This historic building east of Broadway and north of W. 73rd Street was built from 1927 to 1928 for the Central Savings Bank and is now home to Apple Bank and apartments on the upper floors. The interior of the rusticated limestone block building is especially significant for the main banking hall's elaborate decoration and soaring ceiling 65 feet tall, lit by tall arched windows. The Italian Neo-Renaissance style Central Savings Bank was listed in the New York and National Registers of Historic Places in 1983. The building's interior is a New York City landmark. The upper four stories, originally rented out as office space, were converted into apartments in 2006.
The lavish residential hotel the Ansonia was the creation of William Earl Dodge Stokes, whose mother was heiress to the Ansonia mining fortune. A flamboyant and controversial entrepreneur, Stokes envisioned Broadway--then known as the Grand Boulevard--as the major commercial and cultural thoroughfare that it would become, and set about building a grand building on the West Side. The result, the Ansonia, was completed in 1899, and soon developed a reputation as flashy and unconventional as that of its owner. In the late twentieth century, the building fell into a marked state of disrepair before it was turned into condominiums in 1990. The Ansonia is a New York City Landmark and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Beacon Theater and Hotel were built in 1929 on the Upper West Side. The theater was designed by famed architect Walter Ahlschlager, who was acclaimed for this theater designs, including the Roxy Theater. Like many theaters of the time, it was designed to be a movie palace and still retains many of its original features. The Beacon is a New York City Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Although its history is known by few, the Level Club building is one of the city's most unique and intriguing New York landmarks. The building was constructed between 1925 and 1927 for the Levellers, a group within the Freemasons fraternal organization. The remarkable structure, adorned with many of the symbols significant to Freemasons, was designed to replicate Solomon's Temple. The cost of the building placed the Levellers in significant debt, but at that time, confidence was high that the building would help the organization to recruit wealthy and influential members. Instead, the outbreak of the Great Depression led to organization into default. The Levellers disbanded in 1930, and the building was placed on the market. The structure was home to several hotels and was repurposed as luxury condominiums in the 1980s. The building's lobby and exquisite exterior remain, and the landmark structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The home at 266 West End Avenue was built in 1896 for wine importer Julius Jaros. Jaros and his wife lived in the mansion for ten years, until it was purchased by Peter Doelger. The home changed owners several times over the years. At one point, the home was the site of meetings of the Humanitarian Cult, a progressive organization. It was also home to Beverly West, sister of early film star Mae West, and there is anecdotal evidence that the actress herself once lived in the home.
Located in New York City's Riverside Park, the Eleanor Roosevelt Monument stands tall surrounded by the park's floral scenery. Said to be the first memorial to be dedicated to a first lady, the statue was unveiled under oak trees at 72nd Street on October 5, 1996 with the then first lady, Hilary Rodham Clinton, attending. Designed by sculptor Penelope Jencks, Eleanor Roosevelt is shown half-seated against a boulder. The circular landscape that is surrounding was designed by architects Bruce Kelly and David Varnell. Inscribed throughout the surrounding pavement are quotes from Eleanor Roosevelt and Adlai Stevenson, showcasing the former first lady's dedication to human rights and social justice.
Steel magnate Charles Schwab once had perhaps the grandest mansion in Manhattan. In the 1880s, Riverside Drive was sparsely settled, but there was a growing belief that the city's barons would eventually give up Fifth Avenue and move to a pastoral spot overlooking the Hudson River. The mass migration of the city's wealthiest residents didn't happen, but there were a few. Schwab, who began his career with fellow tycoon Andrew Carnegie, bought an entire block along Riverside and built an expansive mansion inspired by French chateaus. The mansion survived only a few years after Schwab's death, and was eventually demolished and replaced by the 19-story Schwab House apartment complex.
Miles Davis is regarded as one of the greatest American jazz musicians. For twenty-five years, Davis lived in a townhouse on West 77th Street. It was both his home and a creative space, and some of his most important albums were composed in the home. The home is a New York City Landmark, and in 2014, the block on which the house is located was renamed Miles Davis Way.
One of Manhattan's most storied and coveted apartment buildings, the Apthorp was built in 1906 for William Waldorf Astor. The massive structure occupies an entire block on the West Side and was built around a large interior courtyard. Over the years, the Apthorp has been home to the wealthy and influential, many of whom lived for years in rent-controlled luxury. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
Get a QR Code for this tour
Start at the 72nd St. subway stop and peek inside and up in Central Savings Bank (now Apple Bank - check out the ceiling) before crossing Broadway to walk by 8 other historic buildings, monuments and sites between Broadway and Riverside Park; ends near the 79th St. subway stop.
