A façade or facade ( / f ə ˈ s ɑː d / ; ) is generally the front part or exterior of a building . It is a loanword from the French façade ( pronounced [fasad] ), which means " frontage " or " face ".
95-611: The Alwyn Court , also known as the Alwyn , is an apartment building at 180 West 58th Street , at the southeast corner with Seventh Avenue , in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City , United States. The Alwyn Court was built between 1907 and 1909 and was designed by Harde & Short in the French Renaissance style . It is one of several luxury developments constructed along Seventh Avenue during
190-482: A 1991 application to demolish the house and replace it with an AIDS hospice with financing from the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe . Time Magazine was started at 141 East 17th Street. 18th Street has a local subway station at the crossing with Seventh Avenue , served by the 1 (and the 2 at late nights) on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line . There used to be an 18th Street station on
285-525: A Georgian building, but the appearance is only skin deep and some of the interior rooms still have Jacobean plasterwork ceilings. This new construction has happened also in other places: in Santiago de Compostela the three-metre-deep Casa do Cabido was built to match the architectural order of the square, and the main Churrigueresque façade of the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral , facing
380-599: A dead end, just before Avenue B, and runs to Greenwich Avenue, and the third part is from Eighth Avenue to Tenth Avenue . 14th Street is a main numbered street in Manhattan. It begins at Avenue C and ends at West Street. Its length is 3.4 km (2.1 mi). It has six subway stations: From Avenue A or Avenue C to West Street there is service M14A/D bus. At 6th Avenue, there is a PATH stop with service to Midtown Manhattan and New Jersey . Traffic on 15th Street moves from east to west. The street formerly started at
475-531: A few of the narrow ones, carry two-way traffic. Although the numbered streets begin just north of East Houston Street in the East Village , they generally do not extend west into Greenwich Village , which already had established, named streets when the grid plan was laid out by the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 . Some streets in that area that do continue farther west change direction before reaching
570-605: A leasing agent who was associated with the Alwyn Court for over three decades, Russell and Ball had originally wanted to select Radcliff & Kelly for the building's design, but selected Harde and Short because of their expertise in designing previous apartment houses. Harde and Short submitted construction plans to the New York City Department of Buildings in October 1907. The Alwyn Court's construction
665-545: A pedestrian road for a quarter of a block and turns back into a street. Then it runs the rest of the way to 12th Avenue. It runs on the north side of Hudson Yards and the south side of the Empire State Building . 35th Street runs from FDR Drive to Eleventh Avenue. Notable locations include East River Ferry , Mercy University Manhattan Campus, and the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center . 36th Street runs from
760-412: A penthouse story contained three additional apartments. The apartments contained between three and five rooms apiece. Each unit also contained bathrooms and dining galleries, while the penthouses have roof terraces and solariums. Twelve apartments, at the rounded corner, were fitted with large oval living rooms, while some of the units contained large fireplaces. Because the atrium was still an air shaft at
855-443: A potential fire chimney, being open to the entire building. However, the building did contain fireproof materials such as brick exterior walls, as well as concrete floors, walls, and partitions. Each story has ceilings 10.5 feet (3.2 m) tall. In addition, the basement contained a wine vault for each tenant. The original design contained two passenger elevators and a service elevator. The staircase and elevators originally opened onto
950-423: A profit. During the late 1970s, David Walentas bought the Alwyn Court for $ 2 million in cash. In February 1979, Walentas announced a plan to convert the building from rentals to cooperative apartments. At the time, two-thirds of the units were rent-controlled units wherein residents could be exempted from tax increases, and as a result, tenant turnover happened infrequently. As part of the cooperative conversion,
1045-459: A red-marble mantlepiece in the foyer with carvings of pipes, horns, and violins, as well as lighting fixtures shaped like lyres. Some of this decoration has since been removed. North of the lobby is a retail space, accessed from the corner entrance, which houses the Petrossian caviar bar. Petrossian contains a private residents' entrance from the lobby. The atrium at the center of the building
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#17327976286951140-631: A small courtyard running on the east and south sides. The Alwyn Court shares the city block with The Briarcliffe to the south and 165 West 57th Street and One57 to the east; it is cater-corner from 200 Central Park South to the northwest. It is also near the Saint Thomas Choir School and the American Fine Arts Society (also known as the Art Students League of New York building) to
