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About 515 West End Avenue
Because so much of its architecture was excellent, the decision of many Upper West Side property owners to remove elaborate and ornate cornices, many of which had deteriorated with age and lack of maintenance, was outrageous but permissible in a city that had not yet enacted a Landmarks Preservation Law.
This otherwise pleasant building is a stark reminder that many property owners simply have not taste. Its cornice is missing and the top of the building is now a light-colored flat surface that relates in no way to rest of the dark masonry facades or the buildings two-story limestone base.
The 16-story building was erected in 1926 and converted to a cooperative in 1981. It has 64 units and a canopied entrance flanked by attractive pilasters. The building permits protruding air-conditioners and has inconsistent windows.
It has a fine excellent location, and is just a couple of blocks away from excellent cross-town bus service and a local subway station at Broadway. This is a prime area of the Upper West Side that has fine neighborhood shopping and restaurants nearby.
Carter B. Horsley
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