The Osborne | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Housing cooperative |
Architectural style | Italian Renaissance |
Address | 205 West 57th Street |
Town or city | New York City |
Country | United States |
Coordinates | 40°45′57″N 73°58′49″W / 40.76583°N 73.98028°W |
Construction started | 1883 |
Completed | 1885 |
Renovated | 1891, 1906, 1962 |
Technical details | |
Structural system | Masonry bearing wall; steel-framed annex |
Floor count | 11 (front) 15 (rear) |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | James Edward Ware |
Main contractor | Thomas Osborne |
Osborne Apartments | |
Location | 205 West 57th Street, Manhattan, New York |
Built | 1883 |
Architect | James E. Ware |
Architectural style | Renaissance, Romanesque |
NRHP reference No. | 93000333 |
NYCL No. | 1770 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | April 22, 1993[1] |
Designated NYCL | August 13, 1991[2] |
The Osborne, also known as the Osborne Apartments or 205 West 57th Street, is an apartment building at Seventh Avenue and 57th Street in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The original portion of the Osborne was designed by James Edward Ware and constructed from 1883 to 1885. An annex to the west, designed by Alfred S. G. Taylor and Julian Clarence Levi, was constructed in 1906. The Osborne is one of the oldest luxury apartment buildings in New York City.
The Osborne's facade is clad in rusticated blocks of brownstone, with a main entrance on 57th Street and a variety of window configurations. The first floor has an elaborate foyer and lobby, while the other floors contain apartments in duplex arrangements. The southern section of the building, facing 57th Street, is 11 stories tall and originally contained main living spaces with high ceilings. The northern section, at the rear of the building, is 15 stories tall and contained the bedrooms and servant's rooms. The Osborne was originally built with 38 apartments, although many of these units were gradually subdivided starting in the early 1920s.
The building's namesake was the stone contractor Thomas Osborne, who had acquired the land in 1883 from restaurateur John Taylor, constructing the building as a speculative investment. The $2 million construction cost forced Thomas Osborne into foreclosure, leading Taylor's family to acquire the building in 1889. The Taylors sold the Osborne in 1961, and it was turned into a housing cooperative the next year. Throughout its history, the Osborne has housed many artists, actors, and musicians, as well as upper-middle-class residents such as doctors and lawyers. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the building as a city landmark in 1991, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
Site
The Osborne, also known as the Osborne Apartments, is on the northwest corner of 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, two blocks south of Central Park, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City.[3][4] As built, the Osborne measured 150 feet (46 m) along 57th Street to the south and 100 feet (30 m) along Seventh Avenue to the east.[5][6][7] The Osborne was extended by 25 feet (7.6 m) to the west in 1906, giving the Osborne a frontage of 175 feet (53 m) on 57th Street and 100 feet on Seventh Avenue.[8][9] The site covers 17,572 square feet (1,632.5 m2).[9][4]
The Osborne shares the city block with the American Fine Arts Society (also known as the Art Students League of New York building) and the Central Park Tower to the west, 5 Columbus Circle to the northwest, and the Saint Thomas Choir School to the north. The Osborne is cater-corner from Carnegie Hall. It is also near 218 West 57th Street to the southwest; 888 Seventh Avenue and the Rodin Studios to the south; Alwyn Court, The Briarcliffe, and the Louis H. Chalif Normal School of Dancing to the east; and 200 and 220 Central Park South to the north.[3][4] Right outside the building is an entrance to the New York City Subway's 57th Street–Seventh Avenue station, served by the N, Q, R, and W trains.[10]
The Osborne is part of an artistic hub that developed around the two blocks of West 57th Street from Sixth Avenue west to Broadway during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The hub was developed following the opening of Carnegie Hall in 1891,[11][12][13] though the Osborne predates Carnegie Hall.[5] Several buildings in the area were constructed as residences for artists and musicians, such as 130 and 140 West 57th Street, the Osborne, and the Rodin Studios, as well as the demolished Sherwood Studios and Rembrandt. In addition, the area contained the headquarters of organizations such as the American Fine Arts Society, the Lotos Club, and the American Society of Civil Engineers at 220 West 57th Street.[14] The Osborne was also part of a hub of luxury buildings developed on the northernmost end of Seventh Avenue, around Carnegie Hall, by 1900.[15]
Architecture
The Osborne was designed and built by James Edward Ware from 1883 to 1885.[16][17] It was expanded with an annex to the west in 1906, designed by Alfred S. G. Taylor and Julien Clarence Levi.[16][18][19] Ware designed the Osborne similarly to an Italian Renaissance-style palazzo.[18][20] The Osborne also contains some Romanesque Revival design features such as round-arched entrance and window openings, a rough-cut stone cladding, and recessed windows.[21] It is the second-oldest luxury apartment building in New York City, behind the Dakota,[22] which was completed in 1884.[23]
The primary section of the Osborne faces south toward 57th Street and is designed with 11 stories. The rear section, facing north, contains 15 duplex levels, though the roof is at the same height as in the rest of the building.[6] The northern portion of the building contains two "light wells". The original structure contains a light well halfway along the northern elevation.[24][25] The placement of this light well was unusual, given that many contemporary structures had light courts at the front, which for the Osborne would be the southern elevation.[25] The other light well is between the annex and the western side of the original building.[26] The Osborne, including its annex, is 162 feet (49 m) tall.[27]
