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The Kennedy mystique lives on at the Carlyle, the venerable hotel at Madison and 76th that served as the New York City White House when Jack Kennedy was President.
As I waited in the marble lobby I listened to a woman with a French accent. "I used to see the Kennedys when I stayed here in the 1960s," she was telling a young friend. "And now I see Mrs. Reagan. That is very American, no?"
Memories of those Camelot years are treasured by a discreet staff, many of whom count their service in decades. "Ah, yes," said a distinguished elevator operator named Patrick. "President Kennedy's suite was on the top floor-No. 3401. It's for sale, you know."
I learned that the 34th floor has two penthouse suites, both privately owned and for sale. The prices were estimated at between $5 million and $10 million. The Kennedy suite needs repair, I was told, but it overlooks Central Park.
Mulling the historical value of such an investment, I rode to my own aerie on the 33rd floor, a floor that is...