Top 10 Houses of Worship Turned Residences
#1 - Novare, 135 West 4th Street
The word Novare is Latin for "to be reborn," and was aptly given to a Methodist church located one block from Washington Square Park. The Romanesque-style facade was beautifully restored following its condo conversion, but the interiors were demolished to make way for apartments with soaring ceilings and dramatic interiors.
#2 - 140 West 81st Street
Over 100 years after it was constructed for the Third Universalist Society, 140 West 81st Street has been converted to a boutique condominium on what is now a prime Upper West Side street. Much of the building's facade was restored amidst the conversion, and apartments feature original details like soaring ceilings, rose windows, and turrets.
#3 - Spencer Mews, 99 Clinton Street
Before it was converted to boutique cooperative Spencer Mews, this Gothic Revival church in the heart of the Brooklyn Heights Historic District served as a meeting place for one of New York City's first gay rights groups outside of Manhattan. During the residential conversion, original details like high ceilings, exposed stone, and stained glass windows were thoughtfully preserved.
#4 - The Village Mews, 145 West 13th Street
145 West 13th Street was built as a Greek Revival church in 1846, and retained its original facade when it was converted to The Village Mews, a boutique cooperative. It is located on a desirable Greenwich Village block near popular Union Square restaurants and retail, as well as the 14th Street busway and multiple transportation options.
#5 - The Abbey, 232 Adelphi Street
The Abbey represents the boutique condo conversion of a landmarked Fort Greene church. Original details like exposed brick and stained glass windows were preserved, and interiors pair original architectural elements with modern features like paneled kitchen appliances, spa-like primary baths, in-unit laundry, and smart thermostats.
#6 - 450 Clinton Street
Originally built as the Norwegian Seaman's Church, 450 Clinton Street took shape at a time when Carroll Gardens was mostly farmland. Today, as the neighborhood has become more residential, the Romanesque Revival church has been beautifully repurposed into a cooperative with rich architectural details and an enormous private garden.
#7 - The Arches at Cobble Hill, 401 Hicks Street
The Arches at Cobble Hill represents the residential conversion of St. Peter's Church, its rectory, and a nursing academy. The preservation of original architectural elements like stained glass windows and wood trusses was instrumental in its securing unanimous approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
#8 - The Abbey Condominium, 205 East 16th Street
In the mid-1880s, J.P. Morgan entered an agreement to finance social services at St. George's Church in Gramercy. A castle-like parish house replaced a "barn-like" church hall on the site in 1888 and served as a women's residence in the 1960s. In its latest incarnation as The Abbey Condominium, it maintains its historic charm while providing modern conveniences and amenities.
#9 - 431 East 6th Street
In the 1980s, when East Village real estate prices were a fraction of what they are today, a group of artists purchased an abandoned synagogue and turned it into a tenancy-in-common building with live/work space. Original features like high ceilings, arched windows, decorative moldings, and skylights were beautifully restored.
#10 - 463 West 142nd Street
In Hamilton Heights, a neo-Gothic convent has been transformed into a 14-unit boutique condominium. The white brick facade and pointed arched windows have been beautifully restored, but the interiors have been turned into modern homes with double-hung windows, white oak floors, modern kitchens, and dedicated laundry closets.
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