Facade
The Osborne's facade is clad largely with rusticated blocks of brownstone.[28][29][30] Architectural writers Sarah Landau and Carl Condit theorized that the material was meant to evoke the design of the brownstone row houses that were common across the city,[25] while architectural writer Robert A. M. Stern wrote that the use of brownstone may have instead been used to "convey a sense of the power of stone".[30] The namesake and developer, Thomas Osborne, expected that the facade could attract residents of middle-class brownstone row houses.[20] The superstructure is constructed of masonry bearing walls up to 4 feet (1.2 m) deep.[31]
The primary elevation, or side, faces 57th Street, while the secondary elevation is on Seventh Avenue. The 57th Street side has ten vertical bays—eight from the original design and two from the 1906 annex—while the Seventh Avenue side has eight bays. Large cornices with modillions run atop the second, sixth, and ninth floors.[6] The facade contains stylistic details such as carved stone panels with classical iconography.[8] Projecting oriel windows were also added to provide light to the apartments.[32] In general, the exterior was intended to reflect the ornate design of the interior.[21]
Base
The base is composed of the lowest two stories. At ground level, the main entrance is in the center of the original facade on 57th Street, between the fourth and fifth bays from the east. The entrance is within a white segmental arch, above which is a scrolled keystone flanked by garlands. Inside the arch opening is a wooden double door with a leaded-glass transom window above it. The arch is flanked by two pairs of pilasters supporting a short entablature; a pair of glass-and-metal lanterns are mounted on the inner pair of pilasters. The remainder of the ground level contains storefronts.[6] A small band course runs between the first and second stories.[33] An entrance porch formerly projected onto 57th Street.[20][33] There was also an areaway running around the building, traversed only by a small overpass.[20]
On the 2nd story along 57th Street, the original facade has eight bays. Within the center two bays, now the fourth and fifth bays from the east, there are four round-arched windows, topped by flat keystones. The two bays on either side, now the second, third, sixth, and seventh bays, each contain a single round-arched window with a flat keystone above and a decorative stone panel below. The outermost pair of bays, now the first and eighth bays, each contain a pair of rectangular sash windows.[33] On Seventh Avenue, the seven southernmost bays each contain one rectangular sash window at the 2nd story.[34] A modillioned cornice runs above the 2nd story along 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, except in the fourth and fifth bays along 57th Street.[33]
The two westernmost bays along 57th Street comprise the 1906 annex and contain three shorter stories within the same double-height base: the ground floor, followed by two mezzanine floors. Both mezzanines contain a triple-sided, metal-clad oriel window within the left-side bay, which is the tenth bay from the east. The annex's right-side bay, the ninth bay from the east, contains a rectangular window opening on each mezzanine.[35] The northernmost Seventh Avenue bay also contains three shorter stories in the double-height base, with two rectangular windows on either mezzanine floor.[34]
Upper stories
On the 3rd through 6th stories, the original section of the 57th Street facade contains triple-sided, stone-clad oriel windows on the first, fourth, fifth, and eighth bays from the east. The second, third, sixth, and seventh bays contain rectangular windows, with balconettes at the fifth story. Above all eight bays, there are carved stone spandrel panels between the 3rd- and 4th-story windows, and stained-glass transom panels near the top of each 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-story window opening. In addition, bartizans rise from the 5th and 6th story at each corner of the original facade, supporting the cornice.[35] A similar window arrangement appears on the seven southernmost bays facing Seventh Avenue, where the fourth and fifth bays from the south are grouped into a single oriel structure.[34]
On the 7th through 9th stories of the original 57th Street facade, the first, fourth, fifth, and eighth bays each contain three windows per story. The second, third, sixth, and seventh bays of this facade each contain two windows per story. The windows in each story are separated by carved stone spandrel panels. In addition, there are stained-glass transom panels near the top of each 7th- and 8th-story window opening.[35] A similar window arrangement appears on the seven southernmost bays facing Seventh Avenue, except that each bay has a single window.[36]
On both 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, there are rectangular windows on the 10th and 11th stories, with a horizontal band course between these floors. The windows on the 10th and 11th stories do not necessarily align with those on the other floors. There is a copper cornice above the 11th story.[37]
The 57th Street annex only rises to the 10th story. The 3rd through 9th stories of the annex correspond to those in the original building. They contain a metal oriel on the left and a sash window on the right, similar to at the base. As with the original facade, there are bartizans on the 5th and 6th story, which flank the oriel and support the cornice. The annex's 10th story has a triple rectangular window.[35]
The 3rd through 6th stories of the northernmost Seventh Avenue bay contain six offset duplex levels, each with a triple-sided, stone-clad oriel window. The 7th through 9th stories of the northernmost Seventh Avenue bay contain four offset duplex levels, each with a triple rectangular window.[38][lower-alpha 1]
