The Beacon Theater and Hotel was built on the Upper West Side in 1929 and was immediately hailed as one of the city's masterpieces. The opulent theater was designed by Walter Ahlschlager and was intended to be a silent movie palace, but because of delays in construction, silent movies were becoming a thing of the past by the time it opened. The Beacon's debut was with a sound adventure film. Because it was designed for silent films, the Beacon has excellent acoustics, as it was designed for live music to accompany films. The acoustics of the theater have served it well, and the theater has hosted numerous top musical acts over the years. The Rolling Stones, Steely Dan, Duran Duran, and Eddie Vedder have performed at the Beacon, to name just a few. Speakers at the theater include Bill Clinton and the Dalai Lama.&nbsp; In 1987, there were plans to convert the old theater into a nightcclub, which would involve a complete alteration of the building's design. Because of its landmark status, however, the change could not take place. The Beacon continued to be one of the city's premier destinations for live music events, since its conversion from a movie theater in the 1970s. In 2009, the Madison Square Garden Company completed a thorough renovation of the theater, which returned the Beacon to its 1920s grandeur. The renovation cost roughly $16 million and involved approximately 1,000 workers. The restoration has garnered the theater numerous awards. The Beacon is a New York City landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.&nbsp;

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. 

Beacon Theater and Hotel 

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.

Upper West Side Manhattan 72nd St. to 79th St. Subway Stops Historical Walking Tour

Central Savings Bank began in 1859 as German Savings Bank with its headquarters in the Cooper Union Building. The bank moved to 14th Street and 4th Avenue in 1864 and occupied a new bank building there in 1872. During World War I, while we were at war with Germany, the bank changed its name to Central Savings Bank. They presented the request for name change at a special session of the New York Supreme Court in June 1918. In 1981 Central Savings Bank merged with the Harlem Bank for Savings; the bank was renamed the Apple Bank for Savings in 1983.Central Savings Bank hired architects Edward York and Philip Sawyer to design a new branch in the Upper West Side. The pair had been partners since 1898 and had recently designed New York City's new Federal Reserve Bank at Liberty and Nassau Streets and the Bowery Savings Bank at 110 E. 42nd Street. The new bank building in the Upper West Side was designed for a trapezoidal lot next to Verdi Square; the main facade faces south onto W. 73rd Street and the square beyond. The six-story building was designed to resemble an Italian Renaissance palazzo. The main entrance door is topped with a pair of stone lions between a clock, guarding the bank. The door surround is carved with the words "Central Savings Bank, Chartered MDCCCLIX." Other design elements are cartouches with the heads of classical figures and shields with the caduceus (two snakes curled around a staff) motif. Wrought iron was used heavily inside and out to create lanterns, doors, gates, grilles, and mailboxes; master craftsman Samuel Yellin was behind the ironworking.Upon entering the bank, the main banking hall is vaulted with a 65-foot tall coffered ceiling. The ceiling is based on that of the Davanzati Palace in Florence, Italy. The intricate multi-colored marble flooring in the banking hall is original. The banking offices are located in the mezzanine level, with wood-paneled meeting rooms featuring fireplaces, beamed ceilings, and elaborate faux wall painting. The upper four floors of the building, with office space for renting out, were simpler but had hallways wainscoated in marble.While the interior of the bank has been well preserved and still is used as a bank, the former rental offices were converted into 29 condominium apartments in 2006. The condo entrance is at 2112 Broadway, near 74th Street. The two-to-four bed units - some duplex with rooftop terraces - range from 1,200 to 3,800 square feet and have sold in recent years for about $4 to $6 million.

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.

