Tim Saternow

Manhattan/Chelsea

The Otis Elevator - the invention that allowed New York City to grow UP.

Specifically, the elevators Elisha Grave Otis installed in 34 Gramercy Park in 1883. The original cable driven elevators are still there.

http://nyc-architecture.com/GRP/GRP008.htm :
"The structure still contains its original cable-driven Otis elevator."

http://godsleuth.blogspot.com/2007/10/elevator-etiquette.html :
"The oldest operating elevators in the U.S. are direct plunger elevators. They are located at 34 Gramercy Park, in New York City's earliest cooperative apartment house. The elevators were installed by Otis Elevator back in 1883 and still retain most of the original equipment first used in the nine-story building."

With limited real estate, New York had only one direction to enlarge this city -- up. And only until a safe elevator was invented, then building could be built higher than 5-6 stories. The elevator allowed the age of the skyscraper.

Although Elisha Grave Otis didn't invent the elevator, he did invent the braking system that made them safer, and acceptable to New Yorkers.

And it's still here in New York, at 34 Gramercy Park.