, such as those southwest of England, may be evidence of increasing marine temperatures, although the proximity of England's southwestern coast to the Gulf Stream means that many of these sightings may also be the result of the fish being carried to Europe by the current.

Sunfish are usually found alone, but occasionally in pairs.

### Feeding

The diet of the ocean sunfish was formerly thought to consist primarily of various jellyfish. However, genetic analysis reveals that sunfish are actually generalist predators that consume mostly small fish, fish larvae, squid, and crustaceans, with jellyfish and salps making up only around 15% of the diet. Occasionally they will ingest eel grass. This range of food items indicates that the sunfish feeds at many levels, from the surface to deep water, and occasionally down to the seafloor in some areas.

### Life cycle

Ocean sunfish may live up to ten years in captivity, but their lifespan in a natural habitat has not yet been determined. Their growth rate remains undetermined. However, a young specimen at the Monterey Bay Aquarium increased in weight from 26 to 399 kg (57 to 880 lb) and reached a height of nearly 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) in 15 months.

The sheer size and thick skin of an adult of the species deters many smaller predators, but younger fish are vulnerable to predation by bluefin tuna and mahi mahi. Adults are consumed by orca, sharks and sea lions.

The mating practices of the ocean sunfish are poorly understood, but spawning areas have been suggested in the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, and Indian oceans. Females are estimated to be carrying as many as 300 million eggs, more than any other known vertebrate. Sunfish eggs are released into the water and externally fertilized by sperm.

Newly hatched sunfish larvae are only 2.5 mm (3⁄32 in) long and weigh less than one gram. They develop into fry, and those which survive can grow up to 60 million times their original weight before reaching adult proportions, arguably the most extreme size growth of any vertebrate animal.

Sunfish fry, with large pectoral fins, a tail fin, and body spines uncharacteristic of adult sunfish, resemble miniature pufferfish, their close relatives. Young sunfish school for protection, but this behavior is abandoned as they grow.

## Genome

In 2016, researchers from China National Genebank and A\*STAR Singapore, including Nobel laureate Sydney Brenner, sequenced the genome of the ocean sunfish and discovered several genes which might explain its fast growth rate and large body size. As member of the order Tetraodontiformes, like fugu, the sunfish has quite a compact genome, at 730 Mb in size. Analysis from this data suggests that sunfish and pufferfishes diverged approximately 68 million years ago, which corroborates the results of other recent studies based on smaller datasets.

## Human interaction

Despite their size, ocean sunfish are docile and pose no threat to human divers. Injuries from sunfish are rare, although a slight danger exists from large sunfish leaping out of the water onto boats; in one instance, a sunfish landed on a 4-year-old boy when the fish leaped onto the boy's family's boat. Areas where they are commonly found are popular destinations for sport dives, and sunfish at some locations have reportedly become familiar with divers. They are more of a problem to boaters than to swimmers, as they can pose a hazard to watercraft due to their large size and weight. Collisions with sunfish are common in some parts of the world and can cause damage to the hull of a boat, or to the propellers of larger ships, as well as to the fish.

The flesh of the ocean sunfish is considered a delicacy in some regions, the largest markets being Taiwan and Japan. All parts of the sunfish are used in cuisine, from the fins to the internal organs. Some parts are used in some areas of traditional medicine. Fishery products derived from sunfish are forbidden in the European Union according to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council as they contain toxins that are harmful to human health.

Sunfish are accidentally but frequently caught in drift gillnet fisheries, making up nearly 30% of the total catch of the swordfish fishery employing drift gillnets in California. The bycatch rate is even higher for the Mediterranean swordfish industry, with 71% to 90% of the total catch being sunfish.

The fishery bycatch and destruction of ocean sunfish are unregulated worldwide. In some areas, the fish are "finned" by fishermen who regard them as worthless bait thieves; this process, in which the fins are cut off, results in the eventual death of the fish, because it can no longer propel itself without its dorsal and anal fins. The species is also threatened by floating litter such as plastic bags which resemble jellyfish, a common prey item. Bags can choke and suffocate a fish or fill its stomach to the extent that it starves.

Many areas of sunfish biology remain poorly understood, and various research efforts are underway, including aerial surveys of populations, satellite surveillance using pop-off satellite tags, genetic analysis of tissue samples, and collection of amateur sighting data. A decrease in sunfish populations may be caused by more frequent bycatch and the increasing popularity of sunfish in human diet.

### In captivity

Sunfish are not widely held in aquarium exhibits, due to the unique and demanding requirements of their care. Some Asian aquaria display them, particularly in Japan. The Kaiyukan Aquarium in Osaka is one of few aquaria with M. mola on display, where it is reportedly as popular an attraction as the larger whale sharks. The Lisbon Oceanarium in Portugal has sunfish showcased in the main tank, and in Spain, the Valencia Oceanogràfic has specimens of sunfish. The Ocean sunfish is also on display at the Denmark Nordsøen Oceanarium.

In Kamogawa Sea World the ocean sunfish named Kukey, who started captivity in 1982, set a world record for captivity for 2,993 days, living for eight years. Kukey was 72 cm (2.36 ft) at the time of delivery, but was 187 cm (6.14 ft) in size at the time of death.

