Yorkville Tower 1, 1623 Third Avenue: Review and Ratings

Review of 1623 Third Avenue by Carter Horsley

The Yorkville Tower at 1623 and 1641 Third Avenue on the southeast corner at 92^nd Street is part of the large Ruppert Towers project that also includes the Ruppert Tower at 1601 and 1619 Third Avenue on the northeast corner at 90^th Street. 

Both were designed by the architectural firm of Davis, Brody & Associates that created several huge residential complexes in the 1970’s that brought a bold, new, fortress aesthetic to the city’s skyline. 

Yorkville tower was built in 1975 and ranges in height from 34 to 42 stories. It has 701 apartments and was converted to condominiums in 2003. 

Ruppert Tower ranges in height from 24 to 34 stories and its 549 apartments were converted to condominiums in 2003.

Bottom Line

The northwestern building of the complex, this mammoth tower has many spectacular views and is convenient to numerous good restaurants, a great wine store, and the fine schools in the nearby Carnegie Hill neighborhood. 

Description

The building is very imposing and dominates its neighborhood with its mammoth slab of varying heights and staggered plans with chamfered corners only slightly mitigating their mass.  

The entrance is indicated by a three-story-high arcade. 

The impact of the huge buildings was not negative as they undeniably signaled significant new investment as well as a new high-rise aesthetic. 

It faces its nearly identical but smaller twin, Ruppert Towers, across 91^st Street and at Third Avenue both buildings are set back to create triangular plazas with retail spaces. 

Both buildings have nice sidewalk landscaping and there is a large garden at the east end of the south block across from the 40-story-high Knickerbocker Plaza, the third major tower in the complex that is entered from 1749 Second Avenue and has 576 units. 

For further information about its amenities, apartments and history, see the CityRealty.com entry for Ruppert Tower.