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.