While the first ocean sunfish to be held in an aquarium in the United States is said to have arrived at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in August 1986, other specimens have previously been held at other locations. Marineland of the Pacific, closed since 1987 and located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles County, California, held at least one ocean sunfish by 1961, and in 1964 held a 290-kilogram (650 lb) specimen, said to be the largest ever captured at that time. However, another 450-kilogram (1,000 lb) specimen was brought alive to Marineland Studios Aquarium, near St. Augustine, Florida, in 1941.

Because sunfish had not been kept in captivity on a large scale before, the staff at Monterey Bay was forced to innovate and create their own methods for capture, feeding, and parasite control. By 1998, these issues were overcome, and the aquarium was able to hold a specimen for more than a year, later releasing it after its weight increased by more than 14 times. Mola mola has since become a permanent feature of the Open Sea exhibit. Monterey Bay Aquarium's largest sunfish specimen was euthanized on February 14, 2008, after an extended period of poor health.

A major concern to curators is preventive measures taken to keep specimens in captivity from injuring themselves by rubbing against the walls of a tank, since ocean sunfish cannot easily maneuver their bodies. In a smaller tank, hanging a vinyl curtain has been used as a stopgap measure to convert a cuboid tank to a rounded shape and prevent the fish from scraping against the sides. A more effective solution is simply to provide enough room for the sunfish to swim in wide circles. The tank must also be sufficiently deep to accommodate the vertical height of the sunfish, which may reach 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in).

Feeding captive sunfish in a tank with faster-moving, more aggressive fish can also present a challenge. Eventually, the fish can be taught to respond to a floating target to be fed, and to take food from the end of a pole or from human hands.

Species of fish


Joey Barton

Joseph Anthony Barton (born 2 September 1982) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He made 269 appearances in the Premier League, including 130 for Manchester City. He is currently the manager of League One side Bristol Rovers.

Barton was born and raised in Huyton, Merseyside. He began his football career with Manchester City in 2002 after working his way through their youth system. His appearances in the first team gradually increased over the following five years and he made more than 150 for the club. He earned his only cap for the England national team in February 2007, despite his criticism of some of the team's players. He then joined Newcastle United for a fee of £5.8 million in July 2007. After four years with the club, he joined Queens Park Rangers in August 2011, from where he was loaned to Marseille in 2012. He returned from his loan spell the following season, and helped QPR to promotion to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs. However, QPR were relegated again, and Barton was released at the end of the season. He signed a one-year deal to play for Burnley in 2015, helping them win promotion to the Premier League, but left to join Rangers in May 2016. He was banned from football after admitting a Football Association charge relating to betting in April 2017, and upon its expiry in June 2018 commenced his managerial career with Fleetwood Town.

Barton's career and life have been marked by numerous controversial incidents and disciplinary problems and he has been convicted twice of violent crimes. On 20 May 2008, he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for common assault and affray during an incident in Liverpool City Centre. Barton served 74 days of this prison term, being released on 28 July 2008. On 1 July 2008, he was also given a four-month suspended sentence after admitting assault occasioning actual bodily harm on former teammate Ousmane Dabo during a training-ground dispute on 1 May 2007. This incident effectively ended his Manchester City career. Barton has been charged with violent conduct three times by The Football Association: for the assault on Dabo, for punching Morten Gamst Pedersen in the stomach and for attacking three players on the final day of the 2011–12 season.

## Early life

Born in Huyton, Merseyside, Barton is the oldest of four brothers. His parents separated when he was 14 years old and consequently he lived with his father at his grandmother's house on a different estate. He has said that his grandmother's influence helped him to avoid getting caught up in a recreational drug culture and attributes his work ethic to his father. His father, also named Joseph, worked as a roofer and played football semi-professionally for Northwich Victoria. Barton enjoyed physical education at his school, St Thomas Becket, which he represented in various sports and was a talented rugby league prospect. He left school with ten GCSEs.

## Club career

### Early career

Barton pursued his dreams of becoming a professional footballer by joining Everton's youth system, but played for Liverpool when he was 14. He underwent trials at Nottingham Forest, but was rejected when it was decided he was too small to become a footballer. Barton said his rejection by clubs only made him more determined to succeed as a footballer and prove his detractors wrong. He made his first appearance for Manchester City's under-17s team in 1999. His first reserve-team appearance came at the end of the 2000–01 season, in his final year as a trainee. Uncertain about Barton's future prospects, the club planned to release him, but reconsidered and gave him his first professional contract in the close season. Over the next two years, he made the transition from the under-19s to regular reserve football. He was promoted to the first-team squad in the 2002–03 season.

### Manchester City

Barton would have made his debut for the City first team in November 2002 against Middlesbrough, had he not lost his shirt after leaving it on the substitutes bench at half-time. He eventually made his first-team debut for the club against Bolton Wanderers on 5 April 2003. His first senior goal came two weeks later in a 2–0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Good Friday. He ended the 2002–03 season with a run of seven consecutive starts.

