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The San Remo is one of four Emery Roth designed apartments located along Central Park West. The other Roth structures include the Beresford, theEldorado and the Ardsley. It is a 27-floor co-operative apartment with two ten-story towers that measure 400-feet in height each. Each of these towers maintains a series of rounded temples with sixteen foot tall Corinthian columns topped with copper finials that measure an additional eight feet tall. The San Remo sports a three-story limestone base with a predominant light brown colored brick façade. If you were to walk around the structure you would notice that the building is actually U-shaped and served by two separate lobbies—one for both the north and south side. In fact both the north and south sides also maintain separate addresses (145 and 146 Central Park West). The building was completed in 1931 but took about two years to build as construction was halted briefly due to the Great Depression. When it first opened the San Remo offered 122 apartment units with the south tower offering two story apartments and only single story apartments in the north tower. The number of apartments constantly varies due to tenant renovations but the last known count was approximately 138 units. Most of the first floor units are shared by onsite staff. To give you an idea of the “average” San Remo apartment I was actually able to find some pretty good descriptions of both the north and tower towered spaces right on Wikipedia. To begin with the typical flat in the main building measures about 3,000 square feet and contains eight rooms. At the 18th floor when the building begins to divide, you will find one apartment per floor on the north side while the south side contains two units per floor. The north tower apartments average about 2,500 square feet per unit with two bedrooms. The somewhat roomier south tower apartments share 6,000 square feet amongst the two units. As the south towers had two floor apartments they typically include a semi-circular staircase leading to an additional four bedrooms and servant quarters. As you no doubt has discerned, apartments do not go for cheap at the San Remo. In researching recent real estate prices I found that units ran from $3 million to $24 million. If you are able to swing the fee then your list of potential neighbors may include the likes Tiger Woods (who acquired a unit for $28 million in April 2008), Dustin Hoffman, Steve Martin, Mary Tyler Moore, Paul Simon, Rita Hayworth (who lived out her final years here), Glenn Close, Barry Manilow, Donald Sutherland, Diane Keaton, Raquel Welch, Steve Jobs, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, Steven Spielberg, Billy Squier and Bono (who actually acquired his penthouse from Mr. Jobs). Based upon this extensive list you can likely tell that the San Remo is much more open to celebrity tenants than some of its more conservative neighbors. That doesn’t mean all who apply are accepted though. When Madonna and then husband Sean Penn tried to buy an apartment in 1985 they were almost unanimously declined with only one vote in favor—Diane Keaton. The rejection did not deter Madonna and Sean Penn from achieving Central Park West status, however, as they moved just a few blocks down at 65 Central Park West. Similar to the Beresford, the San Remo has been known as a locale for lengthy celebrity renovations upon acquisition of a new unit. Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, who own the penthouse atop the south tower, spent two years on getting their apartment to their liking. They, however, were beaten by Steven Spielberg who spent three years combining two units on the 13th floor to allow him a comfortable 6,000 square feet of living space. Mr. Spielberg is apparently not a fan of the marble floor though as he reportedly spent two years on its removal alone. The most noted celebrity tale though is the now infamous fireplace dispute amongst two 27th floor tenants in the north tower—Billy Squier and Bono. The dispute arose from Mr. Squier’s continued use of his fireplace after the San Remo banned such practice in 2006. The smoke from Mr. Squier’s fireplace was reportedly drifting into Bono’s duplex and the two actually ended up going to court over the dispute. The full outcome of that decision, however, was never fully released. Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_San_Remo Address: 145-146 Central Park West, New York City, NY Cost: Free. IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: New York City’s Upper West Side. (Purchase/download the MP3 tour here. iPhone application tour is available here. Please note, all NYC tours are now available as in-app purchases upon download of our FREE NYC Lite application, which includes a free 1.5 hour tour of a portion of the Upper West Side.)

The San Remo is one of four Emery Roth designed apartments located along Central Park West. The other Roth structures include the Beresford, theEldorado and the Ardsley. It is a 27-floor co-operative apartment with two ten-story towers that measure 400-feet in height each. Each of these towers maintains a series of rounded temples with sixteen foot tall Corinthian columns topped with copper finials that measure an additional eight feet tall.

The San Remo sports a three-story limestone base with a predominant light brown colored brick façade. If you were to walk around the structure you would notice that the building is actually U-shaped and served by two separate lobbies—one for both the north and south side. In fact both the north and south sides also maintain separate addresses (145 and 146 Central Park West).