Interior
Entrance foyer and lobby
The entrance foyer and lobby form a connected space. The decorative details were designed by architect Stanford White, muralist John La Farge, and designer Jacob Adolphus Holzer.[39][40] The lobby was mainly the work of Holzer and is designed with marble, mosaics, murals, gilded surfaces, and leaded glass.[20][41] The Tiffany glass in the foyer and lobby, created by Louis Comfort Tiffany,[30][39][42] was reputed to be Tiffany's first decorating job.[43] Sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens was also involved in the foyer and lobby's design.[39]
The entrance foyer measures 20 feet (6.1 m) square with a 20-foot ceiling. It is connected to the lobby proper by a short flight of marble and copper steps.[42][lower-alpha 2]
The lobby extends north of the foyer and measures 92 by 14 feet (28.0 by 4.3 m), with a ceiling 15 feet (4.6 m) high.[45] The floors contain mosaics made of small tiles, alternating with Italian marble slabs. The western and eastern walls of the lobby contain marble wainscoting, interspersed with plaster plaques of nude figures and garlands, designed to resemble bronze.[46] Carved-plaster cap friezes and mosaic tiles run along the walls.[47] Above the wainscot, the walls feature a silver-gilt wall surface,[26] as well as carvings, mosaic tiles, and roundels.[48] There are marble niches with benches,[46] as well as Tiffany mosaics and stained glass on the niche walls.[26] The Osborne was the first building to use foil-backed mosaics in a nonreligious setting.[30] The ceiling, which is coffered,[41][49] is painted in red and blue tones and gold leaf, in a manner similar to the ceiling at J. P. Morgan's 36th Street library.[49][50] The space is lit by four copper chandeliers and sixteen bronze double sconces. Two marble staircases lead from the lobby.[26]
Apartments
Each of the 2nd through 10th stories originally contained four apartments.[51] There were also two apartments on the ground floor, for 38 total units on the ground through 10th floors. The 11th floor did not contain any residents and was used by service workers and as storage.[26][30] Each of the upper stories was separated into western and eastern halves, with two apartments per side. Each side was served by its own elevator and staircase, connected only at ground level.[20][52] When completed, the building had four elevators and a heating and power plant.[53]
The original designs of the apartments were arranged in a specific hierarchy. The main living spaces, where guests were entertained, contained 15-foot (4.6 m) ceilings.[51] The front end, facing 57th Street, contained the apartments' libraries and parlor rooms.[26] The foyer, dining room, kitchen, and one bedroom of each apartment also contained high ceilings.[52] The rear sections had bedrooms and private baths, separated from the main living areas by flights of seven steps, and the ceilings are just over 8 feet (2.4 m) high.[51] The westernmost apartments of each floor, as expanded in 1906, were generally larger than the other units, with seven bedrooms and enlarged reception and dining rooms.[49] The apartment designs were also marked by their elaborate interior features, including mahogany wood decoration, bronze fireplace mantels, and crystal chandeliers.[26][54] The parquet floor surfaces contained banded edges.[50]
In the early and mid-20th century, many of the apartments were subdivided, the ground-floor apartments were removed, and new apartments were created on the 11th floor. The National Park Service wrote in 1993 that the Osborne had 109 units, of which 14 retained their original large configurations.[55] As a result of these subdivisions, the modern layouts of the apartments are more complex. For instance, an apartment might have its entrance in one of the rear mezzanines and its main rooms in the high-ceiling portion.[39][54] Other units were configured as "apartments within apartments", where the only access was through another tenant's residence.[54] The haphazard nature of the conversions resulted in the sealing-off of spaces such as an entire room[54] and a staircase.[56]
History
During the early 19th century, apartment developments in the city were generally associated with the working class, but by the 1870s, apartments were also becoming desirable among the middle and upper classes.[57] Between 1880 and 1885, more than ninety apartment buildings were developed in the city.[58] The advent of the passenger elevator enabled the construction of taller apartment buildings such as the Osborne and the Dakota, whereas previously apartment buildings had been limited to six or seven stories.[59][44][lower-alpha 3] Simultaneously, West 57th Street was being developed with townhouses, some of which were known as New York City's "choicest" residences, as well as artists' studio apartments.[59] The area around the Osborne was relatively undeveloped in the early 1880s but benefited from the presence of Central Park two blocks north.[5]
Development
The Osborne's namesake was Thomas Osborne, an Irish immigrant who ran a successful stone contracting business.[59] In 1883, he purchased a lot for $210,000 (equivalent to $6,595,500 in 2022) from restaurant operator John Taylor.[49][59] After an architectural design competition,[30] Osborne hired Ware to design an apartment building on the site. Ware submitted plans for an 11- and 15-story brownstone apartment to the New York City Department of Buildings that May, to cost $650,000.[62] The original plans included a fireproof structure with four elevators, some iron-and-marble staircases, and the newest electric, plumbing, and heating systems of the time. The plans also called for a rooftop croquet lawn, which was not built; a private billiards room; and a florist's shop, doctor's office, and chemist in the basement.[7][20][59] Osborne bragged that the building would probably be the tallest in the city, if not the United States, at a height of 200 feet (61 m).[30]
