The Brentmore has towered over Central Park West since 1909. The apartment building was an early design by Schwartz and Gross, who went on to design many more apartment buildings in the city in the 1920s and 1930s. The architect Emery Roth added a penthouse pavilion in 1927. The Brentmore is a contributing resource in the Central Park West National Register Historic District, listed in 1982. The co-op currently contains 28 residential units; when it was built, there were 37 apartments.
Founded in 1654, Congregation Shearith Israel is the oldest Jewish congregation in North America. Its current temple is a historic structure built in 1897. The congregation, which has remained Orthodox since its inception, was the only one in New York until 1825. As such, it was the center of Jewish life for that entire time. It was founded by 23 Jews of Spanish and Portuguese origin living in Recife, Brazil. They traveled to New York (at that time it was a small Dutch colony called New Amsterdam) to escape the Inquisition bought by the Portuguese, who defeated the Dutch to capture control of Recife. The congregation today remains a center of Orthodox life in the city, offering educational and religious programming for children and adults, as well as other activities.
The apartment building at 101 Central Park West is best seen from Central Park, where the set-backs of the upper floors of this structure can be fully appreciated. The Neo-Renaissance style building has taken up the entire block between W. 70th and W. 71st Streets since 1929. One of eight apartment buildings on this street designed by architects Schwartz and Gross, the upper floors were set back from Central Park West to comply with a 1916 zoning law that aimed to prevent tall buildings from blocking light from hitting adjacent buildings and the street. The 18-story building is now a co-op containing 94 units. 101 Central Park West is a part of the Central Park West Historic District, listed in the National Register in 1982.
The Dakota is one of Manhattan's most distinguished and impressive cooperative residential buildings. It has been home to a number of celebrities including Judy Garland, Leonard Bernstein, Joe Namath, and John Lennon. In December 1980, Lennon was shot just outside of the south entrance by Mark David Chapman. Since his death, the Dakota is frequented by fans of the Beatles' star.
The apartment building overlooking Central Park at 135 Central Park West is The Langham. The 12-story French Beaux Arts style building was finished in 1906 and was designed by Clinton and Russell. Ads for the newly-opened building called The Langham the "latest and most magnificent, absolutely fireproof housekeeping apartment building in the City." Each suite of ten to eleven rooms with three baths was touted as "a private dwelling of the highest type." One nifty feature of the building was a mail delivery conveyor system direct to each apartment. Each apartment was connected to a central vacuuming chute - dubbed "pneumatic vacuum cleaning" and contained a wall safe. The Langham is part of the Central Park West Historic District and is still a rental building with 64 units currently.
The San Remo Apartment Building is known as one of the more premier luxury apartment buildings in New York City. Besides offering luxury that few other apartment buildings offer, it is also filled with rich history. Legendary architect Emery Roth built the San Remo and he carried an extensive portfolio that includes more than 80 other buildings in New York. What made the San Remo unique was the incorporation of the twin tower concept, the first building to have this feature. The twin towers each hold ten floors, atop the lower seventeen floors, and this layout provided more access to air and light for tenants. Some of the notable residents of the San Remo Apartments have included: Steven Spielberg, Rita Hayworth, Zero Mostel, Steve Martin, Mary Tyler Moore, and many more. Due to its prime location on the Upper West Side and its luxury offered, the San Remo is one of the more sought after apartment buildings in New York. Through all of the decades of changes in the "city that never sleeps" and after some extensive renovations, the San Remo has remained true to its original unique design given by Roth.
The New York Historical Museum and Library was founded in 1804. It is the state's oldest museum and prides itself in offering historical documents on U.S. and New York history, exhibitions, and artwork. It is seventy years older than the Museum of Metropolitan of Art. The New-York Historical Society Museum functions as a place of research and fosters discussions on issues focusing on the making of history and historiography.
Founded in 1969, the American Museum of Natural History has been one of the world's preeminent science and research institutions, renowned for its collections and exhibitions. The Museum consists of 25 buildings which are all interconnected. Throughout the Museum, there are 40 exhibition halls, providing tours for visitors and learning opportunities for adults and children alike. The Museum is committed to discovering and circulating information about cultures, nature, and the universe.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
Get a QR Code for this tour
Start at Central Park West & W. 69th Street & walk north for 10 blocks past historic apartment buildings including the infamous Dakota, a synagogue with deep roots, and end at two museums: N.Y. Historical Society and American Museum of Natural History.
