80 Clarkson Street, a new two-tower condo development on the Lower Manhattan waterfront by Zeckendorf Development (April 2026)
Limestone is one of the most ancient building materials in the world, and part of several of New York City's most iconic buildings. Limestone structures like the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, the New York Public Library, Grand Central Terminal, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Waldorf Astoria have been designated New York City Landmarks, and residential buildings clad in limestone were extremely popular in the prewar era. More recently, the Upper East Side and Upper West Side have emerged as hotbeds for new construction using limestone facades.
Limestone is a sedimentary rock formed from calcium carbonite shells that settled on an ancient sea floor and compressed into solid rock. It can be imported from all over the country and the world, but one well-known variety is sourced from a belt in south central Indiana. At 97 percent pure calcium carbonite, it is one of the most chemically uniform stones on Earth. Architects appreciate that Indiana limestone is soft and easy to shape when freshly quarried, but approaches the hardness of granite with none of granite's brittleness after exposure to air. Additionally, stone company Polycor notes that between its lower carbon footprint and its ability to reduce the heat island effect, it is a more environmentally friendly building material than glass.
In this article:
Porte-cochere of The Ansonia, a turn-of-the-century apartment house from the City Beautiful era
A hint of Paris on the Upper West Side
Classically inspired limestone buildings took shape in earnest in the late 19th century, a period that coincided with the City Beautiful movement. It emerged in response to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where architect Daniel Burnham (designer of the Flatiron Building) coordinated the event and was part of a team that created an ideal city of classically designed buildings. It offered a welcome, refreshing contrast to the tenements and smoky factories that had sprung up in the wake of the Industrial Revolution. Architects from all over the country returned to their home states inspired to design buildings that beautified their cities and uplifted their surroundings, ranging from office towers to mansions for the wealthiest.
25 Riverside Drive, #TH
$65,000,000
Riverside Dr./West End Ave. | Townhouse | 6+ Bedrooms, 6+ Baths | 12,000 ft2
25 Riverside Drive, #TH (Nest Seekers LLC)
The City Beautiful movement began to wane around World War I, as it became apparent that the most aesthetically pleasing cities didn't mean much without addressing underlying social and economic concerns. However, the use of limestone facades for residential buildings did not fade away, and it does not appear that it will any time soon. We look at the newest class of limestone buildings, as well as New York City's 10 most beautiful limestone residential buildings.
New developments
Architect: Studio Sofield | Completion estimated for 2027
26 Units | 22 Floors
1122 Madison Avenue entrance (Corcoran Group)
On the corner of East 84th Street, 122 Madison Avenue offers a stylish, contemporary take on its prewar neighbors. Its limestone facade is accented with sculptured reliefs and custom decorative railings. Inside, the building offers only 26 spacious residences, many with private terraces, and a curated amenity package with a fitness center and Pilates studio, a sports court, a drawing room with decorative fireplace, and a lounge with bar. It nearly sold out from floor plans alone, making it New York City's top-selling building of Q1 2026, and a penthouse in the building could set a new Upper East Side sales record with an $89.5 million ask.
1122 Madison Avenue, May 2026 (CityRealty)
1122 Madison Avenue, #FLOOR15
$38,950,000
Carnegie Hill | Condominium | 5 Bedrooms, 5.5 Baths | 5,251 ft2
1122 Madison Avenue, #FLOOR15 (Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group)
Architect TBA | Completion estimated for 2029
38 Units | 18 Floors
Previous rendering of 150 East 79th Street (Alexander Gorlin Architects)
In fall 2025, developer Closer Properties paid $63 million for five low-rise Upper East Side properties at 150-154 East 79th Street, 1131 Lexington Avenue, and 1135 Lexington Avenue in preparation to build a high-rise condominium on the site. Demolition permits for the buildings were filed in May 2026, and the Landmarks Preservation Commission just approved the sale of 6,300 square feet of development rights from 116 East 80th Street, an individually landmarked townhouse, for the project. No details of the new building's design have been released yet, but a previous, unbuilt design by Alexander Gorlin Architects features a limestone facade with a thoughtful fenestration pattern and upper-level setbacks.
Entrance rendering at 150 East 79th Street
Architect: SLCE Architects | Completion estimated for 2028
21 Units | 20 Floors
Rendering of 985 Fifth Avenue (Spitzer Enterprises, SLCE Architects, and Studio Sofield for Landmarks Preservation Commission)
In November 2025, Landmarks approved a design for a new boutique condominium to replace the postwar rental directly across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 985 Fifth Avenue. Its classically inspired limestone facade, distinctive crown, and multiple setbacks pay tribute to surrounding prewar architecture. Permits filed in January 2026 indicate that there will be only 21 apartments, with several simplexes and duplexes among them, and amenities like a fitness center, an indoor swimming pool, and several lounges.