The building was completed in 1931 but took about two years to build as construction was halted briefly due to the Great Depression. When it first opened the San Remo offered 122 apartment units with the south tower offering two story apartments and only single story apartments in the north tower. The number of apartments constantly varies due to tenant renovations but the last known count was approximately 138 units. Most of the first floor units are shared by onsite staff.

To give you an idea of the “average” San Remo apartment I was actually able to find some pretty good descriptions of both the north and tower towered spaces right on Wikipedia. To begin with the typical flat in the main building measures about 3,000 square feet and contains eight rooms. At the 18th floor when the building begins to divide, you will find one apartment per floor on the north side while the south side contains two units per floor.

The north tower apartments average about 2,500 square feet per unit with two bedrooms. The somewhat roomier south tower apartments share 6,000 square feet amongst the two units. As the south towers had two floor apartments they typically include a semi-circular staircase leading to an additional four bedrooms and servant quarters.

As you no doubt has discerned, apartments do not go for cheap at the San Remo. In researching recent real estate prices I found that units ran from $3 million to $24 million.

If you are able to swing the fee then your list of potential neighbors may include the likes Tiger Woods (who acquired a unit for $28 million in April 2008), Dustin Hoffman, Steve Martin, Mary Tyler Moore, Paul Simon, Rita Hayworth (who lived out her final years here), Glenn Close, Barry Manilow, Donald Sutherland, Diane Keaton, Raquel Welch, Steve Jobs, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, Steven Spielberg, Billy Squier and Bono (who actually acquired his penthouse from Mr. Jobs). Based upon this extensive list you can likely tell that the San Remo is much more open to celebrity tenants than some of its more conservative neighbors. That doesn’t mean all who apply are accepted though. When Madonna and then husband Sean Penn tried to buy an apartment in 1985 they were almost unanimously declined with only one vote in favor—Diane Keaton. The rejection did not deter Madonna and Sean Penn from achieving Central Park West status, however, as they moved just a few blocks down at 65 Central Park West.

Similar to the Beresford, the San Remo has been known as a locale for lengthy celebrity renovations upon acquisition of a new unit. Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, who own the penthouse atop the south tower, spent two years on getting their apartment to their liking. They, however, were beaten by Steven Spielberg who spent three years combining two units on the 13th floor to allow him a comfortable 6,000 square feet of living space. Mr. Spielberg is apparently not a fan of the marble floor though as he reportedly spent two years on its removal alone.

The most noted celebrity tale though is the now infamous fireplace dispute amongst two 27th floor tenants in the north tower—Billy Squier and Bono. The dispute arose from Mr. Squier’s continued use of his fireplace after the San Remo banned such practice in 2006. The smoke from Mr. Squier’s fireplace was reportedly drifting into Bono’s duplex and the two actually ended up going to court over the dispute. The full outcome of that decision, however, was never fully released.

Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_San_Remo

Address: 145-146 Central Park West, New York City, NY

Cost: Free.

IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: New York City’s Upper West Side. (Purchase/download the MP3 tour here. iPhone application tour is available here. Please note, all NYC tours are now available as in-app purchases upon download of our FREE NYC Lite application, which includes a free 1.5 hour tour of a portion of the Upper West Side.)

IWALKED NEW YORK CITY’S NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY The New York Historical Society was founded in 1804 with the purpose of providing education on US history with an obvious emphasis or focus on events as related to New York. The museum holds a vast collection of over 60,000 items, 40,000 of which are on permanent display. This collection includes the likes of 800 sculptures, 132 Tiffany lamps, a portrait collection with a copy of Gilbert Stuart’s George Washington portrait (which you would likely recognize as that which graces every American $1 bill) and all 435 of John James Audubon’s Birds of America watercolors. Permanent exhibits cover everything from the founding of New York and America up through the recent events of 9/11. The museum does a fantastic job of archiving and sharing all 60,000 objects maintained here as they have made images of each item available online athttp://www.emuseum.nyhistory.org. The New York Historical Society is currently wrapping up an extensive $65 million renovation in 2011. Inclusive within this renovation are an updated façade from the original created in 1908 by architects York and Sawyer. The new façade is said to contain as much window space as allowed under the landmark preservation for which this building must adhere. In addition, two new bronze sculptures shall grace the entrances on both the Central Park West and West 77th Street sides. Located on the West 77th Street side will be a statue dedicated to Frederick Douglass, and Abraham Lincoln will greet passersby on the Central Park West side. Lastly, a new permanent exhibition titled the DiMenna Children’s History Museum will be opened. Here children will be encouraged to learn about young people who have had positive impacts on US history, showing that you are never too young or too little. The Museum’s typical hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 11am-5pm. Admission prices, again may vary, but are currently $12 for adults, $9 for senior citizens. Children under 12 may attend for free. Website: http://www.nyhistory.org/ Address: 170 Central Park West, New York City, NY Cost: Adults $12, Senior Citizens $9, Children under 12 are free Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 11am-5pm IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: New York City’s Upper West Side. (Purchase the MP3 tour here. iPhone application tour is available here. Please note, all NYC tours are now available as in-app purchases upon download of our FREE NYC Lite application, which includes a free 1.5 hour tour of a portion of the Upper West Side.)