In October 1883, three investors formed a company to buy Osborne's apartment building for $700,000.[63] However, the sale never happened.[41] By the next year, Osborne was still anticipating that he would sell the building upon its completion.[7] The building's roof was completed by June 1884, when the apartments were reported as "nearly ready for tenants".[64] Advertisements in New York City newspapers boasted, in boldface letters, that the building was "the most magnificently finished and decorated apartment house in the world".[30][65] The first tenants moved into the building in November 1885.[20] The next month, the Real Estate Record and Guide reported that the Osborne was sold to unnamed investors for $1,209,000 (equivalent to $39,377,578 in 2022).[66][67] The buyer was subsequently revealed to be John Taylor's son John H. Taylor; by then, the senior John Taylor had died.[66] The development of the Osborne spurred the construction of nearby apartment houses, including the Alwyn Court and Rodin Studios.[68]
Modifications
The building had ultimately cost $2 million to construct, at least part of which was covered by loans that John H. Taylor had made to Osborne.[49] The lavish decorations contributed to the massive costs, which turned out to be excessive for Osborne.[30][49] John Taylor's estate foreclosed on the Osborne at auction in 1888.[49] William Taylor, another member of the Taylor family, bought the building that March for $1,009,250 (equivalent to $32,871,646 in 2022).[69][70] The next year, Ware expanded the attic to a full size; this provided additional room for servants' quarters while placing the roof at a uniform height.[6][39][23] The northern section of the building had contained 14 levels, while the southern section was largely 10 stories with a partial 11th-story attic. The cornice of the northern section had originally sloped downward because of the uneven roof height.[20]
Despite Thomas Osborne's financial difficulties, the building was successful in attracting middle-class residents.[71] By early 1896, the Osborne was fully occupied, and the Taylor estate was looking to sell the Osborne so the estate could be closed out. The estate also planned to sell adjoining 25-by-100-foot (7.6 by 30.5 m) lot to the west, which adjoined the Art Students League building.[72] John S. Ely, a son-in-law of the late John Taylor, paid $1.01 million for the building and $35,000 for the adjacent lot at an auction in March 1896.[53][73] At the time, the neighborhood was being developed rapidly, and The New York Times wrote, "It is safe to assume that these lots will be worth double their present value ten years hence."[74] A glass and metal sidewalk canopy was erected circa 1900.[75]
The Taylor family started constructing the 57th Street annex in 1906, on the adjoining lot to the west. The annex was designed by family member Alfred S. G. Taylor, in conjunction with J. C. Levi.[19] The annex, completed in 1908,[76] provided additional bedroom space for the westernmost apartments, which were each given seven bedrooms and an expanded reception room.[18][49] Many businesses moved to the surrounding area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[77] Thus, in 1919, the Taylor family converted the ground-floor apartments to commercial spaces, which the family believed would be more profitable.[26][29][77] At this time, the main entrance porch and the moat that originally surrounded the ground floor were removed.[39][77] Walter J. Salmon took a 21-year lease for the Osborne that year.[78] The upper floors were subdivided into smaller units starting in 1922, and the 11th-floor attic was converted to apartments in 1941.[26]
Cooperative conversion
The Taylor family could not maintain the Osborne in the mid-20th century, and the interior had degraded by the 1950s.[44][77] In 1961, the Osborne was sold to the Linland Corporation,[31] operated by real-estate investor Sarah Korein, in a deal that valued the building at $2.5 million (equivalent to $24,482,183 in 2022).[79] Korein had planned to demolish the Osborne, replacing it with a 17-story residential building designed by Robert Bien.[29][77] In response, tenants collected $500,000 to give to Korein in exchange for the building's ownership. The payment was roughly double the $250,000 deposit that Korein had paid for the building.[80] The planned replacement tower was canceled the next year after the Osborne Tenants Corporation bought the Osborne and converted it into a cooperative.[31][81] The co-op board took a $2 million mortgage for the building in 1965.[82]
Davida Tenenbaum Deutsch, an architectural historian who lived in the building, started holding bazaars in 1976 to fund the restoration of the lobby, ultimately raising nearly $100,000 (equivalent to $514,269 in 2022).[83] By the mid-1980s, prices for apartments in the Osborne were as high as in comparable apartments on the traditionally wealthy Upper East Side.[44] From 1989 to 1994, the Osborne's cooperative board restored the facade at a cost of $4.1 million (equivalent to $8,095,061 in 2022).[29] During that time, Rambusch Studios restored the lobby.[77] By the early 21st century, the Osborne had become part of Billionaires' Row, an area with several residential skyscrapers marketed for the ultra-wealthy.[84] After the Open Restaurants program from the COVID-19 pandemic became permanent in early 2022, the Osborne became a part of the national media coverage of the controversial impact of the program when the co-op board sued 57th and 7th Associates, to which the building's commercial space was leased, for failing to enforce restrictions regarding the use by sub-tenants of the building's commercial spaces, including the installation of outdoor dining and unauthorized signage.[85]
Notable residents
Despite its proximity to Carnegie Hall and West 57th Street's arts hub, the Osborne did not have any musicians, artists, or authors listed as residents prior to World War II, and only two architects were recorded as living there during that time. However, it was popular among the upper middle class, with residents including executives, entrepreneurs, lawyers, and doctors. The building's artistic residents largely moved there after World War II.[5] By the 1960s, the Osborne was known as "the residential Carnegie Hall".[54]
