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About 81 Irving Place
This eclectic, 16-story apartment building is one of the most decorative and interesting not only in the Gramercy Park area, but also in the city.
Designed by George Pelham, it is distinguished by its high quality of terracotta decoration and its wonderful five-sided balconies.
The brown brick building has Romesque-style arches of alternating brick and limestone sheltering recessed carved lunettes on its lower two floors with spiral columns capped with fine gargoyles. Rectangular decorative plaques also dot the facade.
The building's sculpted balconies are terrific and powerful accents that force the eye to dart about the facade, whose brickwork is quite intricate. Few buildings have such dynamic visual energy as created by these very bold though small projecting elements.
According to Andrew Scott Dolkart, in his book, "Gramercy, Its Architectural Surroundings, Preserving the Neighborhood's Important Contributing Buildings," (Gramercy Neighborhood Associates, Inc., 1996), Pelham "exploited the requirements of the zoning law to create an exuberant design with dramatic setbacks and a striking rooftop pavilion surrounding the water tower."
Many apartments have impressive views south because the building across 19th Street is only 5 stories tall.
The building was originally built in 1929 with 107 apartments and now has 102. It was converted to a cooperative in 1982. It is one block south of Gramercy Park and close to the many famous restaurants of the area and the Flatiron District.
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