Ten Most Beautiful Pre-War Condo Buildings by Neighborhood

By CityRealty Staff | From Great Listings Friday, February 8, 2019

A selection of New York's most beautiful buildings (Plaza Hotel)

Between the historic buildings protected by the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the eye-catching new construction going up all over the place, New York is an architecture enthusiast's paradise. It's not easy to choose just one favorite residential building, so in this thread, we'll list our picks of the most beautiful condo building in a variety of neighborhoods. Find our top ten picks below.

Liberty Tower, 55 Liberty Street

33 stories | 86 units

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Liberty Tower is one of the first skyscrapers in the Lower Manhattan skyline, and one of the most beautiful even in the face of dramatically increased competition. Two years before its designation as a New York City landmark, Joseph Pell Lombardi converted the office building to luxury apartments while keeping the historic elements intact. Oversized windows fill every home with amazing light and views, and additional features include soaring ceilings, expansive living and dining areas, chef's kitchens, super-luxe master suites, and enviable closet space. Lower Manhattan has undergone a dramatic renaissance in the past few years, and residents are in a prime position to witness it.

Tribeca

Mohawk Atelier, 161 Duane Street

8 stories | 12 units | 2 availabilities from $4.75M

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Tribeca is rich in commercial-to-condominium conversions, and the Mohawk Atelier is a prime example. Two commercial buildings were combined into one magnificent Romanesque Revival building with a bold two-story base and large arched windows on the sixth floor. Interiors boast open plan layouts, oversized windows, exposed wood beams, wood-burning fireplaces, professional-grade kitchens, and spa-like baths. A doorman and super are on staff to attend to residents' needs, and the building is conveniently located near the neighborhood's best dining, shopping, and transportation.

West Village

The Shephard, 275 West 10th Street

12 stories | 38 units | 4 availabilities from $6.995M

Images of The Shephard via Naftali Group

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The Shephard, a Romanesque Revival-style brick building, was originally built in 1896 as a storage warehouse and has enjoyed a rich history up to its present incarnation as the Village's most coveted condos. The historic facade was carefully restored, and interiors feature nods to prewar design with vaulted ceilings and oversized windows. Modern touches throughout the apartments include open layouts, custom chef's kitchens, and baths with radiant heated floors. Amenities include a fitness center, game room, golf simulator, private garden, screening room, and library curated by Assouline.

Chelsea

Walker Tower, 212 West 18th Street

22 stories | 47 units | 3 availabilities from $22M

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Named for its designer, Walker Tower was originally designed as a telephone office in 1929. Decades later, the concrete-encased building's steel frames and solid masonry would as excellent bones for a condo conversion, and the setbacks became natural terraces. All units feature soaring ceilings, custom windows overlooking jaw-dropping views of the skyline and Hudson River, Great Rooms that live up to that designation, custom chef's kitchens, and state-of-the-art infrastructure. Amenities and staff include doorman, concierge, gorgeously appointed roof deck, fitness center and sauna, lounge cold storage, playroom, and bike room.

NoMad

212 Fifth Avenue

24 stories | 48 units | 6 availabilities from $6.875M

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Between an address that nods to New York's predominant area code and a location near the Empire State Building and the Flatiron Building, it's no wonder this has been described as the ultimate New York building. 212 Fifth Avenue originally went up as a manufacturing building in 1912. More than 100 years later, it is home to expansive apartments with impressive entertaining space, soaring ceilings, amazing light and views through elegant windows, and marble baths. Building amenities include attended lobby, cold storage, valet parking, fitness center, golf simulator, screening room, and lounge.

Midtown West

The Plaza, 1 Central Park South

21 stories | 181 units | 12 availabilities from $1.35M

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In a neighborhood that seems overrun with supertalls each trying to outdo the other, The Plaza stands out as a timeless example of elegance. Since its 2008 conversion to 181 condos in addition to 282 hotel rooms, the apartments feature high-end finishes, modern appliances, prewar details, and oversized windows overlooking Central Park. The Oak Bar, Oak Room, food hall, gym, spa, and concierge services are open to residents and just an elevator ride away. Central Park is right outside the front door.

Riverside Drive/West End Avenue

The Chatsworth, 344 West 72nd Street

12 stories | 58 units | 6 availabilities from $1.97M

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Following a residential conversion, The Chatsworth offers the opportunity to live in a New York City landmark. The Beaux Arts building's regal columns, gilded embellishments, and other Old World details have been carefully preserved and restored to their former glory. Inside, all apartments feature high ceilings, abundant light, custom millwork, contemporary infrastructure, state-of-the-art kitchens, and luxurious master suites. Approximately 17,000 square feet of high-end amenities include a gym, screening room, game room, and library.

Broadway Corridor

The Ansonia, 2109 Broadway

18 stories | 462 units | 2 availabilities from $865K

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The Ansonia was originally conceived as a full-block hotel in 1904, designated a New York City landmark in 1974, and converted to condos in the 1990's. While the apartments have been modernized with state-of-the-art kitchens, spa-like baths, and generous closet space, prewar details like soaring ceilings, crown moldings, and herringbone hardwood floors have been carefully restored. The building offers a central laundry room, parking garage, roof deck, and easy access to Central Park, Lincoln Center, the American Museum of Natural History, and the best restaurants on the Upper West Side.

Brooklyn Heights

The Standish, 171 Columbia Heights

12 stories | 29 units

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Designed by Frank S. Lowe and built in 1903, this Beaux Arts building was originally known as the Standish Arms Hotel. The facade retains its original grandeur, but the interiors have been converted to expansive luxury condominiums with modern layouts, soaring ceilings, enormous windows, and panoramic East River and Manhattan skyline views. Residents enjoy 24/7 doorman and concierge service, fitness studio, children's playroom, and excellent access to Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. It's no wonder the building has attracted celebrities like Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, and John Krasinski.

Fort Greene

One Hanson Place

37 stories | 178 units | 3 availabilities from $448K

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While One Hanson Place was declared a New York City landmark in 1977, its four-sided clock tower, gilded dome, impressive architecture, and status as the Williamsburg Savings Bank made it an unofficial neighborhood landmark decades before that. The exteriors have been restored to their former glory, and apartments of all sizes feature soaring ceilings, top-of-the-line finishes and appliances, and gorgeous views of Brooklyn and Manhattan. The building has an attentive staff and amenities like a windowed gym, windowed children's playroom, and Sky Lounge with furnished terrace.

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Liberty Tower, 55 Liberty Street

Mohawk Atelier, 161 Duane Street

The Shephard, 275 West 10th Street

Walker Tower, 212 West 18th Street

212 Fifth Avenue

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The Plaza, 1 Central Park South

The Chatsworth, 344 West 72nd Street

The Ansonia, 2109 Broadway

The Standish, 171 Columbia Heights

One Hanson Place

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