The Worth Building, 73 Worth Street: Review and Ratings

Review of 73 Worth Street by Carter Horsley

This distinguished group of very attractive, 5-story former loft buildings that date to about 1865 was converted to 30 condominium apartments in 2002 when a penthouse floor was added.

In their excellent book, "The A.I.A. Guide to New York City, Fourth Edition," (Three Rivers Press, 2000), Norval White and Elliot Willensky noted that "This handsome remnant row of neo-Renaissance white buildings once faced a fabulous cast-iron row" that was replaced by the huge Long Lines Building in 1974 that was designed by John Carl Warnecke & Associates on Church Street between Worth and Thomas Streets.

The authors described the very tall building by Warnecke as "a giant electronic complex in the guise of a building," adding "pink, textured (flame-treated) Swedish granite sheathes a stylish leviathan that looms over the city with architectural eyebrows. The only bow to the neighboring humanity is a bleak plaza to the east. Ma Bell, why didn't you leave the air for people and place your electrons underground?"

The windowless Warnecke tower certainly was not in context with the delightful low-rise cast-iron and stone commercial buildings of this area, but it certainly was not a cheap intrusion and actually has aged well over the years as presents a jolting but rather exciting counterpoint to the neighborhood's older structures.

The buildings have no balconies, no sidewalk landscaping and no garage and no doormen, but have large windows and high ceilings.

There is good public transportation and many restaurants in this area that is convenient to City Hall and not too far from Ground Zero.