On these cold, gray days of winter, when greenery feels scarce amid our seas of asphalt and concrete, one can't help but yearn for the vibrant hues of sunnier climates. San Francisco flaunts its iconic Painted Ladies, New Orleans bursts with Mardi Gras vibrancy, and even Greenland, for all its icy expanse, embraces a rainbow of tradition — its brightly colored homes signaling their 18th-century functions: red for churches, yellow for hospitals, green for communications hubs, blue for fish factories, and black for police stations.
In contrast, modern-day New York City’s palette seems to be dominated by 50 shades of gray, beige, and Pantone’s latest love affair, mocha mousse (aka brown). This begs the question: Does colorful still have a place in the city?
In contrast, modern-day New York City’s palette seems to be dominated by 50 shades of gray, beige, and Pantone’s latest love affair, mocha mousse (aka brown). This begs the question: Does colorful still have a place in the city?
In this article:
A few notable vibrant buildings around NYC
NYC is not completely colorblind. This vibrant Waverly Place townhouse went into contract last month for $22.85M. Meticulously restored by Bob and Cortney Novogratz, the home originally featured a pink stucco facade, which was repainted in a golden-yellow tone with the approval of the Landmarks Preservation Commission."
McGraw Hill Building, Midtown West
330 West 42nd Street | Completed: 1931 | Architect: Raymond Hood
224-unit rental conversion underway
Intended to blend with the sky, the McGraw Hill Building’s facade is covered with blue-green terracotta ceramic tiles punctuated with green metal-framed windows. The early Modernist icon is in the process of converting many of its floors into residential rentals.
Scholastic Building, SoHo
557 Broadway | Completed: 2001 | Architect: Aldo Rossi with Gensler
Scholastic books offices
In Soho, the Aldo Rossi and Morris Adjmi-designed Scholastic building feels as joyous as the children’s books produced inside with its terracotta, red and green steel. It was one of the first new buildings to take shape in the Soho-Cast Iron Historic District, but the Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously approved the original design within one hour of deliberation.
425 Fifth Avenue, Murray Hill
Completed: 2003 | Architect: Michael Graves and Thomas O' Hara | 136 condo units
Michael Graves, a post-modern architect who passed away in 2015, designed Disney hotels in Florida and Paris and 425 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. His designs are sometimes criticized as gaudy. This neo-Art Deco tower draws inspiration from its more elegant Central Park West predecessors such as The Century and The Majestic.
15 William (William Beaver House), FiDi
Completed: 2008 | Architect: Tsao & McKown | 319 condo units
FiDi’s 15 William, formerly known as the William Beaver House, is a 47-story condominium building with inexplicable yellow squares and rectangles dotting its facade. Love it or hate it, there's no doubt that is stands out in an increasingly crowded Lower Manhattan skyline.
10 Bond Street, NoHo
Completed: 2016 | Architect: Tsao & McKown | 11 condo units
Soho’s 10 Bond Street blends terracotta tiles with weathered steel, wood, and glass. It is a somewhat new addition to the neighborhood, but pays respectful homage to the Soho-Cast Iron Historic District.
The Warren Street Hotel, TriBeCa
85 Warren Street | Completed: 2024 | Architect: Stonehill Taylor | 86 hotel keys & 12 residences
In Tribeca, the cyan-colored Warren Street Hotel is topped with a yellow rain screen rendering pops so much more than the black version. It's the perfect complement to the colorful rooms inside designed by Kit Kemp.
144 Vanderbilt Avenue, Clinton Hill
Anticipated completion: 2025 | Architect: SO-IL | 46 condo units
Pretty-in-pink 144 Vanderbilt Avenue, the new condominium located in Clinton Hill, between Park Avenue & Myrtle Avenue, is a little pale to be Brooklyn's answer to Palazzo Chupi in the Village, but its edgy design makes for unique floor plans and multiple exposures.
Carmen Villegas Apartments (CVA), East Harlem
Park Avenue and East 110th Street | Proposed | Architect: Magnusson Architecture & Planning | 217 low-income units
The Carmen Villegas Apartments’ yellow, orange, and green blocks are like a tall version of 7-Eleven, in a cool, retro vibe-y sort of way. This may have played a role in its receiving a Blue Ribbon for Design as well as a Buildings of Excellence Award in April 2024.
401 East 51st Street, Turtle Bay
930 First Avenue | Proposed | Architect: SLCE | 83 condo units
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SK Development (CBSK Developers) is moving forward on a 29-story, mixed-use condo tower at 401 East 51st Street / 930 First Avenue in Turtle Bay. Approved permits show the east side condo will host 83 apartments and a conceptual design released by the Pacific Rim Group illustrates a bold red brick cladding on the lower levels and a matching grid-like facade extending upward.
But what of interiors? According to David Gromet, VP of Marketing at Corcoran Sunshine, it’s a tightrope walk. “It’s not uncommon for buyers to see dozens of residences during their home search, and color can help create a strong memory for buyers in a sea of beige interiors. However, it’s a fine balance: You want to use color tastefully and memorably but not go so far overboard that it becomes polarizing.”
Still, some New York spaces dare to dream in Technicolor. We have rounded up the most vibrant listings and buildings in the city. Have they struck the right balance — or teetered into the territory of too much? You decide. And remember, you can always paint and buy your own neutral furnishings if these color-infused homes are too vivid for your taste.
Color-infused homes on the market now
"You want to use color tastefully and memorably but not go so far overboard that it becomes polarizing." —David Gromet, VP of Marketing at Corcoran Sunshine
512 Lorimer Street, #TH (Compass)
763 Ocean Parkway, #4J (Revived Residential)
166 East 78th Street, #2B (Sothebys International Realty)
702 45th Street, #3I (Corcoran Group)
Southgate, #8A (Compass)
551 Lexington Avenue, #House
$1,335,000 (-1.5%)
Bedford-Stuyvesant | Townhouse | 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,200 ft2
551 Lexington Avenue, #House (Sothebys International Realty)
17 East 80th Street, #6 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
44 Gramercy Park North, #6E (Compass)
16 Sutton Place, #11A (Compass)
The Gainsborough, #41/42 (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
The Gramercy, #8BR (Compass)
2 Beekman Place, #15/16C (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
Eastlight, #29D (CORE Group Marketing LLC)
One Manhattan Square, #76E
$2,970,000
Lower East Side | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,400 ft2
One Manhattan Square, #76E (Extell Marketing Group LLC)
The Dillon, #409 (Corcoran Group)
The Savoy, #PH3 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
The Park View, #4A (Sothebys International Realty)
Number 47, #TH (Serhant)
The Siena, #29thFloor (Sothebys International Realty)
104 Wooster Street, #4S (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
812 Park Avenue, #34B (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
54 Seventh Avenue South, #TH (Compass)
2 Horatio Street, #12G/14G
$14,000,000
West Village | Cooperative | 4 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths | 3,500 ft2
2 Horatio Street, #12G/14G (Serhant)
111 West 57th Street, #36 (Sothebys International Realty)
53 West 53, #PH76 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
Or call us at (212) 755-5544
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Contributing Writer
Michelle Sinclair Colman
Michelle writes children's books and also writes articles about architecture, design and real estate. Those two passions came together in Michelle's first children's book, "Urban Babies Wear Black." Michelle has a Master's degree in Sociology from the University of Minnesota and a Master's degree in the Cities Program from the London School of Economics.