The Jane facts for kids
The Jane is a special hotel located at 505–507 West Street in the West Village area of Manhattan, New York City. Its main entrance is on Jane Street.
The building was first built between 1906 and 1908. It was called the American Seamen's Friend Society Sailors' Home and Institute. It was a hotel made just for sailors. The famous architect William A. Boring designed it in a style called Georgian. This building had many cool features. It had a chapel, a place for concerts, and even a bowling alley! A bright light, called a beacon, shone over the river from its top.
A very important event happened here. After the famous ship RMS Titanic sank in 1912, many people who survived were brought to New York. The Jane hotel was used to house these survivors while officials investigated what happened to the ship.
Later, in 1944, the YMCA took over the building. It was known by different names, like The Jane West and the Riverview Hotel. In 2008, the hotel was updated by developers Sean MacPherson and Eric Goode. They turned it into a fancy hotel. Some of its rooms are still very small, just like they were for sailors! A famous American performer named RuPaul even lived in the hotel's tower in the mid-1980s.
The building is considered a special historical place. It was named a New York City landmark in 2000.
The Jane Street Theatre
The large ballroom inside the hotel was changed into a theatre in the 1970s. This theatre was called the Jane Street Theatre. It was an Off-Broadway theatre, which means it was a smaller, independent stage. It had a special stage that stuck out into the audience and could seat 280 people. Some well-known shows were performed here, including Hedwig and the Angry Inch and tick, tick ... BOOM!.
After a while, the theatre space became available for rent. Now, it is no longer a theatre. It is the Jane Ballroom, which is a bar inside The Jane hotel. The Jane Ballroom had to close for about six months from late 2009 to May 2010. This happened because neighbors complained about noise. Police found that the bar did not have the right permit to let many people gather inside.
In Spanish: The Jane para niños