IWALKED NEW YORK CITY’S NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The New York Historical Society was founded in 1804 with the purpose of providing education on US history with an obvious emphasis or focus on events as related to New York. The museum holds a vast collection of over 60,000 items, 40,000 of which are on permanent display. This collection includes the likes of 800 sculptures, 132 Tiffany lamps, a portrait collection with a copy of Gilbert Stuart’s George Washington portrait (which you would likely recognize as that which graces every American $1 bill) and all 435 of John James Audubon’s Birds of America watercolors. Permanent exhibits cover everything from the founding of New York and America up through the recent events of 9/11. The museum does a fantastic job of archiving and sharing all 60,000 objects maintained here as they have made images of each item available online athttp://www.emuseum.nyhistory.org.

The New York Historical Society is currently wrapping up an extensive $65 million renovation in 2011. Inclusive within this renovation are an updated façade from the original created in 1908 by architects York and Sawyer. The new façade is said to contain as much window space as allowed under the landmark preservation for which this building must adhere. In addition, two new bronze sculptures shall grace the entrances on both the Central Park West and West 77th Street sides. Located on the West 77th Street side will be a statue dedicated to Frederick Douglass, and Abraham Lincoln will greet passersby on the Central Park West side. Lastly, a new permanent exhibition titled the DiMenna Children’s History Museum will be opened. Here children will be encouraged to learn about young people who have had positive impacts on US history, showing that you are never too young or too little.

The Museum’s typical hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 11am-5pm. Admission prices, again may vary, but are currently $12 for adults, $9 for senior citizens. Children under 12 may attend for free.

Website: http://www.nyhistory.org/

Address: 170 Central Park West, New York City, NY

Cost: Adults $12, Senior Citizens $9, Children under 12 are free

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 11am-5pm

IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: New York City’s Upper West Side. (Purchase the MP3 tour here. iPhone application tour is available here. Please note, all NYC tours are now available as in-app purchases upon download of our FREE NYC Lite application, which includes a free 1.5 hour tour of a portion of the Upper West Side.)

IWALKED NEW YORK CITY’S THE BERESFORD The upscale Beresford apartments were designed by architect Emery Roth and constructed in 1929. It replaced the former 6-story Hotel Beresford which resided here and had been designed by Alva Walker. The existing Italian Renaissance structure is a 23-story co-operative (as it has been since 1962) with 175 units. The first three-floors are decorated with a limestone base before giving way to a beige brick exterior the remainder of the way up. The exterior is most recognized for its three octagonal towers atop it which light up each evening. The towers are situated on each corner of the building less the northwest corner. One of these towers actually acts as a clever cover for the apartment’s water supply. If you are in the market for an apartment in price range of $2.5 to $31 million (mind you with a maximum allowable financing of 50%), you can live amongst the likes of famous former and current residents. These include the ranks of Rock Hudson, Diane Sawyer, Calvin Klein, Diana Ross, Tony Randall, John McEnroe, Glenn Close (who was reportedly trying to sell her apartment in late 2010), and her neighbor, Jerry Seinfeld. Mr. Seinfeld is noted within the Beresford as having his own regulation named after him, dubiously titled the “Seinfeld Rule.” After undergoing lengthy alterations of his 1998 2,000 square foot duplex which he had acquired for $4.35 million, the co-op’s board elected to require owners to pay a fine of $500 per day that construction went passed its scheduled deadline. In reference to Mr. Seinfeld’s alterations, I was unable to find the specific period over which they occurred but I found multiple references to the term “multiple years.” One last tid bit about Jerry if you’re interested is that he also owns a townhouse just around the corner on West 82nd Street. This is where he supposedly stores approximately 20 of the nearly 50 Porsches from his collection.   Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beresford Address: 211 Central Park West, New York City, NY Cost: Free. IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: New York City’s Upper West Side