1235-441: A square tower topped by a striking gilded pyramid. Twenty-Seventh Street passes one block north of Madison Square Park and culminates at Bellevue Hospital on First Avenue . The segment of 27th Street east of Second Avenue is a pedestrian mall and passes through Bellevue South Park . There are three local subway stations on 28th Street: Also: 30th Street runs uninterrupted across the island from 12th Avenue to FDR Drive. It
1330-539: A standard apartment had numerous communal rooms such as an entrance gallery, reception room, conservatory, music room, living room, dining room, and salon. Three rooms in each 14-room apartment faced the central courtyard. At the corner of Seventh Avenue and 58th Street, there were several rooms with curved bow windows . The entertainment spaces could be combined to create a single space of about 1,700 square feet (160 m), 2,000 square feet (190 m), or 2,500 square feet (230 m). The building also had wine vaults in
1425-408: A year (equivalent to $ 220,000–339,000 in 2023), while larger apartments cost as much as $ 22,000 annually (equivalent to $ 746,000 in 2023). Initially, all leases ran for at least three years. According to the architectural historian Andrew Alpern, at the time, the average New Yorker could live comfortably within the city even if they spent only $ 2,000 annually (equivalent to $ 68,000 in 2023). Soon after
1520-823: Is a loanword from the French façade , which in turn comes from the Italian facciata , from faccia meaning 'face', ultimately from post-classical Latin facia . The earliest usage recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary is 1656. It was quite common in the Georgian period for existing houses in English towns to be given a fashionable new façade. For example, in the city of Bath , The Bunch of Grapes in Westgate Street appears to be
1615-553: Is a pedestrian plaza between Third Avenue and Lexington Avenue , and ends at Madison. Then West 24th and 25th streets continue from Fifth Avenue to Eleventh Avenue (25th) or Twelfth Avenue (24th). 26th Street is all in one part and after reaching FDR Drive bends and runs parallel to FDR Drive up to 30th Street. 27th Street is a one-way street that runs from Second Avenue to the West Side Highway with an interruption between Eighth Avenue and Tenth Avenue . It
1710-499: Is alternatively known as Police Officer Anthony Sanchez Way. Along the northern perimeter of Gramercy Park, between Gramercy Park East and Gramercy Park West, 21st Street is known as Gramercy Park North. 23rd Street is another main numbered street in Manhattan. It begins at Avenue C/FDR Drive and ends at Eleventh Avenue. Its length is 3.1 km/1.9m. It has two-way travel. On 23rd Street there are five local subway stations providing uptown and downtown service only: Additionally, there
1805-452: Is called St Mark's Place, but it is counted in the length below. The M8 bus route operates eastbound on 8th Street and westbound on 9th Street between Avenue A and Sixth Avenue. 8th Street has one subway station: Eighth Street–New York University , served by the N , R and W Trains. ( N late nights and weekends, R all times except late nights, and W all times except late nights and weekends.) Amos, Hammond, and Troy Streets were in
1900-427: Is divided vertically into five bays while the western facade on Seventh Avenue is subdivided into four bays. Each bay has three sash windows per floor, which are separated from each other by vertical mullions and spandrels. There are decorative spandrel panels between the windows on each floor. Additionally, the bays are separated horizontally by decorative pilasters topped with Corinthian -style capitals . Above
1995-472: Is for pedestrians only and resumes at Szold Place, which runs from north to south toward 10th Street as a continuation of the flow of traffic from East 12th Street which runs east to west from Avenue D to Szold Place. Additionally, Little West 12th Street runs parallel to West 13th Street from West Street to the northeast corner of Ninth Avenue and Gansevoort Street. 13th Street is in three parts. The first runs from Avenue C to Avenue D. The second starts at
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#17327976286952090-538: Is interrupted by Union Square It picks up again at Union Square West, and continues unimpeded to Eleventh Avenue at the Hudson River. Sights along 15th Street include: the southern border of Stuyvesant Square ; the landmarked Friends Meeting House and Seminary at Rutherford Place; Irving Plaza at Irving Place ; the Daryl Roth Theatre in the landmarked Union Square Savings Bank Building, across
2185-506: Is most noted for its strip between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues , known as Club Row because it features numerous nightclubs and lounges. Some of the most notable venues are Bungalow 8 , Marquee, Suzie Wong, Cain, and Pink Elephant. Since 2011, starting at 530 W. 27th and continuing down almost the entire rest of the block, the former warehouse spaces of clubs Twilo , Guesthouse, Home, Bed, and more have been repurposed by British immersive theater group Punchdrunk as The McKittrick Hotel,