Architect: Robert A.M. Stern Architects | Completion estimated for 2027
37 Units | 18 Floors
Rendering of 200 West 88th Street (Alden Studios)
A sales launch is on the horizon for 200 West 88th Street, the Upper West Side condominium that represents Robert A.M. Stern Architects' first all-electric project. The bottom two floors are clad in light gray limestone, and the upper levels of the brick building are distinguished by limestone accents. There will be no more than three units per floor, with full-floor residences on levels 14 through 18, and three floors of amenities will include a fitness center with yoga studio, a music room, a game room, a card room, a children's playroom, a maker studio, and a rooftop terrace.
200 West 88th Street, May 2026 (CityRealty)
Architect: COOKFOX | Completion estimated for 2026
113 Units | 38 Floors
Rendering of 80 Clarkson Street (DBOX for COOKFOX /Zeckendorf)
Directly north of Google's Hudson Square campus, the two-towered 80 Clarkson Street has risen on the northern block of the former St. John's Terminal rail depot to make its mark on the Downtown skyline. Both limestone-clad towers rise from a four-story podium, and deep-set windows and cascading volumes give them a cubic appearance. The apartments inside are quickly and rapidly selling off-market, and an $80 million penthouse could set a Downtown sales record.
Top 10 Limestone Buildings
Architect: Robert A.M. Stern Architect | Completed in 2018
34 Units | 54 Floors
"The Upper East Side's answer to 15 Central Park West...another stunning winner from architect Robert A.M. Stern and the Zeckendorfs" – Carter Horsley
520 Fifth Avenue
520 Park Avenue combines modern height with an Indiana limestone facade and Gilded Age design influences to create the tallest building (as of this writing) and one of the most elegant in this section of the Upper East Side. The apartments entirely comprise simplexes and duplexes, and amenities at this doorman building include a two-story, 8,000-square-foot health club with a swimming pool with coffered ceilings and trellised walls.
520 Park Avenue, #PH48
$33,700,000
Park/Fifth Ave. to 79th St. | Condominium | 4 Bedrooms, 5 Baths | 4,628 ft2
520 Park Avenue, #PH48 (Sothebys International Realty)
Architect: Steven Harris Architects | Built in 2022
31 Units | 20 Floors
109 East 79th Street (Legion Investment Group)
For 109 East 79th Street, Steven Harris Architects drew inspiration from Art Deco, Mid-Century, and Bauhaus architecture to create a one-of-a-kind building with an attractive limestone facade. There are no more than two units per floor, and select apartments have sunken living rooms and/or private outdoor space. Resales are few and far between, and a three-bedroom in the building recently sold at a 65% profit.
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
Or call us at (212) 755-5544
Architect: Paul Duboy | Built in 1904
462 Units | 18 Floors
"If you are looking for romance, history, exuberant architecture, convenience and legends, look no further" – Carter Horsley
The Ansonia
The full-block building on Broadway between West 73rd and 74th Streets was constructed as a luxury residential hotel and converted to a condominium in 1992. In any incarnation, it stands out for its tall height, rounded corner turrets, and elaborately ornamented limestone facade. The shape of the building allows for unique layouts for the apartments inside, many of which feature original architectural details like wrought-iron designs on windows, herringbone floors, and crown molding. It was designated a New York City Landmark in 1972.
The Ansonia, #850 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Architect: Rosario Candela | Built in 1930
27 Units | 17 Floors
"1040 Fifth Avenue on the northeast corner at 85th Street has one of the most distinctive rooflines along the avenue" – Carter Horsley
1040 Fifth Avenue (CityRealty)
At 17 stories high, the limestone-clad structure at 1040 Fifth Avenue is one of the taller apartment buildings on upper Fifth Avenue. It is located one block north of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and across the street from Central Park. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis lived in the building from 1964 until her death in 1994, and business executive David Koch briefly lived in her apartment.
1040 Fifth Avenue, #16 (Sothebys International Realty)
Architect: Rosario Candela and Warren & Wetmore | Built in 1928
19 Units | 15 Floors
"One of New York's most prestigious addresses" – Carter Horsley
960 Fifth Avenue
The limestone tower at 960 Fifth Avenue rose on the former site of Senator William Clark's mansion, and was instrumental in luring New York City's wealthiest into multi-family buildings. Apartments feature high ceilings, expansive proportions, gracious details, and oversized windows that bathe the interiors in natural light. Residents have access to the Georgian Suite, a private restaurant staffed by a full-time chef.