IWALKED NEW YORK CITY’S THE BERESFORD

The upscale Beresford apartments were designed by architect Emery Roth and constructed in 1929. It replaced the former 6-story Hotel Beresford which resided here and had been designed by Alva Walker. The existing Italian Renaissance structure is a 23-story co-operative (as it has been since 1962) with 175 units. The first three-floors are decorated with a limestone base before giving way to a beige brick exterior the remainder of the way up. The exterior is most recognized for its three octagonal towers atop it which light up each evening. The towers are situated on each corner of the building less the northwest corner. One of these towers actually acts as a clever cover for the apartment’s water supply.

If you are in the market for an apartment in price range of $2.5 to $31 million (mind you with a maximum allowable financing of 50%), you can live amongst the likes of famous former and current residents. These include the ranks of Rock Hudson, Diane Sawyer, Calvin Klein, Diana Ross, Tony Randall, John McEnroe, Glenn Close (who was reportedly trying to sell her apartment in late 2010), and her neighbor, Jerry Seinfeld.

Mr. Seinfeld is noted within the Beresford as having his own regulation named after him, dubiously titled the “Seinfeld Rule.” After undergoing lengthy alterations of his 1998 2,000 square foot duplex which he had acquired for $4.35 million, the co-op’s board elected to require owners to pay a fine of $500 per day that construction went passed its scheduled deadline. In reference to Mr. Seinfeld’s alterations, I was unable to find the specific period over which they occurred but I found multiple references to the term “multiple years.” One last tid bit about Jerry if you’re interested is that he also owns a townhouse just around the corner on West 82nd Street. This is where he supposedly stores approximately 20 of the nearly 50 Porsches from his collection.

 

Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beresford

Address: 211 Central Park West, New York City, NY

Cost: Free.

IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: New York City’s Upper West Side

IWALKED NEW YORK CITY’S ELDORADO Situated at 300 Central Park West is the most northern of the famous twin-towered luxury apartments along Central Park West—The Eldorado. The Eldorado translates from Spanish into “the golden one.” Its name derives from an old Spanish legend from the 1530s about a South American Indian chief would cover himself in gold dust and dive into a mountain lake. The name also later derived into representing the name of the famous lost city of gold for which many explorers would fruitlessly attempt to discover. New York City’s Eldorado is a 30-story Art Deco structure that is quite cube-like in appearance up until near the twin-towers where you may begin to note a series of terraced set-backs. Those twin-towers actually light up to a golden brilliance in the evenings, perhaps in recognition of their former namesake. The building was constructed from 1929-1931 and replaced a former eight-story apartment from 1902 by the same name which used to reside at this address. That former apartment was actually about a century ahead of its time in that it offered on the first garages with vehicle chargers for electric cars. Tenants of the 216-unit Eldorado tend to have slightly less space than some of the other complexes along Central Park West. Of the little bit we do know about these apartments is their tenants are able to enjoy are the space’s 10-foot-high ceilings and decorative fireplaces. Also, tenants within each of the towers do maintain a single unit to themselves on each floor. The less spacious co-op (at least in celebrity terms) has not deterred a healthy list of notable current and former tenants. Residents at the Eldorado have included Grouch Marx, Alex Baldwin, Marilyn Monroe, Richard Dreyfus, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Fox, Carrie Fisher and Moby. Musical artist Moby’s former 2 bedroom-2.5 bath penthouse atop the south tower has surprisingly proven to be a difficult sell in recent years. Moby originally acquired the four-story apartment in 2005 for $4.5 million, however, when he attempted to sell the property in 2007 for $7.5 million he drew little to no interest. He had to undertake an aggressive promotion strategy to unload the property which included self-recording a video of the property and even offering a $75,000 referral fee to anyone who may help move the property. One deterring factor many people figure is the property’s relatively inconvenient access. To get to the unit individuals must take the elevator to the 29th floor before having to exit and walk up two additional flights of stairs. Moby was eventually able to sell the property for $6.7 million, however, the stairwell must’ve gotten to the new tenant as well as the penthouse was on the market just two years later for just under $6 million. Now fast forward to the present and that price has continued to decline and was most recently listed for just under $5 million. So if you are in the market for a $5 million stair-master, please send all $75,000 referral fees to IWalked Audio Tours.   Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eldorado   Address: 300 Central Park West, New York City Cost: Free. IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: New York City’s Upper West Side (Free Bonus Edition)

IWALKED NEW YORK CITY’S ELDORADO

Situated at 300 Central Park West is the most northern of the famous twin-towered luxury apartments along Central Park West—The Eldorado. The Eldorado translates from Spanish into “the golden one.” Its name derives from an old Spanish legend from the 1530s about a South American Indian chief would cover himself in gold dust and dive into a mountain lake. The name also later derived into representing the name of the famous lost city of gold for which many explorers would fruitlessly attempt to discover.