2280-466: Is octagonal, with four longer sides parallel to the main dimensions of the building, as well as four chamfered corners. The atrium was originally an air shaft, with 286 frosted windows overlooking it. Between 1979 and 1981, the air shaft was covered with a skylight. The courtyard was landscaped with a fountain and trees, becoming an enclosed atrium. At the first floor, the atrium was re-clad with multicolored marbles, and some stone benches were installed. In
2375-482: Is the M23 Select Bus Service , running through the length of 23rd Street. 24th Street is in three parts. A small portion of 24th Street exists between First Avenue and East Midtown Plaza ending at a dead end before Second Avenue, a second portion is between East Midtown Plaza and Madison Avenue , ending because of Madison Square Park . 25th Street, which is in three parts, starts at FDR Drive ,
2470-832: Is the southern terminus of Dyer Avenue and thus also of the Lincoln Tunnel 's eastern approach. There is also an elevator with access to the High Line on the West Side. Tisch Hospital is bounded on the south by 30th Street between 1st Avenue and FDR Drive. 31st Street begins on the West Side at the West Side Yard , while 32nd Street, which includes a segment officially known as Korea Way between Fifth Avenue and Broadway in Manhattan's Koreatown , begins at
2565-487: Is typically reached within minutes of the start of a fire. Fire stops for such building joints can be qualified, too. Putting fire sprinkler systems on each floor has a profoundly positive effect on the fire safety of buildings with curtain walls. The extended use of new materials, like polymers , resulted in an increase of high-rise building façade fires over the past few years, since they are more flammable than traditional materials. Some building codes also limit
2660-507: The Bowery . Peretz Square, a small triangular sliver park where Houston Street, First Street and First Avenue meet marks the spot where the grid takes hold. East 2nd Street begins just north of East Houston Street at Avenue C and also continues to the Bowery. The east end of East 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th streets is Avenue D , with East 6th Street continuing further eastward and connecting to
2755-517: The East River . In 2009, the two-way section of 10th Street between Avenue A and the East River had bicycle markings and sharrows installed, but it still has no dedicated bike lane. West 10th Street was previously named Amos Street for Charles Christopher Amos, who is also the namesake of Charles Street and Christopher Street . The end of West 10th Street toward the Hudson River was once
2850-731: The FDR Drive , but most of the street between the Drive and Avenue C was permanently closed, as was the 15th Street exit from the Drive, after the September 11 attacks , due to the presence of the Con Edison East River Generating Station there. Only Con Edison personnel have access to the closed portion. The street is then interrupted by Stuyvesant Town from Avenue C to First Avenue . It then continues to Union Square East (Park Avenue South) where it
2945-552: The FDR Drive . The west end of most of these streets is the Bowery and Third Avenue , except for 3rd Street (formerly Amity Place), which continues to Sixth Avenue ; and 4th Street, which extends west and then north to 13th Street in Greenwich Village . Great Jones Street connects East 3rd to West 3rd. East 5th Street goes west to Cooper Square, but is interrupted between Avenues B and C by The Earth School and Public School 364, and between First Avenue and Avenue A by
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3040-540: The Greenwich Village street grid and continue to West Street on the Hudson River . Because West 4th Street turns northward at Sixth Avenue, it intersects 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th streets in the West Village . The M8 bus operates on 10th Street in both directions between Avenue D and Avenue A , and eastbound between West Street and Sixth Avenue. 10th Street has an eastbound bike lane from West Street to
3135-817: The High Line near Tenth Avenue ; Chelsea Market between Ninth and Tenth Avenues; the Google Building between Eighth and Ninth Avenues; the row houses at 5, 7, 9, 17, 19, 21 & 23 West 16th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues; the Bank of the Metropolis at Union Square West; and St. George's Church at Rutherford Place. 16th Street is 1.8 mi (2.9 km) long. 17th, 18th and 19th streets start at First Avenue and finish at Eleventh Avenue. On 17th Street ( 40°44′08″N 73°59′12″W / 40.735532°N 73.986575°W / 40.735532; -73.986575 ), traffic runs one way along
3230-557: The IRT Lexington Avenue Line at the crossing with Park Avenue South . This street is home to the IAC Building , designed by Frank Gehry . 19th Street travels west for most of its length, except between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues the travel direction is reversed and traffic flows east. 20th Street starts at Avenue C, and 21st and 22nd Streets begin at First Avenue. They all end at Eleventh Avenue. Travel on
3325-410: The Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City , United States. The site covers 12,525 square feet (1,164 m), with a width of 100 feet (30 m) on Seventh Avenue and a depth of 125 feet (38 m) on 58th Street. The Alwyn Court occupies 9,500 square feet (883 m), or about three-quarters of its lot. The remaining area is occupied by an atrium at the center of the building, as well as
