228-232 Fifth Avenue, The Victoria Building

The third of a trio of skyscrapers on the west side of Fifth Avenue just north of Madison Square Park, 228-232 Fifth Avenue, also known as the Victoria Building, is a design by Schwartz & Gross, who also designed the eye-catching 212-216 Fifth Avenue a block south. Replacing the Victoria Hotel, a famed work by… Continue reading

226 Fifth Avenue

While not as refined as its neighbor to the south at 222 Fifth Avenue, 226 Fifth Avenue is still a strong reminder of how accomplished architects of the early 20th Century were in converting residences into commercial buildings. Above the first two floors, the Italianate cornice of the original brownstone of 1852-1853 survives.  At the… Continue reading

224 Fifth Avenue

In contrast to its neighbor at 222 Fifth, 224 Fifth Avenue is a crass Po-Mo disaster, resembling the tiled interior of an airport lounge men’s room turned inside out.    

222 Fifth Avenue

An elegant and assured façade, 222 Fifth Avenue was converted from a brownstone house in 1912 by architect John C. Westervelt.  It is an excellent representation of the upscale shop-front style of early 20th Century New York and an illustration of how civilized and gracious the commercial culture of that era could be. Sympathetic stewardship… Continue reading

218-220 Fifth Avenue

A highly accomplished work in the Skyscraper Gothic style forged by architects such as Henry Ives Cobb and Cass Gilbert, 218-220 Fifth Avenue was constructed in 1910-1912 as the Croisic Building by architect Frederick C. Browne.  The name of the building may be intended as a reference to the commune in the Loire-Atlantique region of… Continue reading