Central Savings Bank

One of the Upper West Side's most well-known buildings, the Ansonia was the work of William Earl Dodge Stokes, one of nine children of Caroline Phelps, heiress to the Ansonia copper mine fortune, and James Stokes, a banker. Stokes was--without question--the Black sheep of the family, whose flamboyant personality and disregard for society's conventions would persist throughout his life. Stokes was, if nothing else, a shrewd and forward-thinking businessman. He was one of the earliest Manhattan businessmen to envision Broadway--then known as the Grand Boulevard--as an up-and-coming thoroughfare that would eventually eclipse 5th Avenue, and persuaded the city to pave the Boulevard in 1889, when dirt streets were still the norm. In the late 1800s, when the Upper West Side was far from a desirable location, Stokes began buying brownstones as well as parcels of land that once belonged to the New York Orphan Asylum. Stokes listed himself as architect in chief when he filed plans with the city for the building he planned to be the most luxurious residential hotel in the city, with amenities that no other property offered. The Ansonia opened in 1904. In addition to being a luxury dwelling, Stokes also had something of a Utopian vision for the Ansonia; he wanted it to be as self-sufficient as possible, and to that end, a rooftop "farm" was created. The farm included not only produce, but 500 chickens, ducks, goats, and reportedly, a small bear. Until the farm was shut down by the health department, residents at the Ansonia received free fresh eggs, delivered by bellhops, every day.&nbsp; In addition to fresh eggs, the Ansonia also provided its residents with every conceivable luxury. They lived in opulent apartments, with libraries and parlors and meals prepared by gourmet chefs. The building was also outfitted with what was then a highly advanced system of delivering messages--an elaborate system of pneumatic tubes winding throughout the building. The Ansonia garnered its share of scandal over the years. In 1919, members of the Chicago White Sox gathered at the hotel and made plans to intentionally lose the 1919 World Series. Florenz Zeigfeld lived with his wife in an apartment in the Ansonia, but also kept his mistress on another floor in the building.&nbsp; Following the death of Stokes, ownership of the Ansonia passed to his son, Weddie Stokes, who sold it to Samuel Broxmeyer in 1945. Broxmeyer lost the property and it was eventually sold at bankruptcy auction to Jake Starr. Under Starr's ownership, the Ansonia declined and fell into disrepair. The intervention of its residents saved it from being demolished in the 1960s. But the formerly luxurious hotel had Turkish baths and an enormous swimming pool (reportedly the world's largest at the time) in the basement, which Starr rented to Steve Ostrow, who turned them into opulent gay baths. The Continental Baths, as it was known, featured a young Bette Midler (then known as "Bathhouse Betty") and her accompanist, Barry Manilow. The entertainment at the Continental Baths became so popular that lines stretched down the block on the weekend. Eventually, when the Continental Baths's gay patrons began to move to other bathhouses that were less of a spectacle, a swinger's club, Plato's Retreat, opened in the basement.&nbsp; The rest of the building continued to decline, and the once grand building came to be seen as another sleazy New York City hotel. The Ansonia's long decline was finally halted in 1978 when Jesse Krasnow purchased the building. Krasnow headed a group of 22 investors who began the long and costly process of restoring the Ansonia. It was no small task; Krasnow poured $21 million into the restoration of the building, including $1 million paid to the owner of Plato's Retreat simply to get them to leave. Not all of the tenants were happy with Krasnow, and the 1980s were marked by suits, counter-suits, and rent strikes. The Ansonia is reportedly the most litigated residence in the history of New York City.&nbsp; But the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also a New York City Landmark, has finally been restored to something close to its original glory. It now attracts celebrities such as Natalie Portman and Angelina Jolie and a condominium in the building is worth millions.

