I read the Sunday New York Times Magazine and Real Estate section with mild amusement when reviewing ad copy concerning new residential buildings. The treasure trove of old marketing brochures is enlightening. Even during the 1930’s as the economy was in tatters, buildings promoted comfort and convenience and insulation from the outside world. My personal favorite, the apartment house with central air (25 East 83rd Street) guaranteeing your window coverings will stay clean.

We forget back in the day when the majority of buildings were using oil for heat and car exhaust, New York was truly a city of soot and grime. Even today the most deluxe appointed set-back terraces will have a layer of grayish soot if not hosed down daily.

Be sure to review the brochures and look for your building. Search by building name or address/neighborhood. If you possess similar brochures and marketing materials be sure to contact Columbia so it can be scanned and retained for future generations.

Diverse selection Morton Williams W. 57th Street

A building on West 57th Street which was under consideration for “Historic Designation” by the Landmarks Preservation Commission and subsequently denied may soon be razed by the developer/landowner. While I believe in the value of Historic Preservation and can provide evidence such designations actually increase values over time, my concern is for the loss of the 1st floor tenant, the Associated-Morton Williams Supermarket on West 57th Street.

I am well aware Morton Williams is not C-Town or Savers, yet it is an affordable supermarket for many living and working in west Midtown. During the past few years we have lost a D’Agostino (57th just east of 9th Avenue) and a Gristedes Mega Store at 25 Central Park West (OK, more akin to a bodega in size).

Peers comment “You are so lucky; you have a Whole Foods at Time Warner”. Well, yes and no. I am the first to admit the Shops at Columbus Circle are a vast improvement over the vacant New York Coliseum (which was present when I moved to the area). And yes, I do frequent Whole Foods occasionally. 

However, my primary market is Associated Morton Williams and it is the market for many of my neighbors. The advantages are many (by NYC standards) including:

• Affordable pricing
  Diverse selection of brands
  Open 24 Hours
  Fast check-out
  Easy in/out

Whole Foods is a wonderful addition and anchor for the neighborhood. However, I am not a daily shopper there for the following reasons:

• Check-out lines are long (even with 44 lanes open)
  Crowded from 9AM to Close
  Limited selection beyond 365 line and other upscale brands i.e. limited selection of Utz
  High prices (AKA) Whole Paycheck

From the crowds at Whole Foods daily, it is evident the market is popular and serves its clientele. I am also a fan of Whole Foods hiring practices and environmental stewardship. However, the loss of a moderate-pried supermarket is a concern.

Associated-Morton Williams serves a purpose in the West Midtown neighborhood for both residents and workers. At lunch hour, I have a choice; I can spend 15 minutes in line at Whole Foods to pay for a sandwich or 2-3 minutes at Associated-Morton Williams. When I need an Utz fix at 11:00PM, I am heading to Associated Morton Williams.

Successful neighborhoods demand a diversity of services. The affordable supermarket with a diverse selection and street access is just one component of the successful urban fabric. The potential loss of the last mainstream supermarket serving West Midtown should be a concern for many.

900 Fifth Avenue

As a real estate broker and city planner, I am often asked if I could choose any building to live in, which would it be? Well, I have diverse tastes as I admire the architecture of Richard Meier, yet I like the pre-war classic with a touch of modernity at 740 Park. Of course, one could argue Robert A.M. Stern’s 15 Central Park West meets all the criteria i.e. pre-war layouts, modern mechanicals and so forth. The Prasada on CPW is another lovely building from pre WWI. Also, spending my formative years at Kips Bay Towers, I have a love of private open-space and functional design. However, I am going out on a limb and advising my goal is 900 Fifth Avenue.

OK, I admit, the building is usually overlooked and is not well known on probably the most well known avenue in Manhattan. However, I have been asked which building would be my first choice for a residence:

Location: As I have preached, it’s all location, location, location. In addition to being located on the always popular Upper East Side and fronting/addressing 5th Avenue, I consider the site of the building to be a premium. The west view of course is unobstructed Central Park. However, the south-view which is usually secondary or worse with most 5th Avenue buildings is a premium. Looking over the Frick Museum, the view is unobstructed and offers vistas including Central Park and Midtown. The south view from the lower floors looks onto the magnificent setting of The Frick. The upper-floors, a view of Midtown. The only other building on 5th Avenue which comes close to offering the dual west and south view package is 1080 5th Avenue; a post-war with a view over the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Guggenheim Museum.