After impressing in his first season at City, Barton was offered a new one-year contract at the club by manager Kevin Keegan, which he signed in April 2003. He featured in the first team more regularly during the 2003–04 season and, following a second Premiership goal, was rewarded with a call-up to the England U21 squad for their 2004 European Championship qualifiers against Macedonia and Portugal.

An FA Cup match against Tottenham saw Barton receive the first red card of his career in unusual circumstances: at half-time, with his club 3–0 down, he argued with the referee and was sent off although the match was not in progress. In the second half, despite playing with 10 men, Barton's teammates achieved an unlikely 4–3 victory. Barton left the City of Manchester Stadium in anger on 17 April, after not being named in the team to play Southampton. However, he featured regularly in the 2003–04 season, which he completed with 39 appearances and one goal. His displays impressed City's supporters, and at the end of the 2003–04 season he was awarded with the club's Young Player of the Year award.

Barton sparked a ten-man brawl in a friendly match against Doncaster Rovers on 25 July 2004 after "hacking" at an opposition player. Although he signed a new contract on 22 September 2004, which would keep him at City until 2007, the club considered sacking Barton in December 2004 after an incident at their Christmas party. He stubbed out a lit cigar in youth player Jamie Tandy's eye, after he had caught Tandy attempting to set fire to his shirt. Barton subsequently apologised for his actions and was fined six weeks' wages (£60,000).

In May 2005, Barton broke a 35-year-old pedestrian's leg while driving his car through Liverpool city centre at 2 am. In the summer of 2005, Barton was sent home from a pre-season tournament in Thailand after assaulting a 15-year-old Everton supporter who had provoked Barton by verbally abusing him and kicking his shin. Barton had to be restrained from attacking the boy further by teammate Richard Dunne. Barton underwent anger management therapy at the order of City manager Stuart Pearce and paid £120,000 in club fines. In the autumn of 2005, Barton began a seven-day programme of behavioural management at the Sporting Chance Clinic, a charity set up to help troubled sportsmen and women.

Barton handed in a written transfer request in January 2006, which the club rejected. The following day, they also rejected a verbal offer for Barton from Middlesbrough, with Stuart Pearce stating that a deal could still be made to keep him at the club. During the following week, Barton said that he had been "a little bit impetuous" in making such a request and agreed to begin negotiations on a new contract at City. He was rewarded with a new four-year deal, which he signed on 25 July, ending speculation about his future.

Barton's behaviour appeared to improve after his participation at the Sporting Chance Clinic. However, on 30 September 2006, television cameras captured Barton exposing his backside to Everton fans, following City's injury-time equaliser in a match at Goodison Park. Barton had received abuse from Everton supporters throughout the match and the gesture has since been described as "light-hearted" and "inoffensive" by people involved in football. Merseyside Police looked into the incident, but announced in October that no further action would be taken, although Barton was fined £2,000 for bringing the game into disrepute and warned about his future conduct by The Football Association.

In November 2006, Barton was involved in a memorable goal celebration. After scoring for Manchester City against Fulham, striker Bernardo Corradi ran to the corner flag, followed by teammate Joey Barton. Corradi proceeded to remove the corner flag and "knight" the kneeling Barton. In December 2006, Barton received the second red card of his career, for a late two-footed tackle on Bolton Wanderers player Abdoulaye Faye.

Barton's agent Willie McKay said in January 2007 that if any team offered at least £5.5 million for Barton, it would trigger a release clause in his contract that would mean City would have to allow Barton to talk to the interested club. This reportedly prompted Everton manager David Moyes to make an inquiry to City about Barton's availability. The next day Barton said: "People are trying to unsettle me but I'm happy to stay here".

Barton was arrested on suspicion of assault and criminal damage after an alleged argument with a taxi driver in Liverpool while going to his hotel after a match on 13 March 2007. He was cleared of this charge in May 2008.

Barton displayed his outspokenness once again on 22 April 2007 when he publicly criticised City's performances during the 2006–07 season, and described some of the players the club had signed as "substandard". Following his comments, City's manager Stuart Pearce banned him from speaking to the media.

Barton was fined £100,000 and suspended by City until the end of the 2006–07 season on 1 May 2007, following an incident during training when he assaulted his teammate Ousmane Dabo. Dabo said that he had been hit several times, was left unconscious and had to go to hospital after suffering injuries to his head, including a suspected detached retina. Dabo requested that the police press charges against Barton, and as a result, Barton was arrested and questioned by Greater Manchester Police. This altercation effectively ended Barton's time at City. He later cited a "relationship breakdown" with Stuart Pearce as the main reason he left the club. Barton was bailed until August and was later charged with assault, to which he initially pleaded not guilty. He later changed this to a guilty plea and on 1 July 2008 was sentenced to a four-month suspended prison sentence plus 200 hours of community service and ordered to pay £3,000 compensation and Dabo's court costs. Barton was also charged with violent conduct by the FA. Barton pleaded guilty and on 1 September 2008 was banned for six matches, with a further six-match ban suspended for two years, and fined £25,000.

