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The Rockefeller Apartments is a landmarked Art Deco cooperative built in 1936 by Nelson Rockefeller Located near Central Park and cultural attractions, it consists of two buildings on West 55th and West 54th Streets Currently, 2 apartments are for sale.
The Rockefeller Apartments comprise two matching 11 story cooperative buildings at 17 West 54th Street and 24 West 55th Street, separated by a private garden. Built in 1936 on the former site of John D. Rockefeller Sr.’s townhouse, the 138 unit complex was developed by Nelson Rockefeller and designed by Wallace K. Harrison and J. André Fouilhoux. Its modernist composition combines International Style planning with Art Deco and Bauhaus details; architectural critic Lewis Mumford called it “the most brilliant and most successful example of modern architecture in the city, at least in apartment houses.”
The warm limestone façades are organized around cylindrical stacks of large steel casement windows, four on each street front. Many layouts use the curved bays as circular dining nooks, while inward facing rooms overlook the garden; the original plan also placed wood burning fireplaces in living rooms, many of which survive as decorative fireplaces. Penthouse C, the complex’s sole duplex penthouse, wraps the top two floors and opens to broad terraces on both levels.
The landscaped private garden has a reflecting pool, gravel courtyard, and entrances from both 54th and 55th Streets. Each entrance has 24 hour doormen, supported by porter staff and a live-in superintendent; the cooperative also has central laundry, a full service garage, and storage subject to availability. Designated a landmark in 1984, the complex has since received replacement double glazed windows that preserve the original casement profiles, along with renovated lobbies and hallways.
The Museum of Modern Art occupies the neighboring block to the south, Fifth Avenue is one block east, and Central Park begins four blocks north. Rockefeller Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Theater District are also close by, while Michael’s restaurant operates at street level on West 55th Street. The cooperative permits up to 75 percent financing, as well as pets and pieds-à-terre.
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For some co-ops, instead of price per square foot, we use an estimate of the number of rooms for each sold apartment to chart price changes over time. This is because many co-op listings do not include square footage information, and this makes it challenging to calculate accurate square-foot averages.
By displaying the price per estimated room count, we are able to provide a more reliable and consistent metric for comparing sales in the building. While we hope that this gives you a clearer sense of price trends in the building, all data should be independently verified. All data provided are only estimates and should not be used to make any purchase or sale decision.
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