Marx Realty Brings Speakeasy to 10 Grand Central Office Tower in 6,000 SF Hospitality Real Estate Lease

Marx Realty & Improvement Co has announced a partnership with Jeff Bell, managing partner of East Village speakeasy Please Don't Tell (PDT), and Apres Cru Hospitality to introduce Highball Ltd. at its 10 Grand Central office tower in Midtown Manhattan. The new 6,000-square-foot speakeasy, occupying space within the building's 11th-floor Meeting Galleries amenity suite, is positioned as a food and beverage destination for Midtown professionals, residents, and visitors.

The announcement, dated April 13, 2026, marks the latest chapter in Marx Realty's multi-year effort to reposition the approximately 686,000-square-foot office tower — located at 45 East 42nd Street near Grand Central Terminal — as a hospitality-infused workplace destination.

A Speakeasy Rooted in Office Real Estate Repositioning

Highball Ltd. fuses the building's 1930s-era Beaux Arts design with distinct design nods to the golden age of luxury train travel. Guests access the bar via a hidden entrance on Third Avenue — marked by a red light — followed by layered wayfinding and a freight elevator ride to the 11th floor. The interior features velvet seating, brushed brass accents, softly arched architectural details, mood lighting, bespoke millwork, and a signature scent.

The name carries a double meaning: a nod to the classic whiskey cocktail and the historic railroad signal by which a raised ball indicated clear track ahead, allowing a train to proceed at full speed.

"Highball Ltd. represents the next chapter in our mission to provide an exceptional experience that blurs the lines between workplace and luxury hotel," said Craig Deitelzweig, CEO of Marx Realty. "By partnering with Jeff Bell and ApresCru, we are creating an authentic, design-forward speakeasy experience that pays homage to the architectural history of the building and its location near Grand Central Terminal. We are not only setting new benchmarks in workplace design, but transforming 10 Grand Central into a true social destination — and our tenants are already enamored with the concept."

Highball Ltd. is housed within The Meeting Galleries, an 11,000-square-foot amenity suite on the 11th floor that also includes a pre-function space appointed with Baccarat barware and a floor-to-ceiling bronze fireplace; The Grand Gallery, a 200-person town hall space; The Podcast Gallery, a recording studio; and The Screening Gallery, a theater with stadium seating and a 150-inch screen beneath a constellation-inspired ceiling reminiscent of Grand Central Terminal's celestial dome.

PDT Team Expands to Midtown for the First Time

PDT pioneered the modern speakeasy movement in 2007 when it opened its original location hidden behind a telephone booth inside Crif Dogs in New York's East Village. The partnership with Marx Realty marks the PDT team's first venture into Midtown Manhattan.

"The proximity to Grand Central is an exciting entry to Midtown for us," said Bell. "The beautiful space reminds me of a luxury pullman car and provided a lot of inspiration for the menu. There is such a rich history to draw from with the overlap in the golden age of cocktails and the golden age of train travel."

Bell and PDT have previously developed bar and hotel experiences at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, and the JetBlue lounge at JFK. Bell has also developed a line of cocktail mixers served in JetBlue's Mint Class. In July 2025, he opened Mixteca, an agave-focused bar in New York's West Village, followed six months later by Kees, a cocktail lounge described as channeling the glamour of mid-century New York, located downstairs from Mixteca.

The beverage menu at Highball Ltd. includes Dom Perignon Champagne alongside vintage spirits, Japanese whiskey, house highballs, signature cocktails, and classics such as martinis and negronis. While some seats will be held for walk-ins nightly, reservations are encouraged.

"High quality cocktail ingredients are now mainstream," Bell said. "Guests are focused on better spirits and mixers even for simple cocktails like a Gin + Tonic. With our version, we stay true to the formula but add a layer of complexity with kabosu and shiso. It's still a refreshing and sessionable drink."

Hospitality Real Estate Strategy at 10 Grand Central

Marx Realty began repositioning 10 Grand Central in 2018 with the addition of a lounge and terrace amenity — an early expression of what the firm describes as a hospitality-infused workplace strategy. The firm subsequently added the 11,000-square-foot Meeting Galleries on the 11th floor, of which Highball Ltd. now occupies 6,000 square feet.

The 10 Grand Central office tower, originally built in 1930, sits within walking distance of Grand Central Terminal. The source notes that the building has recorded approximately 184,000 square feet of leases since the 2018 repositioning, with the building nearing full occupancy. Recent tenants include Rubric Capital.

No financial terms for the lease were disclosed.