### Newcastle United

Following offers from Newcastle United and West Ham United, Barton joined Newcastle on 14 June 2007 for a fee of £5.8 million. The contract negotiations had become protracted after Manchester City refused to pay Barton a fee of £300,000 to which he was reported to be entitled if he left the club without submitting a request for transfer. Newcastle United consequently raised their initial offer of £5.5 million to £5.8, in effect compensating Manchester City for the £300,000 discrepancy. He said that his desire to win trophies helped him to make the decision, along with his admiration for manager Sam Allardyce. Barton made his Newcastle debut in a friendly against Hartlepool United on 17 July 2007. Four days later, he was ruled out for six to seven weeks after fracturing the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot during a friendly match with Carlisle United. He was ruled out for a further month in October 2007.

Barton eventually made his Premier League debut for Newcastle on 22 October 2007, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 3–1 win over Tottenham. During his first Tyne–Wear derby for Newcastle against Sunderland, Barton appeared to raise his foot dangerously in a challenge with Sunderland's Dickson Etuhu, leading to the News of the World running with the headline "Ban Him". The FA were unable to charge Barton for the incident because match official Martin Atkinson had seen the act take place in the match, and had taken no action. FIFA regulations dictate that a retrospective charge for violent conduct can be made only if the match official did not notice the incident. Barton later apologised for the tackle. Early in December, he called for Newcastle fans to give the team more time after their abuse of manager Sam Allardyce, calling them "vicious". He later played this down, saying his comments had been misrepresented.

On 27 December 2007, Barton was arrested on suspicion of assault in the Church Street area of Liverpool city centre following an incident which took place at 5:30 am. He was remanded in custody on 28 December since the offence was committed whilst he was on bail for two prior offences; the presiding magistrate said: "I also have to consider the safety of the public – you lashed out indiscriminately". CCTV showed Barton punching a man twenty times, causing him to lose consciousness, and attacking a teenager, breaking some of his teeth. On 20 May 2008, he was sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty for his part in the December 2007 assault. Barton's cousin, Nadine Wilson, and his brother Andrew Barton also pleaded guilty to their part in the assaults and received suspended sentences. Barton admitted to being an alcoholic and claimed he wanted to achieve "total abstinence" in order to improve his behaviour. He served 74 days of his prison term, being released on 28 July 2008.

Barton's subsequent conviction, a four-month suspended sentence for the earlier assault on Ousmane Dabo at Manchester City, was handed out while serving this sentence. He returned to playing action on 30 August 2008, six days before his FA hearing, as a second-half substitute during Newcastle's 3–0 defeat to Arsenal. He came on to a chorus of boos from the Arsenal supporters. Shortly into this return match, Barton was involved in an incident with Samir Nasri, putting in a strong tackle, for which the referee did not give a foul. The tackle, though hard, was legal. Minutes later, Nasri deliberately clipped Barton while tracking back, for which he was booked. At the end of the match, Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan was involved in an altercation with Nasri and Arsenal captain William Gallas, in regards to the incident.

It was a brief stint back in the playing squad, with Barton banned for six matches, with a further suspended six-match ban, for his assault on Dabo. After serving his ban, he played 75 minutes in a reserve match and said he wanted to transform his image to become a role model, before he returned to action in the Tyne–Wear derby on 25 October. He was booed by Sunderland fans and had missiles thrown at him as he warmed up, as Newcastle lost 2–1. Without him, Newcastle had not recorded a league victory since the second match of the season, but Barton scored a penalty in his second match back to lift the club out of the relegation zone. The suspended six-match ban was nearly brought into action when Barton appeared to flick Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor in the club's next match, but the FA decided not to punish Barton. However, further allegations that Barton had made a racist remark to Agbonlahor were cause enough for the FA to reconsider this decision. The remarks remain unfounded and 'professional lip-readers' claimed he said nothing racist. In Newcastle's 2–2 draw with Wigan on 15 November 2008, Barton was injured after a tackle from Lee Cattermole. It was later confirmed that Barton would be out for two months with a medial ligament injury. Returning to the first team at the end of January, he played only twice before again breaking his metatarsal, during a 2–1 defeat to his old club Manchester City.

In his first appearance in over three months on 3 May 2009, Barton was sent off late in a 3–0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield for a sliding challenge on Xabi Alonso. The red card ruled Barton out of Newcastle's remaining three matches of the season, with the club in danger of relegation from the Premier League. Newcastle manager Alan Shearer raised doubts about Barton's future at the club, saying: "I think it would be wrong to discuss his future now, but I'm not very happy." On 5 May, Newcastle United announced the suspension of Barton indefinitely, and Barton was told to stay away from the club. As a result, Barton's future at Newcastle United was put in doubt. The club suspension was widely reportedly to have resulted not directly from the red card, but from a dressing room confrontation with Shearer and assistant manager Iain Dowie following the match. Shearer said he made a mistake putting Barton back into the team, and that his tackle was "a coward's tackle", to which Barton replied that he was "the best player at the club", and Shearer had to play him. Shearer said that Barton was not, and that he was "shit". Barton replied that Shearer was "a shit manager with shit tactics". When Dowie intervened, Barton called him "a prick". Barton was reportedly transfer listed.