3420-479: The Old Grapevine tavern from the 1700s to its demolition in the early 20th century. 12th Street is in two parts. Traffic on most of 12th Street runs from west to east. The first segment of West 12th Street runs southwest to northeast from West Street to Greenwich Street, then turns straight west to east. At Fifth Avenue, West 12th Street becomes East 12th Street, and ends at Avenue C. One block of 12th Street
3515-522: The Plaza del Obradoiro , is actually encasing and concealing the older Portico of Glory . In modern high-rise building, the exterior walls are often suspended from the concrete floor slabs. Examples include curtain walls and precast concrete walls. The façade can at times be required to have a fire-resistance rating , for instance, if two buildings are very close together, to lower the likelihood of fire spreading from one building to another. In general,
3610-644: The facade . The Alwyn Court was erected by the Hedden Construction Company . The building is similar in plan to the Dakota , completed in 1884, and the Apthorp , completed in 1908; all three buildings originally contained large apartments arranged around either a light court or courtyard. Although the interior and main entrance have been altered, almost all of the facade remains intact. In contrast to many luxury apartment buildings erected at
3705-423: The Alwyn Court's main entrance before the building's renovation in 1938, when the ground-floor corner space was reconfigured into retail space. The modern-day main entrance is on Seventh Avenue, closer to the elevators than the original corner elevators. As the Alwyn Court's construction predated fire codes, there were no fire escapes, and only minimal space for a single staircase on each floor. The staircase created
3800-421: The Alwyn Court's opening, one tenant requested that the building's owners merge two of the apartments to create a duplex. Following the success of this duplex conversion, the Alwyn Court's owners decided to merge additional apartments and rent them out at higher rates. The Alwyn Court was foreclosed upon in 1918, and the second-mortgage holders bought the building at auction for $ 931,801. The Grenell Company acquired
3895-662: The FDR Drive to Eleventh Avenue. It runs on the south side of the Queens–Midtown Tunnel's Manhattan entrance/exit and over the Lincoln Tunnel's Manhattan entrance/exit. Notable locations on 36th Street are the American Copper Buildings , Sniffen Court , The Morgan Library & Museum , Gotham Hall, and the Javits Center . 37th Street runs from the FDR Drive to Eleventh Avenue. It runs on
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3990-480: The Greenwich Village street grid before 1811. In the middle 19th century they were renamed as the western parts of West 10th, 11th and 12th Streets, respectively. 10th Street ( 40°44′03″N 74°00′11″W / 40.7342580°N 74.0029670°W / 40.7342580; -74.0029670 ) begins at the FDR Drive and Avenue C . West of Sixth Avenue , it turns southward about 40 degrees to join
4085-799: The Hudson River. The highest numbered street on Manhattan Island is 220th Street, but Marble Hill is also within the borough of Manhattan, so the highest street number in the borough is 228th Street. The numbering system continues in the Bronx , up to 263rd Street, though east of Van Cortlandt Park the system ends at 243rd Street. The lowest numbered street in Manhattan is East 1st Street, which runs through Alphabet City near East Houston Street . There are also three streets numbered as First, Second and Third Place in Battery Park City . Download coordinates as: East 1st Street begins just north of East Houston Street at Avenue A and continues to
4180-501: The Javits Center. Facade In architecture , the façade of a building is often the most important aspect from a design standpoint, as it sets the tone for the rest of the building. From the engineering perspective, the façade is also of great importance due to its impact on energy efficiency . For historical façades, many local zoning regulations or other laws greatly restrict or even forbid their alteration. The word
4275-513: The Village View Apartments. East 6th Street contains many Indian restaurants between First and Second Avenues and is sometimes known as Curry Row . 8th and 9th streets run parallel to each other, beginning at Avenue D, interrupted by Tompkins Square Park at Avenue B , resuming at Avenue A and continuing to Sixth Avenue. West 8th Street is an important local shopping street. 8th Street between Avenue A and Third Avenue
4370-407: The basement for each tenant. Harde and Short were particularly proud of the Alwyn Court's floor layouts, threatening to sue architects who copied their floor plans. The apartments were decorated throughout with carved woodwork and bronze-and-iron light fixtures, as well as ornamental plaster and imitation Caen stone by McNulty Brothers. Some residents imported their own decorations; one 34-room unit
4465-450: The beginning of the 20th century, which contained ornate detailing mostly on the bottom and top stories, the Alwyn Court's decoration is spread throughout all parts of the facade. The decorative terracotta details on the facade include quattrocento -style pilasters, baldachin -like canopies , and crowned salamanders representing Francis I, in addition to fleurs-de-lis , cameos , and escutcheons . The Alwyn Court uses terracotta because, at