New York City’s Eldorado is a 30-story Art Deco structure that is quite cube-like in appearance up until near the twin-towers where you may begin to note a series of terraced set-backs. Those twin-towers actually light up to a golden brilliance in the evenings, perhaps in recognition of their former namesake. The building was constructed from 1929-1931 and replaced a former eight-story apartment from 1902 by the same name which used to reside at this address. That former apartment was actually about a century ahead of its time in that it offered on the first garages with vehicle chargers for electric cars.

Tenants of the 216-unit Eldorado tend to have slightly less space than some of the other complexes along Central Park West. Of the little bit we do know about these apartments is their tenants are able to enjoy are the space’s 10-foot-high ceilings and decorative fireplaces. Also, tenants within each of the towers do maintain a single unit to themselves on each floor.

The less spacious co-op (at least in celebrity terms) has not deterred a healthy list of notable current and former tenants. Residents at the Eldorado have included Grouch Marx, Alex Baldwin, Marilyn Monroe, Richard Dreyfus, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Fox, Carrie Fisher and Moby.

Musical artist Moby’s former 2 bedroom-2.5 bath penthouse atop the south tower has surprisingly proven to be a difficult sell in recent years. Moby originally acquired the four-story apartment in 2005 for $4.5 million, however, when he attempted to sell the property in 2007 for $7.5 million he drew little to no interest. He had to undertake an aggressive promotion strategy to unload the property which included self-recording a video of the property and even offering a $75,000 referral fee to anyone who may help move the property. One deterring factor many people figure is the property’s relatively inconvenient access. To get to the unit individuals must take the elevator to the 29th floor before having to exit and walk up two additional flights of stairs.

Moby was eventually able to sell the property for $6.7 million, however, the stairwell must’ve gotten to the new tenant as well as the penthouse was on the market just two years later for just under $6 million. Now fast forward to the present and that price has continued to decline and was most recently listed for just under $5 million. So if you are in the market for a $5 million stair-master, please send all $75,000 referral fees to IWalked Audio Tours.

 

Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eldorado  

Address: 300 Central Park West, New York City

Cost: Free.

IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: New York City’s Upper West Side (Free Bonus Edition)

IWalked New York City’s 247-249 Central Park West Located at 247-249 Central Park West we have a bit of interesting architecture with an attractive blend of two apartments separated via a series of bay windows. This building was originally a single-family row house that was built in 1887 in the Queen Ann style. It was designed by Edward Angell and built by a William Noble who actually constructed a series of single-family homes in this area. Noble built a stretch of brick and brownstone row houses which used to run from 241-249 Central Park West. All of those former homes, less this one, were demolished and replaced by larger apartment complexes in the 1920s. The building is truly unique amongst its neighbors. The five-story structure, with polygonal tower on the right, is a mix of red brick and brownstone. The brownstone, which used to be more dominant, was largely removed in 1957 and replaced with the red and tan brick pattern you see today. The interior consists of 12,270 square feet divided amongst three units. Shared amongst these three apartments is a 60’ lap pool. Walt Disney’s niece was a former tenant and owner who had acquired a property for $15.5 million in 2006. That same property was placed on the market in April of 2010 for $32 million but as of mid 2011 still has not sold. The most recent asking price has dropped significantly if you are in the market and have $25 million to spare. Website: http://www.nytimes.com/1990/09/09/realestate/streetscapes-249-central-park-west-accidental-restoration-new-historic-district.html Address: 247-249 Central Park West, New York City Cost: Free. IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: New York City’s Upper West Side (Free Bonus Edition)

IWalked New York City’s 247-249 Central Park West

Located at 247-249 Central Park West we have a bit of interesting architecture with an attractive blend of two apartments separated via a series of bay windows. This building was originally a single-family row house that was built in 1887 in the Queen Ann style. It was designed by Edward Angell and built by a William Noble who actually constructed a series of single-family homes in this area. Noble built a stretch of brick and brownstone row houses which used to run from 241-249 Central Park West. All of those former homes, less this one, were demolished and replaced by larger apartment complexes in the 1920s.