Notable residents have included:
- Dana Andrews, actor[86]
- Peter Beard, artist, photographer[87]
- Leonard Bernstein, composer and conductor, lived in unit 4B until 1961 and maintained an office in 2DD until his death[88] [89]
- Shirley Booth, actress[86][90]
- Hortense Calisher, writer[90]
- Jessica Chastain, actress, purchased unit 4B in 2015[91]
- Dane Clark, actor[54]
- John Clark, actor, and his wife Lynn Redgrave, an actress[86][90]
- Van Cliburn, pianist[86][87]
- Gray Foy, artist, and his spouse Leo Lerman, a writer and editor, lived in unit 6C from 1967 until their respective deaths in 2012 and 1994[92][93]
- Gary Graffman, American classical pianist[94]
- Paul Hartman, Broadway performer[54]
- Phil Jackson, professional basketball player, coach, and executive, lived in unit 3B while serving as a New York Knicks basketball team executive[87][95]
- Fran Lebowitz, American author and public speaker, who spoke of the building in the documentary Pretend It's a City, moved into the building in 1984[87][96][97]
- Julian Clarence Levi, architect, art collector, philanthropist[98]
- Ira Levin, novelist[88]
- Elinor Lipman, novelist[99][100]
- Sylvia Miles, actress[87][90]
- Alice Nielsen, Broadway performer and opera singer[86]
- Robert Osborne, the host of Turner Classic Movies, moved into unit 3DA in 1988 and also owned units 1CB and 2DD until his death in 2017[101]
- Charles Osgood, newscaster[102][103]
- Tom Poston, actor[86][90]
- Joseph M. Proskauer, New York Supreme Court judge[104]
- Lynn Redgrave, actress[87]
- John Coit Spooner, U.S. senator from Wisconsin, lived in the Osborne until his death in 1919[105][106]
- Bobby Short, singer, lived in unit 4B for fourteen years until 1986[88]
- Faith Stewart-Gordon, owner of the nearby Russian Tea Room restaurant[90]
- Larry Storch, actor, lived in unit 4B right after Bernstein moved out[88]
- Blanche Thebom, opera singer and director[86][90]
- Helen Traubel, opera singer, took a suite in the Osborne in 1940[107]
- André Watts, pianist[90]
- Maury Yeston, composer, lyricist, educator and musicologist[108]
- Gig Young, American actor, briefly lived in unit 1BB before killing himself and his wife there in 1978[109][110]
Critical reception and landmark designations
Critical reception
An unnamed critic for the New York Evening Post reviewed the design negatively, writing in 1884, "An attempt has been made by Mr. Jas. E. Ware to give variety to the immense number of windows in the eleven stories on the street fronts. For the fifteen stories in the rear [...] nothing can be done".[64] The critic particularly regarded the 6th- and 9th-story cornices as haphazard.[64] The next year, a critic for the Real Estate Record negatively regarded the design as "crude and unskillful", and wrote that "there is nothing architecturally interesting about the Osborne, except the grouping of the stories, and here and there some carving that is good in execution".[20][111] In 2020, The New York Times described the Osborne as "kind of grand but dour", as opposed to the "extravagantly ornate" Alwyn Court across the street.[112]
Other critics were more positive. Carter Horsley wrote for City Realty that "Perhaps more than any other building [...] this is a presence, a pile of architecture that manifests great power."[39] Roger Starr, writing for The New York Times in 1983, stated that the ornate lobby demonstrated that "even the most powerful families in the country can live well in apartments".[113] The St. Petersburg Times reported in 1988 that the "opulent interior" counterbalanced the "undistinguished exterior". According to the St. Petersburg Times, tenants appreciated the building so much that they held parties to celebrate the anniversary of its completion.[22] Robert A. M. Stern wrote in his 1999 book New York 1880 that the building was "the grandest of the apartment buildings south of Central Park and one of the city's incomparable monuments to shared domesticity".[30]
Landmark designations
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) first considered city-landmark status for the Osborne in 1966 and 1967.[114] The Osborne's co-op board withdrew the building's application for landmark status because of concerns that landmark status would entail additional regulation, given that modifications to city landmarks required LPC approval.[115] A second landmark hearing was held in 1980,[114] followed by a third such hearing in 1985.[114][116] After a fourth set of hearings in 1989, the LPC ultimately designated the Osborne's exterior as a city landmark in 1991.[2] The Osborne was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.[1]
As early as 1980, the lobby and foyer were also considered for interior-landmark status.[117][118] During the 1985 hearing, the LPC had considered designating the lobby and foyer as an interior landmark. The LPC deferred a decision on the designation because the agency's rules mandated that interior landmarks had to be public spaces.[83] In late 2015, the LPC again hosted a public hearing on whether to designate the Osborne's lobby and foyer as a city landmark. The Victorian Society supported the proposed interior designation but, because the lobby and foyer were legally private interior spaces, Manhattan Community Board 5 and the New York Landmarks Conservancy opposed the designation.[118] This was part of a review of 95 listings that had been calendared by the LPC for several decades but never approved as city landmarks.[117] The LPC rejected the interior-landmark designation in February 2016 because the interior was a private space.[119]
See also
References
Notes
- ↑ In the northernmost Seventh Avenue bay, the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, and 11th stories correspond to the rest of the building. There are also nine mezzanines: two each above the 1st, 3rd, and 5th stories, and three above the 7th story.