Barton stayed on with Newcastle United after they were relegated to the Championship, playing six out of Newcastle's opening eight league matches, but suffered an injury to his foot in a 3–1 win against Plymouth Argyle on 19 September. He returned in April for Newcastle, playing all nine of Newcastle's remaining league fixtures and scoring his only goal of the campaign from a free kick in a win over Peterborough United.

Barton started his new club season 2010–11 as a first-team regular, playing against Manchester United on the opening day. On 10 November, in a 2–1 defeat to Blackburn, Barton again acted violently, punching Morten Gamst Pedersen in the chest. He was not punished during the match as the officials did not see the incident, but after reviewing the evidence, the FA again charged Barton with violent conduct. Barton apologised, accepted the charge, and was banned for three matches. Barton courted controversy once again during Newcastle's 3–1 win over Liverpool on 11 December 2010, when he appeared to direct homophobic remarks and a lewd gesture at Fernando Torres. Barton scored two penalties against Arsenal on 5 February 2011 as Newcastle came from a 4–0 deficit to draw 4–4. He was involved in an altercation with Abou Diaby, which led to a straight red card for Diaby. Diaby took offence to Barton's strong challenge and retaliated by grabbing Barton by the neck and shoving him to the ground.

On 25 May 2011, Barton's agent Willie McKay confirmed that his client would not be signing a new contract at St James' Park after contract talks broke down between the club and player. Barton was officially transfer listed by Newcastle on 1 August 2011, and it was also stated that he could leave for free with his current contract yet to expire. Barton was set to leave Newcastle following his teammate Kevin Nolan, who had earlier joined West Ham United, but Barton insisted on not moving. Joey Barton also criticised the Newcastle board after it was decided he could leave the club on a free transfer. With Newcastle continuing to decline the offer of a new contract, after he refused an earlier offer, on 24 August 2011, Barton was given permission to talk to QPR. Thanking the Newcastle fans, he left on 26 August 2011.

A week before his signing with QPR, Barton was involved in an altercation with Gervinho of Arsenal, which resulted in Gervinho being sent off on his debut. Then, Alex Song stamped on Barton, for which Song received a three-match ban. Barton later said he was on the verge of joining Arsenal but his incident with Gervinho ended his hopes of a move to the Emirates, and instead he joined Queens Park Rangers.

### Queens Park Rangers

On 26 August 2011, Barton moved to Queens Park Rangers, signing a four-year contract on a free transfer. He was handed the captain's armband by manager Neil Warnock on his debut with the club, which was a 0–0 draw with former club Newcastle. On 17 September, he scored his first goal for QPR during a 3–0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Following his goal, Barton was involved in a physical confrontation with Wolves player Karl Henry. Henry and Barton had a previous physical confrontation in August 2010 when Barton was still at Newcastle. Barton accused Henry of "trying to hurt people". Henry responded by calling Barton's behaviour "embarrassing".

On 2 January 2012, Barton scored the opening goal in QPR's match against Norwich City, his second for the club. He was later given a straight red card after head-butting Norwich midfielder Bradley Johnson. With QPR down to ten men they went on to lose the match 2–1. When Warnock was replaced as manager by Mark Hughes in January 2012, Hughes confirmed that Barton would remain captain. Barton's performance in QPR's 3–2 home victory against Liverpool saw him booed by QPR fans, who promptly cheered when he was substituted just after the hour mark. Barton admitted that his performance was "awful" and the "worst I've ever played in my career" but also criticised the QPR fans for not sticking with the team in their battle against relegation. After being dropped for the club's next match, an away defeat to Sunderland, he returned to the line-up for the home match against Arsenal. Barton's third goal for the club came in a 3–0 victory at home to Swansea on 11 April 2011.

On 13 May, on the final day of the season, with QPR requiring at least a draw in their match away at Manchester City or for Bolton Wanderers to not win in order to guarantee Premier League safety, Barton was sent off in the 55th minute for violent misconduct after elbowing Carlos Tevez in the face. Immediately after being shown a red card, he kicked Sergio Agüero in the back of the knee and attempted to head-butt Vincent Kompany. Barton had to be dragged from the pitch by former teammate Micah Richards as he rowed with Manchester City players and staff and attempted to square-off with striker Mario Balotelli. QPR went on to concede two late goals and lose the match 3–2, but avoided relegation due to Bolton's draw at Stoke City. Barton commented after the match saying that he was trying to "take [one] of their players with me." The FA responded by issuing two charges of violent conduct against him, for the kick and the attempted head-butt, the initial foul already carrying with it a charge of violent conduct. Barton accepted the charge for kicking Agüero but denied the charge for attempting to head-butt Kompany. QPR also began an internal investigation into his behaviour, amid speculation that he would be stripped of the captaincy, fined and possibly either sold, released on a free transfer or have his contract terminated for gross misconduct.

On 23 May, Barton attended an FA hearing. Punishing him for all three counts of violent conduct, Barton was handed a twelve-match ban and fined £75,000. On 25 June, QPR announced the results of their internal investigation. Barton was stripped of the captaincy and fined six weeks' wages, believed to have been around £500,000. Barton was also removed from the club's pre-season tour of Asia, and in a statement the club said that they had "also reached agreement with Barton that if he seriously breaches the club's disciplinary procedures again, the club reserves the right to terminate his contract". Barton responded by saying that "My behaviour was wrong and I accept the punishment that has been imposed upon me as a result."