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 Ansonia 

In the early years of the twentieth century, civic-minded New Yorkers formed and joined numerous clubs. In 1919, a group of Freemasons in the city formed a new organization known as the Level Club. The club's founders opened their organization&nbsp;to Masons within the city but eventually decided that it should be open to all Masons nationwide. The members were among the most influential in the city and they decided that the Level Club required a grand building to house their meetings and activities. The cornerstone of this building was laid in 1925, and the building was completed in 1927. An inaugural ceremony introduced the building and became one of the leading events of the year within a city that was booming. The building was designed with an Olympic sized swimming pool, a 1,500-seat theater, a rooftop garden, over two hundred sleeping rooms for members who could use the club as their personal hotel, and elegant decor throughout the building. The Level Club was built at a time when this part of the city was growing. In addition to providing club rooms and overnight accommodations in this part of the city, it was&nbsp;halfway between the well-known Ansonia Hotel and Charles Schwab's enormous mansion overlooking the Hudson River. The Levellers only owned the club for a few years. The Great Depression--an economic disaster whose scale was unthinkable in 1927 when the building opened--devastated the city. The club's members were among those hardest hit and the&nbsp;club was not able to continue its payments on the building. The club disbanded and the building went into foreclosure. the building's next owner opened a hotel in this location that opened in 1937.&nbsp;&nbsp; In the decades that followed, the building has seen many changes, including numerous ownership changes and names. The building&nbsp;once functioned as a kosher hotel and was later home to a&nbsp;drug rehabilitation center known as the Phoenix House.&nbsp;In the 1960s and 1970s, the building's fortunes declined along as real estate developers focused on other parts of the region. But when the Upper West Side once again became a desirable address, investors bought the building for just under $10 million and the&nbsp;Level Club was reborn as luxury condominiums that opened in 1984. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places the same year.&nbsp; Because of the Level Club's original function as a meeting space for Masons, developers were faced with turning large, open areas into condominiums. The result is a series of oddly-shaped condos with unusual nooks and crannies. Today, the building's unusual features are beloved by residents, many of whom choose to move into other apartments in the building when they become available.&nbsp;

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 Level Club (1927-1930); Level Club Condominiums  

West End Avenue is lined mostly with concrete postwar structures. The home at No. 266 is a bit of an oddity in that environment--its stark white facade and baroque French Renaissance detailing are very much at odds with the comparatively uninspired mid-century buildings that occupy the rest of the street. The home was built in 1896 for Julius Jaros, who made a fortune importing a wine known as Vin Mariani, which was reportedly laced with cocaine. Jaros enlisted the Paris-trained architect Rudolph Daus, who spared no expense in designing one of the most ambitious homes on the avenue. The building features an ornate dormer adorns the roof and elaborate carvings grace the home's entrance. The interior is equally lavish, with ceiling and wall paintings, a domed dining room ceiling, and French panels. The Jaros family lived in the home for ten years before selling it to Peter Doelger, a wealthy brewer. By the end of World War I, the home belonged to Misha Applebaum and his wife, Irma. Applebaum was a Russian immigrant who made a fortune as a metals merchant. Applebaum was most well-known, however, as the founder of the Humanitarian Cult, a progressive organization that worked to end the death penalty and to secure women's right to vote, as well as a number of other social justice causes. The group often held its meetings in the home. Eventually, after spending more than $650,000 of his own money on the organization, Applebaum found himself in serious financial troubles and began a Vaudeville act in 1921 to meet his financial obligations. By the 1930s, the home was occupied by Beverly West, the sister of famed movie star Mae West. Certainly the more famous sister would have at least visited the home, but anecdotal evidence indicates that she may have lived in the home along with her sister. It's reasonable to assume that the lavishly decorated home would have appealed to the flamboyant actress. The home changed owners numerous times in the years since Beverly West lived there. At one point, it was divided into apartments even though it was designed to be a single-family home. More recently, plastic surgeon and filmmaker Todd Wider bought the home and completed an extensive renovation to return it to a private residence. The home was put on the market in 2010 for $30 million.

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. 

