Top 10 Residential Buildings on Lower Fifth Avenue
#1 - 24 Fifth Avenue
24 Fifth Avenue rose on the former site of the Brevoort Mansion in 1925. Preservationists lamented the loss of the historic mansion, but today's architecture enthusiasts appreciate the Emery Roth design as a beautiful example of prewar architecture. It is distinguished by its limestone base, buff brick, terra cotta details, and bronze canopy.
#2 - 43 Fifth Avenue
43 Fifth Avenue stands out for its distinctive Beaux-Arts design, limestone base, wrought iron balconies, bay windows, and mansard roof. A dry moat, limestone lampposts, and ornate lobby makes for a grand entrance. Past residents include Academy Award winners Julia Roberts and Holly Hunter.
#3 - 1 Fifth Avenue
While its status as Greenwich Village's tallest building is in doubt, nothing has come along to replace 1 Fifth Avenue as one of the city's most beautiful Art Deco designs, thanks to its chamfered corners and setbacks that create large private terraces. It is as much an architectural landmark as the Washington Square Arch less than one block away, and residents can treat Washington Square Park as their backyard.
#4 - 39 Fifth Avenue
Developed by Bing & Bing and designed by Emery Roth, 39 Fifth Avenue was an early residential entrant on lower Fifth Avenue. Its dark brown brick facade and loggia-inspired terra cotta detailing on the third floor beautifully set the tone for its future neighbors. Design stars Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent beautifully combined and renovated a penthouse in the building.
#5 - 41 Fifth Avenue
Rosario Candela is famous for his upper Fifth Avenue buildings that were instrumental in New York City's embrace of multi-family living. Much further downtown, 41 Fifth Avenue makes a graceful statement with its ornately detailed limestone base and brown brick facade above.
#6 - 40 Fifth Avenue
In the words of Paul Goldberger, "40 Fifth Avenue looks like a Park Avenue building blew loose in a storm and dropped anchor Downtown." In any neighborhood, it makes a statement with its brick facade and striking water tower enclosure.
#7 - 25 Fifth Avenue
25 Fifth Avenue stands out at street level for its brown brick facade and graceful entrance with a limestone base and columns at the door. It is also set apart by virtue of its status as the only prewar condominium on lower Fifth Avenue, having been converted in 2000.
#8 - 30 Fifth Avenue
30 Fifth Avenue is located on the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue and East 10th Street, where it makes a graceful statement with its brown brick facade and limestone trim. It is a few blocks from Washington Square Park, but offers an outdoor escape of its own with a landscaped roof terrace.
#9 - 51 Fifth Avenue
Architect Thomas Lamb is most famous for his theaters and cinemas (notably the United Palace Theatre), but 51 Fifth Avenue represents a rare and welcome foray into residential design with its brown brick facade and graceful limestone entrance. Decades after construction was completed, it served as the exteriors on Emmy Award-winning sitcom "Mad About You."
#10 - 2 Fifth Avenue
Before the Greenwich Village Historic District was established, 2 Fifth Avenue rose as a rare example of post-war design on downtown's Gold Coast. With its clean lines, gray brick facade, multiple private balconies, and striking driveway entrance, it makes quite the counterpoint to its Art Deco neighbor 1 Fifth Avenue across the street.
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