On 31 July 2012, Barton played 45 minutes of a friendly match for League Two team Fleetwood Town in the club's 4–0 win over Kilmarnock. He had been training with Fleetwood after being left out of Queens Park Rangers' tour of Malaysia. Fleetwood attempted to sign Barton on a six-month loan, but the deal was turned down by QPR.

Ahead of the 2012–13 Premier League season, Barton was not given a squad number by QPR. Towards the end of the season, chairman Tony Fernandes identified the loss of Barton as a factor in the club's poor performance and relegation from the Premier League, saying: "We missed Joey. We needed a workhorse midfielder and we tried to get Scott Parker. We missed a real leader."

#### Loan to Marseille

Barton completed a season-long loan move to Marseille on 31 August 2012. In September, the LFP confirmed that Barton's twelve-match ban would be upheld in French football, restricting Barton to UEFA Europa League football for the first four months of the season. On 20 September, Barton made his debut for the club in an away trip to Fenerbahçe in a UEFA Europa League tie, a match that ended 2–2. Barton scored his first goal for Marseille on 8 November in the 2–2 draw with Borussia Mönchengladbach in Germany, netting directly from a corner kick in the 54th minute.

Barton told ESPN that he would not return to Queens Park Rangers after the loan spell, and he also said that he only joined the club for money because his partner was expecting a child. Following the comments, on 25 November 2012, he made his league debut in a 1–0 home win against Lille. In his third league appearance on 2 December, Barton provided the assists for both Souleymane Diawara's and André Ayew's goals as Marseille defeated Brest 2–1 to remain two points behind leaders Lyon.

On 6 May 2013, Barton was given a two-match suspended ban for describing Thiago Silva of Paris Saint-Germain as looking like an "overweight ladyboy" on Twitter. Laurent Davenas, the President of the French Football Federation's National Council of Ethics said that Barton was punished only for making "inappropriate" remarks, and escaped a more severe punishment because his lawyers proved his lack of homophobic intent by showing the committee Barton's appearance in the BBC Three documentary on homophobia in football.

#### Return to Queens Park Rangers

Barton returned to QPR for the 2013–14 Championship season. During a match at Burnley in October, a plastic bottle thrown from the stands hit Barton on the head. He was sent off in QPR's 1–0 home defeat to Leicester City on 21 December 2013, receiving two yellow cards in quick succession for fouling and then throwing the ball in dissent at Gary Taylor-Fletcher. He started for QPR as they beat Derby County 1–0 in the 2014 Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium on 24 May, a result that saw the club promoted back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

On 21 February 2015, Barton received the ninth red card of his career in the 32nd minute of a match against Hull City after swinging at Tom Huddlestone's groin following a foul by Darnell Furlong. Chris Ramsey suggested that Barton, who would miss the club's next three home matches as a result, would return to anger management therapy following the incident. In May 2015, Queens Park Rangers announced the release of Barton in the summer of 2015.

On 10 August 2015, following his release from Queens Park Rangers, West Ham United were reportedly confident of signing Barton. Two days later, their co-chairman David Gold confirmed that the deal was off after reported protests from some fans unhappy at the prospect of Barton turning out for the Hammers.

### Burnley

On 27 August 2015, Barton joined Championship club Burnley on a one-year contract. He was named in the Championship PFA Team of the Year for the 2015–16 season.

### Rangers

On 24 May 2016, Barton joined Scottish Premiership club Rangers on a two-year contract. He made his first appearance for the club as a substitute in Rangers' 2–0 victory over Annan Athletic in the Scottish League Cup on 19 July. In September 2016, Barton was suspended by Rangers for three weeks following a training ground argument with Andy Halliday. On 10 November 2016, Barton had his contract at Rangers terminated with immediate effect.

### Return to Burnley

On 2 January 2017, despite the threat of an FA ban, Barton re-joined Burnley; he made his second debut for the club in a goalless draw with Sunderland in the FA Cup third round. Barton made his league return on 14 January, coming on as a substitute in the 73rd minute and scoring the only goal in a 1–0 win over Southampton five minutes later. On 26 April Barton was banned from football for 18 months after admitting a Football Association charge in relation to betting. Barton was released by Burnley on 23 May 2017. On 27 July 2017, Barton had his ban reduced by almost five months on appeal.

## International career

Barton represented the England under-21 team and was part of the squad for their 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers against Macedonia and Portugal, scoring once against Portugal.

Following impressive form at club level, Barton received his first call-up to the full England squad on 2 February 2007 for a friendly match against Spain, despite his recent criticism of certain members of the England squad for releasing autobiographies after an unimpressive 2006 FIFA World Cup. He had suggested such players had "cashed in" on the national team's lack of success.

Barton later received support over his comments and Steven Gerrard, one of the players whom Barton had criticised, praised him for his honesty. However, Frank Lampard, who had also released an autobiography following the tournament, publicly stated his disapproval. Barton made his international debut on 7 February 2007, replacing Lampard in the 78th minute of the 1–0 defeat to Spain at Old Trafford.