960 Fifth Avenue, #4A
$25,000,000 (-16.7%)
Park/Fifth Ave. to 79th St. | Cooperative | 5 Bedrooms, 5.5 Baths | 6,300 ft2
960 Fifth Avenue, #4A (Compass)
Architect: Rosario Candela | Built in 1931
24 Units | 16 Floors
"One of Rosario Candela's greatest luxury apartment designs and one of the city’s most desirable cooperative residential buildings" – Carter Horsley
834 Fifth Avenue is a limestone-clad apartment building located directly across the street from the Central Park Zoo. Residents arrive to a gracious canopied entrance and an attended lobby, and the apartments inside feature ceilings at least 11 feet high, expansive floor plates, oversized windows, and thoughtful details. Notable residents have included media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Broadway producer Harold Prince, and carmaker John Delorean.
834 Fifth Avenue, #MAISONETTE C
$16,000,000 (-11.1%)
Park/Fifth Ave. to 79th St. | Cooperative | 6+ Bedrooms, Unknown Baths
834 Fifth Avenue, #MAISONETTE C (Sothebys International Realty)
Architect: McKim, Meade & White | Built in 1912
17 Units | 12 Floors
"An inflated Italian Renaissance-style palazzo structure, the building would delight the Medicis" – Carter Horsley
998 Fifth Avenue (CityRealty)
While not one of the tallest buildings in its Upper East Side neighborhood, 998 Fifth Avenue is one of the most eye-catching with its limestone facade and striking cornice. It has been designated a New York City Landmark. Availabilities in the building are few and far between, and cosmetics executive William Lauder sold an apartment in the building for $37.5 million in an off-market deal in September 2025.
Architect: Robert A.M. Stern Architects | Built in 2019
118 Units | 70 Floors
"In the city’s 'supertall' wars, the spoils don’t necessarily go to the tallest, or most daring, or showiest, but the most attractive with the best views" – Carter Horsley
220 Central Park South
On a Midtown stretch dominated by glassy supertalls, 220 Central Park South stands out for its limestone facade and graceful crown. Residents arrive to a gracious port-cochere, and amenities include an athletic club with fitness center and pool as well as a full-service dining room. Hedge fund executive Ken Griffin's $238 million purchase remains the most expensive home sale in the United States.
220 Central Park South, #62
$79,900,000
Midtown West | Condominium | 4 Bedrooms, 5.5 Baths | 5,935 ft2
220 Central Park South, #62 (Corcoran Group)
Architect: Robert A.M. Stern Architects | Built in 2008
202 Units | 43 Floors
"The full-block, two building complex at 15 Central Park West may well be the city’s most desirable residential address in terms of amenities, location and views" – Carter Horsley
15 Central Park West (Compass)
15 Central Park West was an early and successful entrant in New York City's new era of limestone residential buildings. The apartments are divided between a 20-story House and a 43-story Tower, and all residents have access to amenities like a fitness center with a skylit lap pool, a private screening room, a library, a billiards room, and a private restaurant that has emerged as a popular place to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Musician Sting's former residence is now on the market (see below), and other notable residents have included Denzel Washington, Sanford Weill, and Lloyd Blankfein.
15 Central Park West, #16/17B
$45,000,000
Central Park West | Condominium | 4 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths | 5,417 ft2
15 Central Park West, #16/17B (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Architect: Rosario Candela | Built in 1929
30 Units | 19 Floors
"One of the city’s most celebrated addresses, this building is refined and restrained and rather regal and about as close to an impregnable treasure chest as possible in the city" – Carter Horsley
740 Park Avenue (CityRealty)
Between its imposing height and commanding limestone facade, it is little wonder 740 Park Avenue has been called the "Tower of Power." Its esteemed residents could also have something to do with it. It was developed by James T. Lee, grandfather of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and the former First Lady lived in the building as a child. Other notable residents have included John D. Rockefeller Jr., Stephen Schwarzman, Vera Wang, and Julia Koch, the last of whom sold her apartment in the building to Ken Griffin for $45 million in February 2025.
740 Park Avenue, #2/3D
$22,000,000 (-8.3%)
Park/Fifth Ave. to 79th St. | Cooperative | 5 Bedrooms, 6+ Baths
740 Park Avenue, #2/3D (Serhant)
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?
6sqft delivers the latest on real estate, architecture, and design, straight from New York City.
