1274 Fifth Avenue
Anywhere else, 1274 Fifth Avenue might be seen as a drab little nothing of a building; standing next to 1720 Fifth Avenue, it seems a gem of proportions and detailing. It is the only Fifth Avenue building facing Central Park to sport a fire escape on the façade.
1270 Fifth Avenue
Despite the urge to simply dismiss this beige box as the ugliest apartment building fronting Central Park, 1270 Fifth Avenue is actually historically notable for being the first middle-income co-op apartment building constructed in Manhattan under Section 213 of the National Housing Act, which authorized Government-insured loans to private developers of co-operative housing. The act… Continue reading
1250 Fifth Avenue, Lakeview Apartments
One has to stretch a point and call the placid little Harlem Meer a lake for the name of this heap of concrete to make what little sense it does. Arranged as a series of towers that fill its block, Lakeview Apartments has at least the virtue of an unflinching commitment to its style, in… Continue reading
1215 Fifth Avenue, Brisbane House
The northernmost of the truly grand Fifth Avenue apartment buildings, 1215 Fifth Avenue is also known as Brisbane House, after Arthur Brisbane, the Hearst Organization editor whose memorial stands across the street a few blocks down on the Central Park side. A decidedly eclectic figure, Brisbane also had a role in the development of the… Continue reading
1170 Fifth Avenue
J.E.R. Carpenter’s design for 1170 Fifth Avenue simply reverses the details and entrance of 1165 Fifth Avenue, directly across the street. The building was built in 1926, a year later than its “twin”.