Our Favorite Historic Buildings Around New York City

Every neighborhood in NYC has a distinct and unique personality. This makes us wonder, what building in each neighborhood is the quintessential building, perfectly reflecting the aesthetic of the area? Below are buildings we think fit the mold of specific neighborhoods including the West Village, Upper West Side and NoMad.

The Astor & The Chatsworth

Both Upper West Side luxury conversion projects developed by HFZ Capital Group encapsulate the same elegant, old world architecture the area is known for. The historic, Beaux-Arts masterpieces have been lovingly upgraded, renovated, and restored to their original grandeur.

Built by William Waldorf Astor in 1901 and positioned as one of the most prominent residential buildings in New York City’s Upper West Side. The Astor offers the pedigree and elegance of a pre-war gem, with the modern conveniences and straight forward purchase structure of a condominium. Reimagined for today, with grand proportions and gracious layouts, The Astor has received a detailed restoration and modern upgrades suited for today’s homeowner. A distinguished façade by Clinton & Russell features unique grey brick, a rusticated limestone base, hand carved Juliet balconies, with an imposing copper cornice.

The Chatsworth, built in 1904, is one of the most iconic and prestigious Pre-war buildings on the Upper West Side. The 58 spectacular residences include spacious 1-5 bedroom homes, as well as Penthouses and Townhouses. Standing triumphantly at the base of Riverside Park, this historic and landmarked Beaux-Arts masterpiece has been lovingly upgraded, renovated, and restored to its original grandeur while including every modern amenity and service to meet today’s wants and needs,

63 Greene Street

In SoHo, one building style that is very prevalent in the area is cast-iron architecture. In an era predating the Bessemer process that made the mass production of steel possible, cast-iron was used to add a dramatic flair to a building’s overall appearance. In that regard, it’s hard to pinpoint one quintessential building, when an entirely quintessential type of architecture is what defines SoHo. Of the 250 cast-iron structures in the city, most of them reside in SoHo. One such building is at 63 Greene St. Originally built in 1877 as retail space for E. Oelbermann & Co (whose signage can still be seen on top), the six story structure was recently converted into a condo complex by AOIN Partners in 2016. The top most floor features three penthouse apartments, each with wide-plank floors, vaulted brick ceilings, exposed beams, steel clad columns, and generously-sized kitchens and bathrooms. While the building was brought up to modern standards, great care was taken to preserve its historic cast-iron facade, making 63 Greene St a building that meshes two centuries of architectural sensibilities.

The Shephard

Located in the heart of the West Village developed by Naftali Group with interiors by Gachot Studios, is a luxury condominium with a nod to the classic West Village carriage houses you see in the neighborhood. The project was originally constructed in 1896 as a 12-unit warehouse.

Comprised of 38 apartments including three Penthouses, The Shephard has beautiful views from over-sized windows, many of which are arched. Every detail has been thought through and all systems and mechanicals are new and of the highest caliber. With amenities including a basketball court, a gym, a golf simulator, a screening room, an art room, a paneled library that opens to the building’s landscaped garden, steam rooms, and an arcade and ping pong club room, the building retains an intimate, boutique feeling while still providing residents with fantastic spaces to relax and play.

Verizon Building (aka. One Hundred Barclay)

Like many of the buildings in TriBeCa, this 32 story Art Deco building from 1927 served a more utilitarian purpose initially. In this case, it was the headquarters of the New York Telephone Company, part of the original AT&T network. While various companies have called the building home over the years, it has still served telecom duties in the area for 90 years, even after the building was seriously damaged from the collapse of the nearby World Trade Center towers during the 9/11 attacks. Like the surrounding area, the building was soon restored back to its original state and business went on again as usual. That is until 2013, when Verizon sold the top 22 floors to developer Ben Shaoul, who aimed to transform them into a condo complex called One Hundred Barclay. With the first lofts starting at 170 ft off the ground, and rising from there, each apartment features plentiful amounts of natural light and stunning views of the Hudson River and the Mid-Manhattan skyline. But the stand out feature of the new condos are the vast amenities, 40,000 square feet in total. From a gym & pool by The Wright Fit and wine tasting room, to four outdoor terraces and spa-treatment rooms, they certainly make tennants feel like they have been placed into the luxurious and sophisticated world of the Roaring Twenties. While many still associate this building with Verizon, it’s very clear that its reputation as a major TriBeCa condo is quickly rising and may soon be known as more than just “the telephone building”

One Manhattan Square

Two Bridges certainly isn’t a neighborhood that immediately comes to mind when one thinks about New York City. But later this year, that is about to change with the opening of One Manhattan Square. Towering 56 stories over the neighborhood, this glass curtain building adds an element of luxury that had previously not been thought possible in an otherwise inconspicuous neighborhood. Among it amenities are 45,000 square feet of open spaces and a state of the art fitness center. While Two Bridges was a neighborhood that really lacked any identifiable buildings of its own, One Manhattan Square aims to make it self synonymous with the area. If anything, this new project looks like the stepping stone into turning this part of Manhattan into possibly the next Hudson Yards or even Long Island City.

212 Fifth Avenue

Fifth Avenue was the sight of a major new development in the city’s history: Skyscrapers. As soon as people figured out how to make buildings reach further and further upwards, there was a mad race to try and create structures that would both become world record holders and spur business in the city. One of the earliest examples was a 212 Fifth Avenue. Like many buildings from that era that survived today, it started off as an industrial building before eventually being bought and transformed into modern condos. While all the apartments are the epitome of luxury living in New York City, the Crown Penthouse in particular is a feast for the eyes, complete with 360 degree views of the city and the other skyscrapers within close vicinity. Its location on a major thoroughfare like Fifth Avenue makes it very close to popular bars and restaurants like Eataly and The Clocktower.

New York Cancer Hospital (aka. 455 Central Park West)

Several neighborhoods line across Central Park. One of them is Manhattan Valley, bordered by 110th Street on the north, 96th Street on the south, and Broadway on the west. Anyone who has been in the area, may have easily noticed a giant red bricked building that resembles any one of the great European castles, while still managing to blend in perfectly with the surrounding low rise apartments. What started out as the first ever hospital in the U.S. dedicated specifically for treating cancer gradually turned into a massive relic that spend various decades abandoned and rotting away. That is until MCL Companies finally bought the building in 2001 and started a four year renovation to transform it into luxury condos, complete with a new 26 story expansion added next to the original.

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