1212 Fifth Avenue: Review and Ratings

Review of 1212 Fifth Avenue by Carter Horsley

The handsome, 15-story apartment building at 1212 Fifth Avenue on the southeast corner at 102^nd Street was erected in 1926 by Nathan Raisler and converted to a condominium by the Durst Fetner Organization in 2012. 

It has 55 apartments. 

It was originally designed by George and Edward Blum and S. Russell Groves handled the interior renovations in 2012 and SLCE was the executive architect for the conversion. 

Bottom Line

A gutted and renovated pre-war apartment building on Fifth Avenue near Mt. Sinai Hospital and around the corner from a striking new, mid-block rental tower.

Description

The building has a three-story base and many of its fourth-floor windows have arched stone surrounds. 

The building has an entrance marquee beneath three arched windows on the second floor and light sconces flank the entrance. 

The top three floors of the building are divided into slightly projecting, three-story-high terracotta window surrounds separated by brown-brick masonry that also covers the mid-section of the building’s “torso.”  The terracotta window surrounds are slightly peaked to create a varied terracotta roofline. There are some decorative terracotta balconies on the 12th floor.

The lobby has rosette medallions on its ceiling.

Amenities

The building has a 24-hour concierge, a live-in resident manager, a fitness center, playroom, a very handsome lobby, a package room, and a residents’ lounge. 

Apartments

Apartments have Miele washers and dryers, plaster crown moldings, new casement windows, and wall-mounted thermostats. 

Kitchens have Bertazzoni and Miele appliances, Caesarstone countertops, recessed LED lighting, Italian custom cabinets and Dornbracht fixtures. 

Master bathrooms have radiant floor heating, Bianco Dolomiti marble countertops, and Dormbracht fictures. 

Apartment 10C is a one-bedroom unit with a 22-foot-long living/dining room and an open, windowed, 7-foot-long kitchen alcove. 

Apartment 10D is a two-bedroom unit with a 20-foot-long living room next to an 11-foot-long enclosed kitchen with a 9-foot-long dining area. 

Apartment 6A is a three-bedroom unit with a 9-foot-wide entry foyer that leads to a 22-foot-long living room adjacent to an open, windowed 19-foot-long dining room text to a 14-foot-long enclosed and windowed kitchen. 

The 15^th floor is a four-bedroom unit with a 14-foot-wide entry foyer that leads to a 17-foot-wide living room combined with a 17-foot-wide dining room that leads to a 17-foot-wide enclosed, windowed kitchen.  The apartment also has a long hall a 16-foot-wide library/music room near the living room and a 14-foot-wide windowed office. 

The penthouse has two bedrooms and a wrap-around terrace.

History

An early resident was Allen Dulles, who had just left the Foreign Service to join the New York law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell.  He would subsequently returned to government work in the 1950s became the head of the Central Intelligence Agency. 

As part of its deal with Mt. Sinai Hospital, Durst Fetner erected a stunning, tall, mid-block, market-rate rental tower on 101^st Street between Fifth and Madison Avenue.