- ↑ The New York Times characterizes the entry hall as being 26 by 15 feet (7.9 by 4.6 m).[44]
- ↑ These included the Osborne Building on Fifth Avenue between 52nd and 53rd Street, which is unrelated to the current apartment structure.[60][61]
Citations
- 1 2 "National Register of Historic Places Weekly Lists for 1993" (PDF). Library of Congress. 1993. p. 25. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
- 1 2 Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 1.
- 1 2 "NYCityMap". NYC.gov. New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
- 1 2 3 National Park Service 1993, section 7, p. 1 (PDF p. 2).
- 1 2 3 4 Alpern 1992, p. 27.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 5; National Park Service 1993, section 7, p. 1 (PDF p. 2).
- 1 2 3 "Prominent Buildings Under Way". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 33, no. 836. March 22, 1884. p. 289. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022 – via columbia.edu.
- 1 2 Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 5.
- 1 2 "205 West 57 Street, 10019". New York City Department of City Planning. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ "MTA Neighborhood Maps: 57 St 7 Av (N)(Q)(R)(W)". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2018. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ↑ Gray, Christopher (May 9, 1999). "Streetscapes /57th Street Between Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue; High and Low Notes of a Block With a Musical Bent". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ↑ "Steinway Hall" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. November 13, 2001. pp. 6–7. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ↑ Federal Writers' Project (1939). New York City Guide. New York: Random House. p. 232. ISBN 978-1-60354-055-1. (Reprinted by Scholarly Press, 1976; often referred to as WPA Guide to New York City.)
- ↑ "Society House of the American Society of Civil Engineers" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. December 16, 2008. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 23, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- ↑ Gray, Christopher (April 6, 1997). "The Lavish 'Studio Palace' Called Alwyn Court". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 25, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- 1 2 White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot; Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 307. ISBN 978-0-19538-386-7.
- ↑ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, pp. 4; National Park Service 1993, section 8, p. 5 (PDF p. 11).
- 1 2 3 Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 5; National Park Service 1993, section 8, p. 7 (PDF p. 13).
- 1 2 Alpern 1992, pp. 30, 32.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Alpern 1992, p. 29.
- 1 2 Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 4; National Park Service 1993, section 8, p. 6 (PDF p. 12).
- 1 2 "Apartment building home to stars". St. Petersburg Times. January 10, 1988. p. 14.
- 1 2 Stern, Mellins & Fishman 1999, p. 561.
- ↑ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 5; National Park Service 1993, section 7, p. 4 (PDF p. 5).
- 1 2 3 Landau, Sarah; Condit, Carl W. (1996). Rise of the New York Skyscraper, 1865–1913. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-300-07739-1. OCLC 32819286.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 National Park Service 1993, section 7, p. 4 (PDF p. 5).
- ↑ "Osborne Apartments Addition". Emporis. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ↑ Dolkart, Andrew S. "The Architecture and Development of New York City". Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
Loosely modeled on an Italian-Renaissance palace
- 1 2 3 4 Gray, Christopher (February 6, 1994). "Streetscapes/The Osborne; Restoring a Stone Dealer's Idiosyncratic Building". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Stern, Mellins & Fishman 1999, p. 559.
- 1 2 3 "Just Nosing Around". The Coshocton Tribune. March 8, 1962. p. 20. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ↑ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 5; National Park Service 1993, section 8, p. 6 (PDF p. 12).
- 1 2 3 4 Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 6; National Park Service 1993, section 7, p. 1 (PDF p. 2).
- 1 2 3 Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 6; National Park Service 1993, section 7, p. 3 (PDF p. 4).
- 1 2 3 4 Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 6; National Park Service 1993, section 7, p. 2 (PDF p. 3).
- ↑ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 7; National Park Service 1993, section 7, p. 3 (PDF p. 4).
- ↑ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, pp. 6–7; National Park Service 1993, section 7, pp. 2–3 (PDF pp. 3–4).
- ↑ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, pp. 6–7; National Park Service 1993, section 7, p. 3 (PDF p. 4).
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Horsley, Carter. "The Osborne, 205 West 57th Street, Midtown West, New York, NY 10019". CityRealty. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ↑ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 3; National Park Service 1993, section 8, pp. 4–5 (PDF pp. 10–11); Stern, Mellins & Fishman 1999, p. 559.
- 1 2 3 Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 3; National Park Service 1993, section 8, p. 5 (PDF p. 11).
- 1 2 National Park Service 1993, section 7, p. 3 (PDF p. 4).
- ↑ Carey, Bernadette (April 4, 1966). "East Side, West Side, 57th Street Is on the 'In' Side". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 Giovannini, Joseph (November 21, 1985). "The Osbourne: Now 100 Years Old and Still a Nice Place to Live". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 26, 2017. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ National Park Service 1993, section 7, pp. 3–4 (PDF pp. 4–5).
- 1 2 Alpern 1992, p. 29; Whitaker 1997.
- ↑ Alpern 1992, pp. 29–30.
- ↑ Alpern 1992, p. 30; Stern, Mellins & Fishman 1999, p. 559.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Alpern 1992, p. 30.
- 1 2 Whitaker, Barbara (October 12, 1997). "Habitats/The Osborne, 205 West 57th Street; In a Stately Old Building, Just a Touch of Karma". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- 1 2 3 National Park Service 1993, section 7, p. 4 (PDF p. 5); Stern, Mellins & Fishman 1999, p. 559; Whitaker 1997.
- 1 2 National Park Service 1993, p. 22 (PDF p. 21).
- 1 2 "The Real Estate Field; Sale of the Osborne Apartment House at Auction. It Brings More Than a Million the Gross Rental is Near $100,000 -- Several Notable Purchases and Leases -- Offerings for to-day". The New York Times. March 12, 1896. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Reif, Rita (February 18, 1961). "'Save the Osborne' Is Music in Tenants' Ears at Luxury Apartment House; Dwelling, 76, Faces Sale and Possible Extinction". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ↑ National Park Service 1993, section 7, pp. 4–5 (PDF pp. 5–6).
- ↑ Rosenblum, Constance (February 17, 2012). "Where the Secrets Were Kept". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ↑ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 2; National Park Service 1993, section 8, p. 2 (PDF p. 8).
- ↑ "How the Great Apartment Houses Have Paid". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 35, no. 882. February 7, 1885. pp. 127–128. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 3; National Park Service 1993, section 8, p. 4 (PDF p. 10).
- ↑ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 2; National Park Service 1993, section 8, p. 3 (PDF p. 9).
- ↑ Gray, Christopher (October 10, 2013). "Madame Restell's Other Profession". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ↑ "Buildings Projected". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 31, no. 792. May 19, 1883. p. 368. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022 – via columbia.edu.
- ↑ "Real Estate Department". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 32, no. 814. October 20, 1883. p. 809. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022 – via columbia.edu.
- 1 2 3 "Fifteen Stories High". Buffalo Commercial. June 27, 1884. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- ↑ Hawes, Elizabeth (1993). New York, New York: How the Apartment House Transformed the Life of the City (1869-1930). A Borzoi book. A.A. Knopf. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-394-55641-3. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- 1 2 "Gossip of the Week". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 36, no. 927. December 19, 1885. p. 1393. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022 – via columbia.edu.
- ↑ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, pp. 3–4; National Park Service 1993, section 8, p. 5 (PDF p. 11).
- ↑ Gray, Christopher (November 7, 2013). "West 57th's Hodgepodge Block". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ↑ "Selling the Osborne Flats". The New York Times. March 7, 1888. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ↑ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, pp. 7; National Park Service 1993, section 8, p. 8 (PDF p. 14).
- ↑ Stern, Mellins & Fishman 1999, pp. 559–561.
- ↑ "Real Estate Market". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 57, no. 1458. February 22, 1896. p. 301. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022 – via columbia.edu.
- ↑ "Real Estate Market". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 57, no. 1461. March 14, 1896. p. 437. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022 – via columbia.edu.
- ↑ "The Real Estate Field; Lot Speculation Has Ceased for the Time Being". The New York Times. March 15, 1896. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ Gray, Christopher (April 15, 2001). "Streetscapes/Apartment-Building Canopies; An Aspect of City Life Usually Taken for Granted". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 31, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ↑ "Apartment Houses of Duplex and Studio Plan in New York City". Architects' and Builders' Magazine. Vol. 10, no. 6. March 1909. p. 221. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Alpern 1992, p. 32.
- ↑ "'Osborne' in Long-Term Lease". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 103, no. 25. June 21, 1919. p. 834 – via columbia.edu.