## Style of play

Early in his career, Barton mainly played a defensive role, with a game based on tackling and tracking back to shield the defence. As his career has progressed, he has begun to incorporate a more attacking approach to his play, which has resulted in a greater number of goals and assists, and his six goals from midfield made him Manchester City's leading scorer in the 2006–07 season, ahead of strikers Georgios Samaras, Bernardo Corradi, Émile Mpenza and Darius Vassell.

Barton has been described as having a good work ethic and the ability to carry the ball and retain possession for the team. He has been praised for having a good passing range. This aspect of his game has shown improvement since the 2005–06 season, when he began to favour simpler passes over more ambitious ones, and his relatively high pass completion rate can be attributed to this change. Barton's passes have often proved to be crucial; in the past he has led the way in his team's assists.

Barton has been described as the dirtiest player in the Premier League, a style reflected in the high number of fouls he has committed during his career. He received 39 bookings and three red cards during his time at Manchester City. This physical approach was occasionally criticised by Kevin Keegan as excessive.

## Managerial career

### Fleetwood Town

League One club Fleetwood Town announced in April 2018 that Barton would take over as manager on 2 June, after the expiration of his ban. He retired from playing upon taking over. His managerial career started with a 1–0 home defeat by AFC Wimbledon on 4 August 2018.

On 13 April 2019, following a 4–2 away defeat to Barnsley, South Yorkshire Police launched an investigation after Barton allegedly assaulted opposition manager Daniel Stendel in the tunnel. In July 2019, Barton was charged with causing actual bodily harm and bailed until 9 October 2019. He pleaded not guilty. Two days later he won the Manager of the Month award. On 6 November 2019, Barton appeared at Sheffield Crown Court, pleading not guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. A provisional trial date was set for 1 June 2020. On 4 January 2021, the club announced that Barton had left the club with immediate effect. He left the club with the side 10th in League One. On 6 December 2021, Barton was cleared of assaulting Stendel.

### Bristol Rovers

On 22 February 2021, Barton was appointed manager of Bristol Rovers with the club in a relegation battle, sitting just two points outside of the relegation zone. His first match was a relegation six-pointer against Wigan Athletic that saw Rovers fall to a 2–1 defeat in the final minute of second-half stoppage time. Barton was unable to reverse his side's slip down the table and on 24 April, they were officially relegated following a 1–0 defeat at Portsmouth that saw the club sitting bottom of the league, nine points off of safety with just two matches remaining. Relegation had been all but confirmed the previous match, with Barton coming out in the press to again publicly criticise his players, as well as the two managers before him, saying that his team were going down 'with a whimper'.

On 2 October 2021, Barton's Rovers side suffered a 3–1 home defeat to Ben Garner's managed Swindon Town side. This came after Barton had repeatedly criticised his predecessor, calling him "negligent" before repeating to have a number of digs at his opposing manager in the pre-match press conference, saying that he was willing to "spare 15-20 minutes for him after the game" to discuss the finer points of management. Later in October 2021, Barton was criticised by several anti-Semitism campaigners when he compared his team’s poor performance in a 3-1 defeat to Newport County to a holocaust. In a post-match interview, Barton had said, "Someone gets in for a game, does well but then has a Holocaust, a nightmare, an absolute disaster". Barton apologised for his comments the following week. After picking up ten points from four matches across the month, Barton was nominated for the EFL League Two Manager of the Month award for January 2022, ultimately missing out to Rob Edwards of Forest Green Rovers. Impressive form in 2022 saw Rovers rise up the table and following a 1–0 home victory over Colchester United on 15 March, Rovers found themselves in the play-off positions for the first time in the season. Barton was named League Two Manager of the Month for March 2022 at the second time of asking after leading his side to five wins from seven matches whilst conceding just three goals and pushing for a promotion place. The season finished in dramatic fashion with a 7–0 thrashing on the final day over Scunthorpe United giving Rovers the five goal swing that they required in order to overtake Northampton Town and move into third place, sealing promotion on goals scored.

On 1 July 2022, Barton signed a new three-year contract extension to keep him at the club until 2026.

## Personal life

### Family

Barton's brother Michael Barton was sentenced to life imprisonment (with a tariff of 17 years) for his involvement in the racially motivated murder of Anthony Walker in 2005. Joey made a public appeal to his brother to come forward and help with the police investigation following the attack, and also made a series of calls to Michael, enquiring about his involvement in the incident.

On 28 December 2011, Barton became a father. His partner Georgia McNeil gave birth to a son, named Cassius. On 6 June 2014, McNeil gave birth to the couple's second child, a daughter named Pietà.

### Interests

He is a friend of the boxer Ricky Hatton and has supported him in some of his fights, and has trained with him. He is also a friend of former Oasis band member Noel Gallagher. Barton co-owns a race horse called 'Crying Lightning' (named after the Arctic Monkeys song) with fellow footballer Claudio Pizarro. He is also known for his love of Manchester band The Smiths, citing Morrissey as an idol of his. Barton appears in the music video for Morrissey's "Spent the Day in Bed."