Julius Jaros House 

The woman who would come to be known as the "First Lady of the World" was born Anna Eleanor Roosevelt in New York City on October 11, 1884 to Elliott Roosevelt and Anna Hall Roosevelt. The Roosevelts and Halls were both affluent families and Eleanor was held to a high standard by her mother, who was one of New York's most beautiful socialites. Her father, on the other hand, adored his only daughter. Sadly, by the time Eleanor turned ten, both of her parents had passed away and she was raised primarily by her maternal grandmother. As a teenager, Eleanor was sent to England to attend an all-girls school called Allenswood. At 18, she returned home to make her societal debut and became active in the Junior League, often volunteering in New York's tenement houses. This experience introduced Eleanor first hand to the plight of the poor. In March of 1905, Eleanor, the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt, married her distant cousin Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR). Over the next ten years they had six children, one of whom died in infancy. As FDR followed in the footsteps of Theodore Roosevelt and entered the world of politics, Eleanor became active in social and political organizations such as the League of Women Voters and the Women's Trade Union League. After her husband contracted polio in 1921, Eleanor became more involved in Democratic circles and became known as his "eyes, ears, and legs." Once she became first lady in 1932, Eleanor rapidly began redefining the role. Almost immediately, she began holding weekly press conferences for female journalists and traveled the country promoting the Roosevelt Administration's New Deal programs. She was also outspoken on topics such as civil rights and human rights, often drawing intense criticism and even receiving death threats. Eleanor Roosevelt set a high standard for first ladies to follow her. After FDR's death in 1945, Eleanor had planned to live a life outside of the public eye. Her plans for a private life did not last long; at the end of 1945, President Harry Truman appointed her as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly. She served on the assembly for almost seven years and chaired the United Nations Human Rights Commission, drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Until her death in 1962, Eleanor remained an an active humanitarian, public servant, and a prolific author. A beloved and revered New Yorker, the state honored Eleanor with a memorial located in New York City's Riverside Park, the former site of the West Side Highway and the old Henry Hudson Monument. Funding for the monument was provided by the City of New York, New York State, and the Eleanor Roosevelt Monument Fund. The statue portrays an elegant Eleanor leaning against a rock, thinking, with her hand on her chin. The sculpture of Eleanor was created by artist Penelope Jencks and Bruce Kelly and David Varnell served as the landscape artists. Placed throughout the surrounding pavement are quotations from Eleanor Roosevelt and Adlai Stevenson. The Eleanor Roosevelt Monument is just one monument of many along Riverside Drive that pays tribute to prominent historic figures.

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. 



Eleanor Roosevelt Monument 

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, wealthy New Yorkers were building palatial homes filled with every amenity. Most of those homes were built along Fifth Avenue, but by the turn of the twentieth century, the West Side's Riverside Drive was also becoming a desirable address. It was far less populated than other parts of the city and offered spectacular views of the Hudson River. Developers believed that the city's business and banking magnates would soon buy large plots along Riverside, and build free-standing mansions, abandoning the shoulder-to-shoulder congestion of Fifth Avenue. But the expected migration to Riverside largely didn't materialize. Only a few palatial homes were built along the new thoroughfare, and the grandest of these was arguably the home of Charles Schwab. Schwab had served as the president of Andrew Carnegie's US Steel Company and led the creation of the US Steel Corporation. He later founded his own enterprise, Bethlehem Steel Company.&nbsp; In 1901, Schwab bought the entire block from Riverside to West End between 73rd and 74th Streets. It was the first time in Manhattan that someone purchased an entire block for occupancy. He hired French architect Maurice Hebert to design an expansive home inspired by French chateaus, and the home--all 50,000 square feet of it--was built from 1902 to 1906. The enormous home had 75 rooms, including a gym, a bowling alley, a pool, and three elevators. Andrew Carnegie, whose own mansion would eventually house the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, remarked that the home "makes mine look like a shack." To keep the home running, Schwab employed a staff of 20 servants. Schwab, as it turned out, was one of only a small number of wealthy New Yorkers who made the move to Riverside. The prevailing view seemed to be that it faced "the wrong side" of Central Park, and Fifth Avenue remained the preferred address of well-heeled Manhattanites. Schwab, who was known as a risk-taker, lost most of his fortune during the Great Depression. Years of lavish spending did nothing to help his finances. In 1936, the New York Times reported that Schwab had approached the city about buying his home, which he dubbed Riverside, to use for the mayor's residence. Fiorello LaGuardia flatly refused the offer, a move which effectively sealed the fate of Riverside. In 1939,Schwab's wife died, and within a few weeks, he moved into a hotel. Within a few months, Schwab himself died. For a few years after his death, there were efforts to sell his former home, but few people had the kind of money it would require to either purchase or maintain the home. In 1948, the home--which was less than 50 years old--was demolished. In its place, a 19-story red brick apartment complex, appropriately called Schwab House, was constructed. The buildings occupy roughly 60 per cent of the block that once belonged to Schwab. The buildings were completed in 1950 and converted from rental to co-op in 1984. Though the building possesses nothing of the style or grandeur of the site's original occupant, the apartments have nonetheless become one of the most desirable addresses on the Upper West Side, largely for the same reason that Charles Schwab built his mansion there--the unobstructed views of the river.