The building is truly unique amongst its neighbors. The five-story structure, with polygonal tower on the right, is a mix of red brick and brownstone. The brownstone, which used to be more dominant, was largely removed in 1957 and replaced with the red and tan brick pattern you see today.

The interior consists of 12,270 square feet divided amongst three units. Shared amongst these three apartments is a 60’ lap pool. Walt Disney’s niece was a former tenant and owner who had acquired a property for $15.5 million in 2006. That same property was placed on the market in April of 2010 for $32 million but as of mid 2011 still has not sold. The most recent asking price has dropped significantly if you are in the market and have $25 million to spare.

Website: http://www.nytimes.com/1990/09/09/realestate/streetscapes-249-central-park-west-accidental-restoration-new-historic-district.html

Address: 247-249 Central Park West, New York City

Cost: Free.

IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: New York City’s Upper West Side (Free Bonus Edition)

IWALKED NEW YORK CITY’S GHOSTBUSTERS BUILDING 55 Central Park West is known by many simply as the Ghostbusters Building, as it was the location where Sigourney Weaver’s character classical musician Dana Barrett lived on its 22nd floor. At the 1984 film’s climatic ending we see the Ghostbusters gang battle the demi-god Zuul atop the rooftop. All of these rooftop scenes, however, were filmed in at the Warner Brothers studios in Burbank, California. This apartment co-op was purely used for exterior shots. When producers of the film initially began their hunt for an apartment that had the right paranormal look or feel, 55 Central Park West was actually not their 1st choice. The producers had their hearts set on an Art Deco apartment in the Village located at 1 Fifth Avenue. The building’s co-op, however, politely declined the opportunity. In the film, Ghostbusters, it is mentioned that this building was designed by an insane architect named Ivo Shandor in 1920. In actuality it was designed by a quite sane firm named Schwartz & Gross who built the 19-story Art Deco structure in 1930. When it was introduced in 1930, 55 Central Park West was actually the 1st Art Deco building in the area. It opened initially as an apartment offering units with 1-4 bedrooms and was largely considered second-class amongst many of its more elite neighbors. The building is now a 109-unit cooperative building and has taken on a bit more prestige. Current and former tenants have included the likes of Ginger Rogers and Calvin Klein. Not surprisingly, the most desired apartments are the top floor units of 19 and 20F which comprise a 4,500 square foot space with 11’ ceilings and 1000 square foot terrace. One subtle but fascinating aspect to the building’s exterior its brick pattern. Start at the 1st floor and slowly move your gaze upwards. You should notice that the brick pattern begins with a dark red at the base and slowly gets lighter to a more yellowish hue at the top. This intentional trick actually makes use of approximately forty different colored bricks to leave the impression that the building is constantly in sunlight as it shines through the trees of Central Park. We should also not forget that Dana Barrett of Ghostbusters is not the only famous fictional character to have resided at 55 Central Park West. Fans of the 2003 film Elf may recognize this building as where Buddy the Elf pays a surprising visit to the home of his estranged father, Walter.   Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/55_Central_Park_West Address: 55 Central Park West, New York City, NY Cost: Free. IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: New York City’s Upper West Side

IWALKED NEW YORK CITY’S GHOSTBUSTERS BUILDING

55 Central Park West is known by many simply as the Ghostbusters Building, as it was the location where Sigourney Weaver’s character classical musician Dana Barrett lived on its 22nd floor. At the 1984 film’s climatic ending we see the Ghostbusters gang battle the demi-god Zuul atop the rooftop. All of these rooftop scenes, however, were filmed in at the Warner Brothers studios in Burbank, California. This apartment co-op was purely used for exterior shots.

When producers of the film initially began their hunt for an apartment that had the right paranormal look or feel, 55 Central Park West was actually not their 1st choice. The producers had their hearts set on an Art Deco apartment in the Village located at 1 Fifth Avenue. The building’s co-op, however, politely declined the opportunity.

In the film, Ghostbusters, it is mentioned that this building was designed by an insane architect named Ivo Shandor in 1920. In actuality it was designed by a quite sane firm named Schwartz & Gross who built the 19-story Art Deco structure in 1930. When it was introduced in 1930, 55 Central Park West was actually the 1st Art Deco building in the area. It opened initially as an apartment offering units with 1-4 bedrooms and was largely considered second-class amongst many of its more elite neighbors.

