127-129 Fifth Avenue

An unusual Beaux Arts design by the firm of Israels & Harder, 127-129 Fifth Avenue was constructed as commercial space for the renowned department store Lord & Taylor, which moved to this location from an original shop on Grand and Chrystie Streets. Notable for vigorous detail and high level of finishes throughout, 127-129 Fifth Avenue… Continue reading

125 Fifth Avenue

A worthy neighbor to 123 Fifth, 125 Fifth Avenue incorporates two old brownstones into a new Neo-Gothic façade of unusual lightness and delicacy. Quatrefoil tracery and soaring pinnacles are among the notable features, which suggest a cross between Cass Gilbert’s masterful Woolworth Building, and the smaller works of Chicago architect Louis Sullivan. Irving Margon designed… Continue reading

110 Fifth Avenue, The Judge Building

Along with the Flatiron Building at 23rd Street, the Judge Building at 110 Fifth Avenue is probably the most significant skyscraper on the Ladies’ Mile. Designed by the world-renowned firm of McKim, Mead & White in an attempt to match the dramatic structural qualities of Classical Roman architecture, the Judge Building was built in 1888 and… Continue reading

105 Fifth Avenue, the Folio Building

A handsomely detailed 11-story building with terracotta trim, the Folio Building at 105 Fifth Avenue is another work by the prolific Robert Maynicke, here working in a sober-sided but gracious Beaux Arts mode. The aptly-named building is the original location of the Barnes & Noble chain of bookstores; the largest retail bookseller in the US,… Continue reading

103 Fifth Avenue, The Pierrepont Building

A highly refined and decorated design, the narrow Pierrepont Building at 103 Fifth Avenue is another design from the talented eclectic architect Louis Korn that demonstrates the influence of the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition and the growing popularization of the French Beaux Arts style. The mode is handled in a sophisticated fashion, with a great… Continue reading