4560-569: The building in January 1920 and promptly resold it to Benjamin Winter. The Alwyn Court was resold in July 1930 to Simon & Hartstein, which almost immediately resold it to Edgar A. Levy for $ 1.3 million. At the time, the building was still considered one of New York City's "most imposing apartment houses". By the mid-1930s, the city's architectural and social landscape had changed, and the Alwyn Court
4655-594: The building's 34-room unit. Humorist Fred Allen lived in the building with wife Portland Hoffa . Later in the 20th century, residents included actor Darren McGavin , actor Rita Gam , and lawyer Louis Nizer . Actors Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson , as well as Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne , also lived at the building. In the early 21st century, the Alwyn Court was home to residents including actress Jessica Hecht and her director husband Adam Bernstein , as well as actor Richard Thomas . The Alwyn Court's facade has generally been positively reviewed throughout
4750-437: The building's history. Shortly after the building's completion, Architects' and Builders' Magazine described the facade as "an incrustation of terra cotta, a filigree of fine ornament on every pilaster, soffit and mullion". An Architecture magazine critic said in 1910, "The design, if made by a pastry cook, would be of the highest excellence, but it can hardly be considered at all in the light of architecture...", stating that
4845-476: The building's telephone directory in 1936 only listed six tenants. The Drydock Savings Bank spent $ 900,000 to acquire the Alwyn Court; at the time, the building's taxes amounted to $ 30,000 per year. The bank ordered the eviction of the last tenants. With the Great Depression ongoing, it was no longer feasible for the building to retain such large apartments. The Drydock Savings Bank decided to remodel
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#17327976286954940-495: The central air shaft was converted into an atrium, and a skylight was installed over it. During the conversion, the facade was also cleaned and restored by Beyer Blinder Belle , while Richard Haas painted the atrium mural. The ground-floor stores were converted to an upscale restaurant. The conversion was completed in August 1980. By the following May, two of the converted cooperative apartments had sold for $ 175,000 apiece, compared to
5035-531: The corner of Broadway and West 31st Street is the Grand Hotel . The former Hotel Pierrepont was located at 43 West 32nd Street, The Continental NYC tower is at the corner of Sixth Avenue and 32nd Street. 29 East 32nd Street was the location of the first building owned by the Grolier Club between 1890 and 1917. 33rd Street runs uninterrupted from First Avenue to Seventh Avenue where it turns into
5130-418: The design "defies description". In a 1976 article, The New York Times stated the Alwyn Court's "distinction resides in its extraordinary terra cotta ornamentation". Modern criticism has also been positive. Architectural writer Elizabeth Hawes wrote in 1993 that the structure was a "great architectural pile designed to impress even the affluent and worldly-wise", Architecture critic Carter Horsley, writing in
5225-441: The doors. In addition, there were wood-burning fireplaces and vacuum-cleaning systems. The twelfth floor contained 34 rooms used as servants' quarters. Each of the apartments originally could function with just three to five servants, in contrast to traditional mansions of the same size that required twice as many staff. During its 1938 renovation, the Alwyn Court was divided into 75 apartments. Each floor typically had six units, and
5320-522: The early 21st century, referred to the Alwyn Court as New York City's "most ornate building" and stated that its history was a "story of riches to rags and back". In 2020, the Times described the building as "extravagantly ornate", contrasting with the "kind of grand but dour" Osborne Apartments across the street. 58th Street (Manhattan) The New York City borough of Manhattan contains 214 numbered east–west streets ranging from 1st to 228th,
5415-666: The entrance to Penn Station and Madison Square Garden . On the East Side , both streets end at Second Avenue at Kips Bay Towers and NYU Medical Center which occupy the area between 30th and 34th streets. The Catholic church of St. Francis of Assisi is situated at 135–139 West 31st Street. At 210 West is the Capuchin Monastery of St. John the Baptist, part of St. John the Baptist Church on 30th Street. At
5510-484: The facade, prompting the owners to install a protective shed over the sidewalk. The facade was subsequently renovated. The New York Landmarks Conservancy awarded the facade's restoration a Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award in 2002. Further facade renovations were conducted in 2005. By the early 21st century, the Alwyn Court had regained a status as a luxury apartment building. It had become part of Billionaires' Row , an area with several residential skyscrapers marketed for
5605-472: The façade systems that are suspended or attached to the precast concrete slabs will be made from aluminum (powder coated or anodized) or stainless steel . In recent years more lavish materials such as titanium have sometimes been used, but due to their cost and susceptibility to panel edge staining these have not been popular. Whether rated or not, fire protection is always a design consideration. The melting point of aluminum, 660 °C (1,220 °F),