- ↑ "57th St. Landmark in $2,500,000 Deal". The New York Times. February 25, 1961. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ↑ Dunlap, David W. (November 4, 1998). "Sarah Korein, 93, Whose Dainty Bearing Masked a Tough Property Investor, Is Dead". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ Bartnett, Edmond J. (March 3, 1962). "Osborne, Home of Artists, to Become a Co-Op". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ↑ Clines, Francis X. (July 29, 1965). "News of Realty: Coney Island Site; Talks Under Way on Future of Steeplechase Park". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- 1 2 Adams, Michael (July 28, 1994). "Polish My Lobby, Polish My Self". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ "Live in one of New York City's first major luxury apartment buildings for $745K". 6sqft. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ Hourie, Ilya (June 27, 2022). "Billionaires' Row Landlord: Outdoor Dining Spoils West 57th Street". The Real Deal New York. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 7.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Brubach, Holly (April 19, 2019). "Inside a New York Family's Annabelle Selldorf-Designed Residence". Architectural Digest. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 Taylor, Candace (May 11, 2009). "Bobby Short and Leonard Bernstein Home on the Market". The Real Deal. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
- ↑ Harmon, Charlie (2018). On the road & off the record with Leonard Bernstein : my years with the exasperating genius. Harold Prince. Watertown, MA. ISBN 978-1-62354-527-7. OCLC 1019835351.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Stewart-Gordon, Faith (1999). The Russian Tea Room: A Love Story. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-684-85981-1.
- ↑ Budion, Jeremiah (March 11, 2015). "Jessica Chastain Buys Leonard Bernstein's Former Co-op". Curbed. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ Fox, Margalit (December 1, 2012). "Gray Foy, Artist and Avatar of a Gilded Age, Dies at 90". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ Goodman, Wendy (October 16, 2017). "A Building Where the 19th Century Met the 21st". Curbed. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ Malcolm, Janet (August 29, 2016). "Yuja Wang and the Art of Performance". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ Clarke, Katherine (August 15, 2014). "Slamdunk: Knicks president Phil Jackson drops $4.85M on Midtown pad". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ Goodman, Wendy (December 29, 2020). "Fran Lebowitz vs. the World". Curbed. Archived from the original on December 29, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ↑ Sayej, Nadya (January 21, 2021). "Fran Lebowitz's Life in NYC Real Estate". Architectural Digest. Archived from the original on July 18, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ↑ Johnston, Laurie (August 25, 1971). "Julian Clarence Levi. Dies at 96; Oldest Alumnus of Columbia U." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ↑ Alleman, Richard (2005) New York: the Movie Lover's Guide : the Ultimate Insider Tour of Movie New York. New York: Broadway.
- ↑ Kaufman, Joanne (November 2, 2012). "Stargazing in the Elevator". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ↑ Kaufman, Joanne (May 21, 2006). "A Home Destined by the Stars". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ↑ Pope-Chappell, Maya (June 29, 2011). "Osgood Tries to Exit Osborne". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ Barbanel, Josh (April 24, 2009). "12 Rooms; Stroll to CBS". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ↑ "Apartment Leased in Central Park West; Former Justice Proskauer Will Remain in the Osborne". The New York Times. March 8, 1940. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ "John C. Spooner Dies In City Home". The New York Times. June 11, 1919. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ "Senator Spooner". Wisconsin State Journal. June 11, 1919. p. 10. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Leasing of Suites Continues Active; Entire Floor of 12 Rooms in 620 Park Ave. Taken by Mrs. Egil Boeckman". The New York Times. May 23, 1940. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ↑ Barron, James; Lee, Linda; Rashbaum, William K. (March 8, 2002). "Boldface Names". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ↑ "Gig Young Kills Bride And Himself, Cops Say: Cops Say Actor Kills Wife, Self". Newsday. October 20, 1978. p. 1. ProQuest 963723152.
- ↑ "Gig Young, wife found dead". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Florida. Associated Press. October 20, 1978. p. 1A.
- ↑ "In West Fifty-Seventh Street". The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 35, no. 913. September 12, 1885. p. 993 – via columbia.edu.
- ↑ Kimmelman, Michael (September 16, 2020). "Carnegie Hall and the Jewels of Midtown: Stroll the History". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ Starr, Roger (January 6, 1983). "Apartment Lobbies: Chronicle of Taste". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 4, 2017. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- 1 2 3 Landmarks Preservation Commission 1991, p. 7; Adams 1994.
- ↑ "The Dakota Finds Repairs To a Landmark Are Costly". The New York Times. February 17, 1974. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ Shepard, Joan (March 15, 1985). "Landmark Designation for B. Altman". New York Daily News. p. 1272. Retrieved December 3, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
- 1 2 Rajamani, Maya (February 23, 2016). "7 Theaters Among Midtown and Hell's Kitchen Sites Up for Landmarking". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
- 1 2 Bindelglass, Evan (November 9, 2015). "42nd Street Theaters, Osborne Interior, More Round Out First Manhattan Landmarks Backlog Hearing". New York YIMBY. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
- ↑ "7 Theaters on 42nd Street Fail to Make Cut for Landmark Consideration". DNAinfo New York. February 23, 2016. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
Sources
- Alpern, Andrew (1992). Luxury Apartment Houses of Manhattan: An Illustrated History. Courier Corporation. ISBN 978-0-486-27370-9.
- "Historic Structures Report: Osborne Apartments" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service. April 22, 1993.
- "Osborne Apartments" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. August 13, 1991.
- Stern, Robert A. M.; Mellins, Thomas; Fishman, David (1999). New York 1880: Architecture and Urbanism in the Gilded Age. Monacelli Press. ISBN 978-1-58093-027-7. OCLC 40698653.
External links
- The Osborne at CityRealty
- The Osborne on The New York Songlines