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.

Site of Charles Schwab Mansion (now Schwab House apartments)

Miles Davis is regarded as one of the most pioneering jazz musicians in the genre's history. His early records with Columbia made him wealthy, and in bout 1960, he purchased a townhouse on the Upper West Side. The building was a former Russian Orthodox Church, which Davis converted into a home. Davis turned the building's basement into a gym and music room, where he could practice without disturbing the rest of the building. He lived in the home with his wife, Frances, and their four children. They rented out the top two floors. The home--particularly the basement--was also a creative space for Davis. At least two of his most significant albums were composed in the 77th Street home--Kind of Blue and Bitches Brew. Neighbors grew accustomed to seeing Davis and other music legends, such as Herbie Hancock and Dizzy Gillespie,&nbsp;coming and going from the building. But in spite of his wealth and fame, Davis was a common presence among his neighbors, and often sat on the stoop with friends to pass the time. In 1972, Davis crashed his Lamborghini, breaking both of his ankles. His recovery took months and he suffered from chronic pain for the rest of his life. The ongoing effects of his injuries were a contributing factor in his decision to retire in 1976. The period after his retirement was a self-destructive period in Davis's life. He lived in virtual seclusion in the home, abused drugs and alcohol, and visiting friends were shocked to find him living in squalor.&nbsp; Following a comeback in the early 1980s, Davis moved to Los Angeles and the townhouse was divided into apartments. Because of its importance to the history of jazz, the building was designated a New York City Landmark. In 2014, after a campaign by residents of the neighborhood, the block on which the building is located was renamed Miles Davis Way

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.

Former Home of Miles Davis

Manhattan has no shortage of glamorous, storied apartment buildings, but the Apthorp is one of the city's most famous residences. It was built between 1906 and 1908 for William Waldorf Astor, who envisioned the building as the grandest and most ambitious apartment dwelling in the world.The building was designed by architects Clinton &amp; Russell, who spared no expense in their plans. At the time the Apthorp was built, apartment living was considered somewhat disreputable. Well-heeled New Yorkers lived in brownstones and apartments were considered dwellings primarily for bachelors. The Apthorp was meant to change that; by offering unparalleled luxury and modern amenities, Astor believed that the wealthiest New Yorkers could be lured from their brownstones. The Apthorp occupies an entire city block on the Upper West Side. Each apartment provided residents with a restaurant-sized kitchen, mosaic floored entry halls, servants quarters, and what was, for the time, a high-tech electrical system that gave residents the ability to press a button to summon their servants. The apartments occupy four symmetrical limestone buildings constructed around a central courtyard. Over the years, the Apthorp--because of its luxury, its exclusivity, as well as stabilized rents for much of its history--has attracted numerous celebrities. Nora Ephron, Robert DeNiro, Cyndi Lauper, and Conan O'Brien are just a few of the famous names who have called the Apthorp home. Nora Ephron famously wrote a New Yorker piece about her love of the building as well as her reluctant move from the Apthorp when her rent was raised to $12,000 a month. The Apthorp is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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. 

Upper West Side Manhattan 72nd St. to 79th St. Subway Stops Historical Walking Tour

Beacon Theater and Hotel

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources