The San Remo, one of Mr. Roth's most iconic buildings, via Corcoran
To look at the elegant buildings on Central Park West, not to mention the prices of the gorgeous apartments within, it is hard to imagine a time when it was not one of New York’s most in-demand neighborhoods. However, about a century ago, the area was perceived to be an isolated wilderness that the city’s gentry feared to tread. That’s where Emery Roth comes in.
Mr. Roth is one of three architects that epitomize prewar architecture in New York City. But while J.E.R. Carpenter and Rosario Candela set new standards for Upper East Side living, Roth’s background as an unschooled Jewish immigrant tended to shut him out from commissions in this neighborhood. Therefore, he turned his attention to Manhattan’s West Side, an area that The Real Deal notes was becoming popular among affluent Jewish New Yorkers, not to mention actors and artists.
Mr. Roth is one of three architects that epitomize prewar architecture in New York City. But while J.E.R. Carpenter and Rosario Candela set new standards for Upper East Side living, Roth’s background as an unschooled Jewish immigrant tended to shut him out from commissions in this neighborhood. Therefore, he turned his attention to Manhattan’s West Side, an area that The Real Deal notes was becoming popular among affluent Jewish New Yorkers, not to mention actors and artists.
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"A residential skyscraper in classical garb, the San Remo epitomizes Roth’s ability to combine the traditional with the modern, an urbane amalgam of luxury and convenience, decorum and drama." - Landmarks Preservation Commission
In addition to breaking new boundaries geographically, Mr. Roth embraced height restrictions and other regulations as creative challenges. Signature motifs include twin-towered high-rises, temple-inspired domes to hide unsightly water towers, and combinations of classical themes and ornate styles. This mindset would set his buildings apart and put his eponymous firm in high demand, even in neighborhoods that previously spurned him.
The firm was renamed Emery Roth & Sons a year before Mr. Roth’s death in 1948, and it came to specialize in glass towers throughout New York that greatly influenced the city's architecture. Emery Roth & Sons ceased operations in the 1990s, but its founder’s work has not been forgotten. Some of his buildings have been designated New York City landmarks, and the words “Emery Roth-designed” add instant cachet to any real estate listing.
The firm was renamed Emery Roth & Sons a year before Mr. Roth’s death in 1948, and it came to specialize in glass towers throughout New York that greatly influenced the city's architecture. Emery Roth & Sons ceased operations in the 1990s, but its founder’s work has not been forgotten. Some of his buildings have been designated New York City landmarks, and the words “Emery Roth-designed” add instant cachet to any real estate listing.
875 Fifth Avenue (CityRealty)
Mr. Roth’s designs remain connected to New York luminaries: Public records indicate that television personality Phil Donahue and actress Marlo Thomas have recently sold their penthouse at 875 Fifth Avenue, a Roth design that interestingly enough rose on the former site of a mansion designed by one of his mentors, for $4.35 million in what appears to be an off-market transaction. The power couple initially moved to Central Park West following their 1980 marriage, but later moved into the Fifth Avenue penthouse that was large enough to accommodate Mr. Donahue's five children. Ms. Thomas has spoken warmly of her time in the penthouse and shared memories of treating Central Park as her backyard, not to mention hosting New Year’s Eve parties with views of the fireworks.
The buyer was not identified, but another bold-face name would not be surprising. The likes of Bette Midler, Alex Rodriguez, John Lennon, Humphrey Bogart, Bob Iger, Barbra Streisand, Clive Davis, Neil Simon, Helen Gurley Brown, Glenn Close, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, Mary Tyler Moore, Diane Keaton, and Donna Karan are also among the galaxy of stars that have made Emery Roth-designed buildings their New York homes. We take a look at his most famous buildings, many of which rank among New York's most prestigious cooperatives, as well as listings that allow one to live like a star in one of his designs.
Notable personalities that live or have lived in the San Remo alone
Built in 1927 | 66 units | Beekman/Sutton Place
2 Availabilities from $775K - $1.595M
Google Earth aerial showing location of Southgate
This unassuming brick building is the easternmost of an ensemble of five, elegant, mid-block apartment buildings that Roth designed in Art Deco-style for Bing & Bing in 1928. Its address on a rare Manhattan cul-de-sac offers a respite from the bustle of the city, but offers a central location convenient to offices and transportation. John Lennon posed for an iconic photograph on the terrace of one of the penthouses.
Southgate, #4G (Coldwell Banker Warburg)
Built in 1930 | 17 units | Carnegie Hill
1 Availabilty for $19.95M
993 Fifth Avenue (Douglas Elliman)
As one of Fifth Avenue’s most prominent and distinctive pre-war apartment buildings with a great paneled lobby and a very distinctive top. It is across the avenue from the Metropolitan Museum of Art whose grand staircase entrance is one-and-half-blocks to the north. The 19-story, Italian Renaissance-style building has only 17 apartments, most with two or more wood-burning fireplaces.
