Some famous buildings in New York are best known for their unusual decoration and some for their unusual shapes.

This is known for both, although it is not as famous as it should be.

A thin, asymmetrical wedge, it is neither typical, nor derivative. The architect, Herman Lee Meader has framed the lower two stories in limestone friezes of Wild West motifs and capped the building with a very pronounced cornice that is arched in the center of the Riverside Drive frontage. The cornice, however, is just below the roofline, which has curved, arched elements at the corners and is angled to rise above the arch of the cornice. The third-story window above the entrance is also trimmed in limestone to reinforce the composition's dynamics.

The friezes are distinguished by their fine detailing and are most notable for their buffalo skulls, although the facade also depicts mountain lions and rattlesnakes.

In their superb book, "The A.I.A. Guide to New York City, Third Edition," (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988), Elliot Willensky and Norval White said that it is "An odd building predating the Art Deco interest in Mayan motifs." They said that the friezes "symbolize the life of the Arizona cliff dwellers and serve to tie these prehistoric people to Manhattan's modern cliff dwellers." "All in all," they concluded, "an underrated facade."

The building was erected in 1914 and converted to a cooperative in 1979. The 12-story structure, known as the Cliff Dwellers' Apartments, has 43 apartments.

The yellow-brick building is on the north side of a bridge over 96th Street and its facade along the cross-street is marred by some fire escapes. It is across the cross-street from a large playground, which contributes to the building's considerable "light and air."

The building, which is quite narrow at its north end, permits protruding air-conditioners and has consistent fenestration. It is convenient to cross-town bus service and a local subway station at 96th Street and Broadway.

It has fine views of the Hudson River and Riverside Park.

Carter B. Horsley