The building is now a 109-unit cooperative building and has taken on a bit more prestige. Current and former tenants have included the likes of Ginger Rogers and Calvin Klein. Not surprisingly, the most desired apartments are the top floor units of 19 and 20F which comprise a 4,500 square foot space with 11’ ceilings and 1000 square foot terrace.

One subtle but fascinating aspect to the building’s exterior its brick pattern. Start at the 1st floor and slowly move your gaze upwards. You should notice that the brick pattern begins with a dark red at the base and slowly gets lighter to a more yellowish hue at the top. This intentional trick actually makes use of approximately forty different colored bricks to leave the impression that the building is constantly in sunlight as it shines through the trees of Central Park.

We should also not forget that Dana Barrett of Ghostbusters is not the only famous fictional character to have resided at 55 Central Park West. Fans of the 2003 film Elf may recognize this building as where Buddy the Elf pays a surprising visit to the home of his estranged father, Walter.

 

Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/55_Central_Park_West

Address: 55 Central Park West, New York City, NY

Cost: Free.

IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: New York City’s Upper West Side

IWalked New York City’s Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue Located on the northeast corner of Central Park West and West 70th Street is the fantastic architectural stylings of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue. This Neoclassical style synagogue was built in 1897 and is currently home to the oldest Jewish congregation in the United dating back to 1654, the Shearith Israel. In fact it was the only Jewish congregation in the city until 1825. If you take the time to admire the Central Park West façade you will notice an elaborate series of four Corinthian columns which divide the building into three grand archway entrances. The architect of the building was an American born Jewish architect by the name of Arnold Brunner who also designed the Temple Israel at 201 Lenox Avenue. If you’re interested in viewing the inside and are unable to attend the synagogue yourself, the Shearith Israel website does offer an excellent 360-degree panoramic view of the interior. Website: http://www.shearith-israel.org/ Address: 8 West 70th Street, New York City, NY Cost: Free. IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: New York City’s Upper West Side

IWalked New York City’s Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue

Located on the northeast corner of Central Park West and West 70th Street is the fantastic architectural stylings of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue. This Neoclassical style synagogue was built in 1897 and is currently home to the oldest Jewish congregation in the United dating back to 1654, the Shearith Israel. In fact it was the only Jewish congregation in the city until 1825.

If you take the time to admire the Central Park West façade you will notice an elaborate series of four Corinthian columns which divide the building into three grand archway entrances. The architect of the building was an American born Jewish architect by the name of Arnold Brunner who also designed the Temple Israel at 201 Lenox Avenue.

If you’re interested in viewing the inside and are unable to attend the synagogue yourself, the Shearith Israel website does offer an excellent 360-degree panoramic view of the interior.

Website: http://www.shearith-israel.org/

Address: 8 West 70th Street, New York City, NY

Cost: Free.

IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: New York City’s Upper West Side