993 Fifth Avenue, #PH
$19,950,000 (-20.2%)
Carnegie Hill | Cooperative | 4 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths | 5,500 ft2
993 Fifth Avenue, #PH (Serhant LLC)
Built in 1929 | 74 units | Greenwich Village
2 Availabilties from $3,400 - $11,000/month
The Shenandoah, 10 Sheridan Square
This prominent, asymmetrical rental building is located on one of Greenwich Village's most famous intersections and one block from the Christopher Street subway station. The brown-brick building's features include casement windows, crenelated masonry, medieval-style parapets, and a Romanesque-inspired rooftop water tank enclosed with arcades.
The Shenandoah, #3E (Douglas Elliman)
From the Listing: Full-time doorman, elevator, laundry in the building. Beautiful studio in the West Village renovated kitchen and bathroom. Dishwasher. Windowed kitchen. Abundant closet space! Unobstructed views and a front seat to sunsets every night. Pets allowed. 1 train across the street. BDFM and ACE is a short avenue from the front door. Everything you could possibly want right outside your front door. Utilities special for new tenants only - excludes cable and wifi. See floor plan and full details here.
Built in 1915 | 26 units | Upper West Side
1 Availabilty for $1.995M
601 West End Avenue details via Douglas Elliman
601 West End Avenue has been described as one of the most elegant and most desirable on the Upper West Side. This limestone building is rich in Art Deco flourishes, architectural accents to bring out its height, and arched windows on the top floor. Only two units per floor allow for optimal privacy.
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601 West End Avenue, #6A
$1,995,000
Riverside Dr./West End Ave. | Cooperative | 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,450 ft2
601 West End Avenue, #6A (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Built in 1929 | 134 units | Midtown East
3 Availabilities from $995K - $3.695M
The Antoinettes via The Modlin Group
480 Park Avenue, a prestigious prewar cooperative on the corner of East 58th Street, was designed by Emery Roth in 1929 and boasts one of the grandest residential lobbies on Park Avenue. The exteriors are distinguished by a two-story rusticated base, large arched windows on the second floor, and an Italian Renaissance-palazzo-style façade. Many of the expansive apartments feature wood-burning fireplaces.
480 Park Avenue, #17C (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Built in 1931 | 201 units | Central Park West
2 Availabilities from $1.595M - $3.495M
The Ardsley via Douglas Elliman
The Ardsley's massing recalls that of a Mayan temple, but the vertical and horizontal bands of black brick on the buff facade are classic hallmarks of New York Art Deco design. The Art Deco lobby has been restored to its original glory.
The Ardsley, #2K (Compass)
Built in 1931 | 201 units | Central Park West
4 Availabilities from $2.975M - $8.95M
The northernmost of Mr. Roth's twin-towered designs along Central Park West, The Eldorado is a New York City Landmark and features a pair of peaks that accentuate its streamlined Art Deco design. When it was designated a New York City Landmark in 1985, the Landmarks Preservation Commission declared it "one of the finest and most dramatically massed Art Deco apartment buildings in New York City [and] one of the most distinguished buildings erected as part of the early 20thcentury redevelopment of Central Park West."
The Eldorado, #18J
$6,995,000 (-10.3%)
Central Park West | Cooperative | 3 Bedrooms, 3 Baths | 2,400 ft2
The Eldorado, #18J (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Built in 1926 | 142 units | Midtown East
7 Availabilities from $395K - $4.895M
Ritz Tower
Telescoping 41 stories into the sky on the northeast corner at 57th Street, about three times higher than any residential building before it, this 1926 tower was a sure sign that its pioneer residents were “moving up.” It is located at the nexus of Midtown East and the Upper East Side, and its world-class services were an early preview of life at full-service luxury buildings like its neighbors to the west on Billionaires' Row.
Ritz Tower, #27A (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Built in 1929 | 175 units | Central Park West
7 Availabilities from $3.995M - $40M
The Beresford
A massive residential fortress, the Beresford sports three bulky and squat towers with lit finials, a daringly asymmetrical silhouette dominating both Central Park and the American Museum of Natural History. Each tower has its own ornate entrance, and the architecture allows for only two to three spacious units per floor.
The Beresford, #5F (Sothebys International Realty)
Built in 1930 | 136 units | Central Park West
3 Availabilities from $5.995M - $17.495M
The San Remo was the city’s first twin-towered apartment building with each of the tall, slender towers capped by lyrical circular colonnades based on the Greek Choragic Monument of Lysicrates. Architecture critic Carter Horsley describes it as "most elegant of Central Park West’s extremely impressive roster of multi-towered residential buildings" and "one of the city's, and indeed the world's, greatest residential skyscrapers."
The San Remo, #4C (Corcoran Group)
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?
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