### Charity

Barton is a patron of the Tamsin Gulvin Fund, a charity set up to support people who have addiction problems and no financial support. Tony Adams, who had been impressed with Barton's attitude during his involvement in the Sporting Chance Clinic, appointed him to this role. He is a part of the 'Get Hooked on Fishing' campaign, designed to keep children out of trouble by encouraging them to take up fishing. He has also taken part in a celebrity cricket match for charity to help fund a new children's rehabilitation unit at a hospital in Manchester. In 2011, he began writing a regular column in The Big Issue, a street newspaper sold by the homeless and vulnerably housed. In 2012, Barton, along with Robbie Elliott, a former Newcastle United fullback, sponsored a shirt each from Newcastle United's women's team. Barton sponsored the number seven shirt, the number he wore in the men's side.

### Views

Barton is a prominent user of Twitter, with over 2.9 million followers as of December 2021. Commenting on figures from Friedrich Nietzsche and George Orwell to Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Morrissey, his eclectic tweets have resulted in him being described by the BBC as "a philosophical sportsman to rival Eric Cantona in his heyday". Others in the media have criticised this description, with Paul Hayward, chief sports writer for The Daily Telegraph, writing that Barton "manages to be patronised [by the media] and held up as some kind of exemplar all at once ... he is skilled at tricking us into watching him veer between the extremes of thinker and thug. Either this is a repudiation of societal hypocrisy or, more likely, indicative of a sociopathic tendency." Ellie Mae O'Hagan of The Guardian commented that "the problem, I think, is not the belief that Barton is a reformed character, but the notion that one cannot possibly be a philosopher and violent at the same time: that quoting philosophy should automatically be taken as a sign of reformation ... In my mind, this all boils down to class snobbery. It is automatically assumed that Barton has violent tendencies because he's a working-class man who has chosen to play football for a living. So when he shows signs of intelligence, it's treated as a sign of reform: intellect is the preserve of the gentlemanly middle-classes."

On 29 May 2014, Barton appeared on the BBC's Question Time discussion programme where, referring to the UK Independence Party (UKIP), he said "If I'm somewhere and there was four really ugly girls, I'm thinking she's not the worst – that's all UKIP are". Barton's comments were criticised as sexist by an audience member, prompting him to apologise on air.

In a television programme broadcast on BBC Three on 30 January 2012, Barton stated his beliefs in support of gay rights, in discussion with presenter Amal Fashanu, niece of Justin Fashanu, England's only openly gay footballer. He described lack of any openly gay players in English professional football as "a subject that's quite close to my heart", as his uncle is gay. He stated his belief that there would be an openly gay player "within the next 10 years" and expressed his fear that "certain managers ... will discriminate against people" but that he feels "more fool them, and their lack of social awareness and intelligence" and wants his generation's legacy to "help not only change the game for the better, and change the teams that they played in, but also change the culture and change the society and the football clubs that they played at.

In an article written in The Independent in February 2015, Barton stated that: "If I were Prime Minister I would privatise religion. All public money would be withdrawn from religion. Taxpayers' money will cease to sponsor religion in any and every form." He said that the Church of England should be disestablished. In April of that year, he was appointed an honorary associate of the National Secular Society. A republican, Barton favours abolition of the British monarchy.

Barton released his autobiography, No Nonsense, in 2016.

### Gambling

In October 2016, Barton was charged with breaking rules relating to gambling on football matches. He was accused by the Scottish Football Association of placing 44 bets on matches between 1 July and 15 September 2016. In November 2016, he received a one match ban from the Scottish Football Association for breaking the rules on gambling on football matches. In December 2016, he was charged with misconduct, with the Football Association claiming he had placed 1,260 bets over the past 10 years.

On 26 April 2017, Barton received an 18-month ban from football after admitting a Football Association charge in relation to betting.

### Assault charge

In July 2021, Barton was charged with the assault by beating of a woman at an address in Kew, London in June 2021. In March 2022, a court heard that Barton had 'kicked wife in head' and 'grabbed her by throat' in a drunken row, the case being adjourned to 23 June due to a late arrival of emails. The case was further delayed until the 30–31 of October, Barton's defense team being set a deadline of two weeks to provide the list of witnesses that they would be presenting and whether or not the victim would be called as a defense witness. The case was dismissed on 31 October due to Barton being unable to get a fair trial.

## Career statistics

### Club

### International

Source:

## Managerial statistics

## Honours

### As a player

Newcastle United

- Football League Championship: 2009–10

Queens Park Rangers

- Football League Championship play-offs: 2013–14

Burnley

- Football League Championship: 2015–16

Individual

- Manchester City Young Player of the Year: 2003–04
- The Football League Team of the Season: 2015–16
- Burnley Player of the Year: 2015–16
- PFA Team of the Year: 2015–16 Championship

### As a manager

Bristol Rovers

- EFL League Two third-place promotion: 2021–22

Individual

- EFL League One Manager of the Month: September 2019
- EFL League Two Manager of the Month: March 2022

English association football player and manager (born 1982)

England men's under-21 international footballers

English expatriate sportspeople in France

Scottish Professional Football League players

Sportspeople involved in betting scandals