5700-464: The home of Newgate Prison, New York City's first prison and the United States' second. 11th Street is in two parts. It is interrupted by the block containing Grace Church between Broadway and Fourth Avenue . East 11th Street runs from Fourth Avenue to Avenue C and runs past Webster Hall . West 11th Street runs from Broadway to West Street. 11th Street and Sixth Avenue was the location of
5795-497: The interiors in 1938, with a budget of $ 500,000. The renovation was designed by Louis S. Weeks and carried out by Ellinger Construction Corporation. Edgar Ellinger of the Ellinger Construction Corporation suggested demolishing the interiors while retaining the facade ornament. As such, the exterior and the floor arches were retained, while the original 22 apartments were split into 75 units. The redesign
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#17327976286955890-467: The large 14-room spaces of the original design. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Alwyn Court as a New York City landmark on June 7, 1966, and the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 26, 1979. By the 1970s, the building had again become dilapidated, and rent control regulations made it difficult for the building to turn
5985-473: The last block of the 20th, 21st, and 22nd streets, between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues, is in the opposite direction than it is on the rest of the respective street. 20th Street is very wide from the Avenue C to First Avenue. Along the southern perimeter of Gramercy Park , between Gramercy Park East and Gramercy Park West, 20th Street is known as Gramercy Park South. Between Second and Third Avenues, 21st Street
6080-587: The late 19th and early 20th century. The building is thirteen stories tall. Its facade is clad with elaborate terracotta ornamentation in the Francis I style, with a main entrance on Seventh Avenue and 58th Street. Inside is an octagonal courtyard with a painted facade by artist Richard Haas , as well as a location of the Petrossian caviar bar. The Alwyn Court was originally built with twenty-two elaborately decorated apartments, two on every floor, which typically had fourteen rooms and five bathrooms. The interior
6175-473: The length of the island from 14th Street north. All numbered streets carry an East or West prefix – for example, East 10th Street or West 10th Street – which is demarcated at Broadway below 8th Street , and at Fifth Avenue at 8th Street and above. The numbered streets carry crosstown traffic. In general, but with numerous exceptions, even-numbered streets are one-way eastbound and odd-numbered streets are one-way westbound. Most wider streets, and
6270-500: The lot at the southeast corner of 58th Street and Seventh Avenue for $ 500,000 in the first week of June 1907. Russell planned to build a twelve-story apartment house on the site in conjunction with developer Alwyn Ball Jr., the building's namesake. By the next month, the Alwyn Court Corporation had been created to construct the building, and Harde and Short had been selected as the architects. According to E. S. Barlow,
6365-405: The majority of them designated in the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 . These streets do not run exactly east–west, because the grid plan is aligned with the Hudson River , rather than with the cardinal directions . Thus, the majority of the Manhattan grid's "west" is approximately 29 degrees north of true west; the angle differs above 155th Street, where the grid initially ended. The grid now covers
6460-447: The middle and upper classes. Furthermore, by the beginning of the 20th century, there were some housing cooperatives in the city that catered specifically to artists, including at 130 and 140 West 57th Street , as well as on 67th Street near Central Park. The original concept for the Alwyn Court also called for it to be an artists' cooperative. Stuyvesant Co-operative Buildings, a company founded by artist Walter Russell , purchased
6555-732: The north side of the Queens–Midtown Tunnel's Manhattan entrance/exit and over the Lincoln Tunnel's Manhattan entrance/exit. Notable locations on 37th Street are the Corinthian, the Morgan Library & Museum , Gotham Hall, and the Javits Center . 38th Street runs from FDR Drive to Eleventh Avenue. It runs on the south side of the Lincoln Tunnel's Manhattan entrance/exit. Notable Locations on 38th Street are The Corinthian , The Town House Hotel, 425 Fifth Avenue , and
6650-420: The other side of the park at Union Square East (Park Avenue South), but is shortly stopped again by Stuyvesant Square from between Second and Third Avenues (Rutherford Place) to between First and Second Avenues (Perlman Place). At First Avenue, it is interrupted by Stuyvesant Town , and starts up again at Avenue C . It then dead ends between that avenue and the FDR Drive . Sights on 16th Street include:
6745-600: The percentage of window area in exterior walls. When the exterior wall is not rated, the perimeter slab edge becomes a junction where rated slabs are abutting an unrated wall. For rated walls, one may also choose rated windows and fire doors , to maintain that wall's rating. On a film set and within most themed attractions, many of the buildings are only façade, which are far cheaper than actual buildings, and not subject to building codes (within film sets). In film sets, they are simply held up with supports from behind, and sometimes have boxes for actors to step in and out of from
