2151- 2153 Fifth Avenue and 2 East 132nd Street

A somewhat run-down trio of identical buildings, 2151- 2153 Fifth Avenue and 2 East 132nd Street are evidently the survivors of a block-spanning row.  Enough remains to suggest the crude vigor of the original design; corbels, lintels and aggressive stonework enliven the remaining facades. These are unusual in being perhaps among a mere handful of… Continue reading

Just Off Fifth: 13-17 West 131st Street

A whimsical trio at 13-17 West 131st Street: abstracted Queen Anne details create architectural “faces” at the upper levels overlooking the sedate brownstones opposite.

2069 Fifth Avenue

2069 Fifth Avenue is a striking terra-cotta clad townhouse that brings a burst of cranky Victorian exuberance to the neighborhood.  The dentilated brickwork of the off-center pediment is particularly eye-catching.

The Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church

Called “one of the oddest church buildings in New York” by historian Andrew Dolkart, the astonishing Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church is a massive pile of Romanesque, Classical and High Eclectic effects that maintains a fortress-like presence on its corner.  The interior is almost equally unusual; architect Thomas H. Poole designed the building in 1905-1906…. Continue reading

1411, 1413 and 1415 Fifth Avenue

A trio of Edwardian survivors stand at 1411, 1413 and 1415 Fifth Avenue; 1411 is under renovation; 1413’s handsome cornice has recently been restored; while the most distinguished (and most ramshackle) of the three, 1415, still malingers.  Here’s hoping its brownstone-trimmed corner turret comes back to new life in the near future.