Opened in 1852 to cater to travelers and residents who wanted to enjoy luxuries like bathrooms, running water, elevators, and fine dining, the Metropolitan attracted many Southern businessmen and their families who often came to New York in the summer to escape the extreme heat of the South.
[1] Leland also began assembling an estate around this time, first purchasing a 40-acre property in New Rochelle overlooking Long Island Sound in 1848.
Like many successful New York businessmen at that time, he took advantage of the railroads' development into the rural areas out of the city, carefully planning and designing a country residence for graceful and stylish living.
New Yorkers were not enthusiastic backers of the American Civil War, knowing that it would adversely affect commerce and New York hotels in particular.
[4] In 1864, Simeon Leland and his brothers took over the management of the Union Hotel in Saratoga Springs, New York, the popular spa and resort for wealthy and an American equivalent to the famous water spas of Europe.