Every Building on Fifth

372 Fifth Avenue is an austere example of Georgian Revival, closer to English than American Colonial models.  The lower floors have seen an off-putting rebuild similar to that at 358 Fifth a block to the south.

A handsome mix of Romanesque and Beaux Arts motifs, 366 Fifth Avenue, also known as The New York Accessories Exchange, was built in 1907-1908 and is a major center for the accessories trade. The original freight elevator from 1907 is still run by a porter.  

The sad remains of one of the city’s best bank buildings, 358 Fifth Avenue preserves nothing to make the viewer realize that McKim, Mead & White’s triumphantly monumental Knickerbocker Trust Building once stood here. The upper floors preserve some pleasant details from a 1921 12-story addition by the same firm, but the lower levels are… Continue reading

Arguably the best department store building in New York City, the former B. Altman’s at 351 Fifth Avenue is a restrained design by Trowbridge & Livingston created when the store moved from its former location on Sixth Avenue.  Designed to blend in with the staid mansions that then dominated the area, the store was famed… Continue reading

Named after the 18th century estate of the prosperous Murray Family, whose mansion stood on a now-removed glacial mound, Murray Hill is today a pleasant mix of office buildings, shops, apartment houses and residences, including some of Manhattan’s finest surviving brownstones. Stretching from 34th to 42nd Streets and from Fifth to Lexington Avenues, the neighborhood… Continue reading