Master,
310 Riverside Drive

Overview of Master at 310 Riverside Drive

Master Apartments at 310 Riverside Drive is a magnificent 24 story Art Deco landmark that stands as the tallest residential building on Riverside Drive. Built in 1929 and designed by renowned architect Harvey Wiley Corbett of Helmle, Corbett & Harrison and Sugarman & Berger, this architecturally significant tower was the first skyscraper in New York City to feature corner windows. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016 and designated a New York City landmark, recognized for its innovative design that influenced Hugh Ferriss and other prominent architectural critics of the era.

Originally conceived as a unique mixed use development, the building was constructed to house the Master Institute of the United Arts, including a museum for Russian born artist Nicholas Roerich, a school, auditorium, and restaurant within a residential hotel. The building later housed the Riverside Museum, which operated through 1971. Notable residents have included Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel and jazz composer Billy Strayhorn, reflecting the building's continued cultural significance since its conversion to a co-op in 1988.

The tower's distinctive architectural features include graduated brick coloring that transitions from dark purple at the base to pale yellow at the top, creating what Hugh Ferriss described as "a kind of growth." The building's finned verticality and sophisticated massing demonstrate Corbett's mastery of Art Deco design principles, with "square and chamfered corners" that create "a sprightly syncopation against the more thunderous beat of the central masses," as noted by architectural historians Robert A.M. Stern, Gregory Gilmartin, and Thomas Mellins.

The building's 335 apartments typically feature high beamed ceilings reaching 9 to 10 feet, oversized windows with river and park views, and original prewar details including cast iron soaking tubs and subway tile bathrooms. Many units offer direct views of the Hudson River and Riverside Park, with some apartments featuring private terraces. Studios and one bedroom apartments are common, often with walk in closets, renovated kitchens with stainless steel appliances, and the original coffered ceilings and archway entries that showcase the building's prewar charm.

Master Apartments operates as a full service co-op with a 24 hour doorman, concierge, live-in superintendent, central laundry room, bike storage, and storage lockers available for rent. The building maintains exceptionally liberal policies, allowing pets, pied-à-terre ownership, subletting after one year of residency for four out of every six years, guarantors, co-purchasing, gifting, and in unit washer/dryer installation with board approval. Located directly across from Riverside Park between West 103rd and 104th Streets, residents enjoy easy access to Columbia University, the 1 train at 103rd Street, and the vibrant dining and shopping scene of the Upper West Side.