6840-449: The public corridors surrounding the atrium, the windows were replaced with railings. The atrium's facade contains a trompe l'oeil mural painted by artist Richard Haas . The mural, painted in several hues of tan, depicts imitation architectural detail resembling the facade of the exterior. The Alwyn Court originally had up to 22 apartments, two each on the first through eleventh floors; several residents combined multiple apartments. One of
6935-463: The rent-controlled units, which were internally valued at between $ 35,000 and $ 60,000. The rent-controlled tenants were slated to be evicted under Walentas's original plan. Following tenant outcry and several lawsuits from both Walentas and the tenants, he changed the plan to allow rent-controlled tenants to remain after the conversion, provided that the Alwyn Court was their primary residence under New York rent control law. Other disputes arose between
7030-497: The rooftop units, once used by servants, became penthouse apartments. Two-thirds of the 75 newly subdivided apartments were rented by August 1938, and all apartments had been rented by the following October. The building earn about $ 137,000 a year in rental income at the time, The units remained fully occupied through the early 1940s. The Alwyn Court's success was attributed to the fact that the rooms were typically larger than in other apartment buildings, and most tenants did not require
7125-553: The site of their theatrical experience Sleep No More . Heading east, 27th Street passes through Chelsea Park between Tenth and Ninth Avenues , with the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) on the corner of Eighth . On Madison Avenue between 26th and 27th streets, on the site of the old Madison Square Garden , is the New York Life Building , built in 1928 and designed by Cass Gilbert , with
7220-402: The southeastern corner of the atrium. When the building was renovated in 1938, the elevators were relocated. The main lobby on Seventh Avenue, created in 1938, replaces the original lobby at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 58th Street. It contained peppermint-green walls with white plaster ornament, as well as a foyer with glass doors. The lobby contained ornamentation themed to music, including
7315-539: The street from the Zeckendorf Towers at Union Square East; the Google Building between Eighth and Ninth Avenues; Chelsea Market , between Ninth and Tenth Avenues; and the High Line near Tenth Avenue. 15th Street is 1.9 mi (3 km) in length. Traffic on 16th Street moves from west to east. It starts at Eleventh Avenue at the Hudson River, and runs until it is interrupted at Union Square West (Broadway) by Union Square . It picks up again on
7410-435: The street, from east to west excepting the stretch between Broadway and Park Avenue South, where traffic runs in both directions. It forms the northern borders of both Union Square (between Broadway and Park Avenue South ) and Stuyvesant Square . Composer Antonín Dvořák 's New York home was located at 327 East 17th Street, near Perlman Place. The house was razed by Beth Israel Medical Center after it received approval of
7505-459: The tenants and owner, even after the conversion. One such dispute in 1985 concerned the legal definition of a window, specifically whether the openings overlooking the central atrium could be classified as windows or balconies; the dispute had temporarily caused the building's occupancy permit to be revoked. The Petrossian caviar bar opened in the building's base in 1984. The facade was still in poor shape: by 1997, pieces of terracotta were falling from
7600-483: The tenth floor, causing $ 150,000 worth of damage when it spread to three other floors. The superstructure was undamaged, and the building was quickly repaired. The Alwyn Court had become one of the city's most expensive apartment buildings by late 1910. An article in The New York Times that September said that three units had been rented for $ 9,000 per year in as many weeks, whereas "a few years ago $ 5,000
7695-483: The time of its construction, it cost one-third as much as other material such as stone. Since it was possible to reuse the molds that were used to bake the terracotta, the amount of decoration was limited only by the number of unique designs. The Alwyn Court's twelve-story facade is divided into three horizontal sections: a four-story base, a five-story shaft, and a three-story crown. These sections are separated by large decorative bands. The northern facade, on 58th Street,
7790-447: The time of the renovation, none of the major rooms of each apartment face the atrium. Following the 1980s renovation, these units were turned into cooperative apartments. The Alwyn Court also contains storage units, a bike room, and a laundry room for residents. During the early 19th century, apartment developments in the city were generally associated with the working class, but by the 1870s, apartments were also becoming desirable among