IWalked New York City’s Dakota The Dakota was the vision of a developer by the name of Edward Clarke, founder of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. When Mr. Clarke expressed his interest and desire to construct a high-end luxury apartment as far north as 72nd Street in 1880, many mocked him and claimed the no one would want to live in the outskirts of New York City at the time. Reportedly these mocking jests included the comment, “he might as well build it in the Dakotas.” Clarke took the criticism in stride, however, and in response even named his new project, The Dakota. The Dakota was designed by architect Henry J. Hardenberg, who was well known already for his designs of the Plaza Hotel located along the south side of Central Park and the original Waldorf-Astoria building. Construction began on the nine-story hotel on October 25, 1880 was completed almost four years later to the day (October 27). The completed structure was castle-like in appearance with walls that could have sustained a battering ram attack (seeing as they were built 28 inches thick). The façade is covered in a beige brick highlighted via darker stones around the corners and windows and features high gables. When the building opened in 1884 it featured 65 apartments of four to twenty rooms each, all of which were built to be unique and were rented immediately. In addition, one other element the newly unveiled Dakota contained was a stable. Ironically, the sales deed for the neighboring Langham (sold by the aforementioned Mr. Clarke) forbid one. This stable has since been transformed into a more modern stable which now houses parked cars. Long considered the most prestigious address along Central Park West, the Dakota has obviously had its share of famous residents both past and present. Well known tenants have included the likes of Leonard Bernstein, Connie Chung, Paul Simon, John Madden, Lauren Bacall, Judy Garland and Boris Karloff. Boris, who passed away in 1969, is said to still frequent the hotel as his ghost continues to appear on occasion. The Dakota is known as having the strictest of all approval boards and has frequently rejected celebrity tenants. Gene Simmons of Kiss was rejected in the late 1970s as was Billy Joel in 1977. More recently Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas were politely turned away. The Dakota has been a celebrity itself on a few occasions, making appearances in some major films. In 1968, it served as the home to Mia Farrow’s character in the film Rosemary’s Mary. In 2001, the Dakota also played a prominent role in the Cameron Crowe thriller starring Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz, Vanilla Sky. Obviously, the most famous tenant to have lived and died here was former Beatle, John Lennon. John moved to the United States in 1971 and moved into a seven-floor apartment with his wife Yoko Ono (who still resides here). John and Yoko were known as protective parents who attempted to isolate themselves and five-year-old son, Sean. They, in fact, acquired a number of surrounding units from their apartment. In total they owned 2 units on the seventh floor and three others, primarily used for storage. One of these latter units sold in 2008 for $801,000. For more information on the final day of John Lennon you may read here, http://iwalkedaudiotours.com/iwalked-new-york-city%e2%80%99s-crimes-haunts-%e2%80%93-death-of-john-lennon/. Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dakota Address: 1 West 72nd Street, New York City, NY Cost: Free. IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: New York City’s Upper West Side

IWalked New York City’s Dakota

The Dakota was the vision of a developer by the name of Edward Clarke, founder of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. When Mr. Clarke expressed his interest and desire to construct a high-end luxury apartment as far north as 72nd Street in 1880, many mocked him and claimed the no one would want to live in the outskirts of New York City at the time. Reportedly these mocking jests included the comment, “he might as well build it in the Dakotas.” Clarke took the criticism in stride, however, and in response even named his new project, The Dakota.

The Dakota was designed by architect Henry J. Hardenberg, who was well known already for his designs of the Plaza Hotel located along the south side of Central Park and the original Waldorf-Astoria building. Construction began on the nine-story hotel on October 25, 1880 was completed almost four years later to the day (October 27). The completed structure was castle-like in appearance with walls that could have sustained a battering ram attack (seeing as they were built 28 inches thick). The façade is covered in a beige brick highlighted via darker stones around the corners and windows and features high gables. When the building opened in 1884 it featured 65 apartments of four to twenty rooms each, all of which were built to be unique and were rented immediately. In addition, one other element the newly unveiled Dakota contained was a stable. Ironically, the sales deed for the neighboring Langham (sold by the aforementioned Mr. Clarke) forbid one. This stable has since been transformed into a more modern stable which now houses parked cars.

Long considered the most prestigious address along Central Park West, the Dakota has obviously had its share of famous residents both past and present. Well known tenants have included the likes of Leonard Bernstein, Connie Chung, Paul Simon, John Madden, Lauren Bacall, Judy Garland and Boris Karloff. Boris, who passed away in 1969, is said to still frequent the hotel as his ghost continues to appear on occasion.

The Dakota is known as having the strictest of all approval boards and has frequently rejected celebrity tenants. Gene Simmons of Kiss was rejected in the late 1970s as was Billy Joel in 1977. More recently Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas were politely turned away.

The Dakota has been a celebrity itself on a few occasions, making appearances in some major films. In 1968, it served as the home to Mia Farrow’s character in the film Rosemary’s Mary. In 2001, the Dakota also played a prominent role in the Cameron Crowe thriller starring Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz, Vanilla Sky.

Obviously, the most famous tenant to have lived and died here was former Beatle, John Lennon. John moved to the United States in 1971 and moved into a seven-floor apartment with his wife Yoko Ono (who still resides here). John and Yoko were known as protective parents who attempted to isolate themselves and five-year-old son, Sean. They, in fact, acquired a number of surrounding units from their apartment. In total they owned 2 units on the seventh floor and three others, primarily used for storage. One of these latter units sold in 2008 for $801,000.

For more information on the final day of John Lennon you may read here, http://iwalkedaudiotours.com/iwalked-new-york-city%e2%80%99s-crimes-haunts-%e2%80%93-death-of-john-lennon/.

Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dakota

Address: 1 West 72nd Street, New York City, NY

Cost: Free.

IWalked Audio Tours To See This Site: New York City’s Upper West Side