Exterior: The façade while considered somewhat dated by present tastes must have been radical for 1958. Instead of the generic white brick used for many post-war apartment houses, the architects Sylvan and Robert Bien (father and son) included dark gray metal and aluminum to off-set the bay windows from the flat brick façade.  For residential architecture, the design was radical for the era, more appropriate for office buildings being developed in Midtown on Park Avenue. My personal view, the building stands out along an Avenue of eclectic designs from classical pre-war to modernist disasters designed for economic gain and not taking the urban fabric and design into context.

Interior: With 20 stories and only 50 units, the building is the perfect size for my tastes (full disclosure, I reside in a 65 unit, 18 story building co-op). Apartments have central air thus no protrusions of wall-through or window air conditioning units. Most apartments in the building range from 6-9 rooms, all with generous layouts and superior views as mentioned above. Amenities include a gym and garage.

Lobby and 1st Level: The granite base at human eye level fits correctly with the buildings design offset by the minimalist landscaping yet providing a cohesive design. The canopy and doorman station are similar to other 5th Avenue buildings.

 In New York City we have elevated building design to a commodity i.e. Candela, Meier, Nouvel, Stern, McKim, Mead and White and others.  The older pre-war buildings may offer generous layouts, however without extensive renovations (seen and unseen), such apartments can be a labor of love. New buildings from the past decade may have been designed by “starchitects” with name recognition; however the glass curtain wall is a most efficient oven in summer and freezer in winter.

We usually dismiss mid-century apartment houses as lacking the charm of pre-war and not having the cache of contemporary structures. I must be a contrarian. I see the mid-century buildings such as 900 5th Avenue as unique examples of design and taste during an era of profound change within society. For example, 900 Fifth respects the floor plans of pre-war buildings with 6-9 room layouts yet envelopes the design within a modernist façade.

Buildings such as Manhattan House and Imperial House once dismissed as boring white-brick are enjoying renewed popularity for their interior courtyards, efficient layouts and outdoor space i.e. balcony’s. The period of apartment house construction between 1945 and 1970 in New York is a time or transition on many fronts including design, land values, functionality and others. Post 1970, the City entered a fiscal crisis coupled with middle and upper middle-class flight to the suburbs as construction came to a grinding halt (as demand waned and financing was cost-prohibitive).  With the building book of the 1990’s and early 2000’s my question is “Will these building stand the test of time and be appreciated in 50 years or will they wallow in obscurity or be razed?”

230 Central Park South AKA Southmoor House, a mid-size 18 story co-op sandwiched between the pre-WWI Gainsborough and the above mentioned 240 CPS has recently installed a new façade. The former façade was generic at best with years of soot accumulated and reports of leaks penetrating the brickwork.

The new façade respects the art-deco era of the building’s construction (1937). The light color and details in design is a nice bridge between the turn of the century brickwork of the Gainsborough and the recently replaced façade of 240 CPS.

Regardless of the inconsistent window designs and the exposure of in-wall a/c sleeves, the new façade and planned entryway will enhance the already desirable block. The best view of the building is from Central Park and is best photographed during late winter afternoon when the sun brightens the façade and the towers of midtown turn their lights on.

While many residents on 5th Avenue mention the view of Central Park as one of the most desirable amenities associated with a 5th Avenue apartment, I want to offer an addendum, the view of Central Park West in the morning light.

As the sunrise breaks the eastern horizon during the fall and spring months, the sun angles literally brighten the major buildings along Central Park West with an orange glow that is truly breathtaking. The multiple art-deco towers from The Century at 62nd Street to the San Remo in the 90’s and all those in-between seem to radiate from the morning sun.

If like me you are not fortunate enough to live on 5th Avenue, you can still enjoy the view from many vantage points. I would suggest any areas along the east-side of the Jackie Kennedy Onassis reservoir. From this area, you have a direct view of Central Park West and the beautiful pre-war buildings when design trumped pure economic gain.