7885-437: The twelfth story, a cornice projects from the roof. The northern and western facades are joined by a rounded corner, which contains an ornately detailed, recessed entrance archway. According to architectural writer Frank Winkler, rounded corners were desirable because their "simultaneous command [...] of two streets furnishes an interior attraction which any occupier would be delighted to acquire...". The corner entrance served as
7980-418: The ultra-wealthy. In 2013, during the construction of the neighboring One57 on Billionaires' Row, the Alwyn Court was forcibly evacuated because One57's builders were replacing a damaged crane. The Alwyn Court's cooperative board attempted to block the forced evacuation, but the crane was eventually hoisted after the board signed an agreement with One57's developer, Extell Development Company . Another renovation
8075-433: The units on each floor would occupy the southern and western sides of the floor, while the other unit would occupy the northern and eastern sides. Typical apartments had 14 rooms with five bathrooms, but some units contained up to 34 or 35 rooms. The largest unit, comprising three standard apartments, cost $ 22,000 (equivalent to $ 746,000 in 2023). The apartments had rooms of up to 18 by 30 feet (5 by 9 m). Originally,
8170-640: The west; the Osborne Apartments and the Rodin Studios to the southwest; Carnegie Hall to the south; Hampshire House to the northeast; and the New York Athletic Club and Essex House to the north. The Alwyn Court is one block north of an artistic hub that developed around West 57th Street between Sixth Avenue and Broadway during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, following the opening of Carnegie Hall in 1891. It
8265-433: Was completely rebuilt. The Alwyn Court was made a New York City designated landmark in 1966, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The building was renovated and converted to cooperative apartments in 1980, and the facade was restored in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Alwyn Court is at 180 West 58th Street, on the southeast corner with Seventh Avenue and one block south of Central Park , in
8360-586: Was delayed slightly by a carpenters' strike against the Hedden Construction Company. The building was nearly completed by September 1909, when the Fifty-Eighth Street and Seventh Avenue Company was formed to operate the apartments. By then, Russell was no longer involved with the Alwyn Court, having gone bankrupt the previous year. In March 1910, with the building still mostly unrented, a fire broke out in an empty apartment on
8455-480: Was designed as a replica of a French castle. An article in the Real Estate Record and Guide described an apartment with white-enamel woodwork, silk tapestries, paneled doors, plate-glass compartments and mirrored walls. The suites also had their own conservatories and large millinery closets, the latter with plate-glass shelves. Other suites included ball-gown closets and dressing closets with mirrors on
8550-433: Was necessitated by updated building codes, which made a mere alteration impractical, but because the superstructure was relatively sound, the owner decided not to demolish the building. Interior decorator Dorothy Draper oversaw the remodeling, which included a redecorated lobby and redesigned public corridors. The main entrance had to be relocated as well. The cornice and balustrade atop the building were also taken apart, and
8645-483: Was no longer in a desirable part of town. Only about a quarter of the apartments were occupied, and the owners were unable to pay the mortgage. As tenants moved out, the owners had difficulties renting out the remaining apartments. Consequently, the building was placed for sale at a foreclosure auction in 1936, during the Great Depression . Christopher Gray of The New York Times , writing in 1997, stated that
8740-419: Was one of several luxury buildings developed around Carnegie Hall, on the northernmost end of Seventh Avenue, by the beginning of the 20th century. The thirteen-story Alwyn Court is 149 feet (45 m) tall, with twelve full stories and a smaller penthouse. It was designed by Herbert Spencer Harde and R. Thomas Short of the firm Harde & Short in the French Renaissance style , with Francis I detailing on
8835-432: Was regarded as an extravagant price to pay for an apartment". The Tribune stated that the building's proximity to Central Park and public transportation gave it an advantage over similar developments. The apartments were advertised as "City Homes for Those with Country Houses", and the building itself was billed as "an up-to-date 'House of Select Residences'". The standard apartments were rented for between $ 6,500 and $ 10,000
8930-402: Was subdivided into 75 apartments in 1938. The Alwyn Court was named after Alwyn Ball Jr., one of the building's developers. Despite a fire shortly after its opening, the Alwyn Court quickly became one of New York City's most expensive apartment buildings. During the early 20th century, ownership changed several times. By the 1930s, the last luxury tenant had moved out, and the building's interior
9025-412: Was undertaken starting in 2019. Upon the Alwyn Court's opening in late 1909, its first tenants included United Cigar Stores president Jacob Wertheim, as well as Steinway & Sons president Frederick Steinway. Philip Roosevelt , John Godfrey Saxe , and Nicholas Schenck also moved to the building during the early 20th century. The building also served as the home of Maurice Wertheim , who lived in
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