Tag Archives: Van Wart & Wein

1 Christopher Street

1 Christopher Street

Manhattan, New York, , , , , , , , , , ,

1 Christopher Street is an imposing Neo-Federalist apartment house in the heart of Greenwich Village, towering over nearby landmarks Stonewall Inn and Jefferson Market Courthouse.

The 16-story structure was built in 1931. Architects Van Wart & Wein designed One Christopher six years after their Beekman Mansions on E 51st Street. The pair are an interesting contrast. One Christopher is best viewed from afar, as its best architectural details are a dozen stories up. Beekman Mansions is best viewed close up, as its architectural details are in the four-story base.

Retail spaces are at street level along the Greenwich Avenue facade; 131 rental apartments – studios and one-bedroom units – rise above.

Largely because of the views, City Realty calls the building “one of the finest pre-war rental apartment buildings in Greenwich Village.” Thanks to Greenwich Village’s landmark status, those views will be preserved for decades to come.

1 Christopher Street Vital Statistics
  • Location: 1 Christopher Street at Greenwich Avenue (aka 7 Greenwich Avenue)
  • Year completed: 1931
  • Architect: Van Wart & Wein
  • Floors: 16
  • Style: neo-Federalist
  • New York City Landmark: 1969 (Greenwich Village Historic District)
1 Christopher Street Recommended Reading

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Beekman Mansions

Manhattan, , , , , , , , ,

Beekman Mansions is a charming neo-Renaissance cooperative apartment building nestled among diplomatic missions and residences, three blocks north of the United Nations.

The upper floors are rather plain, but the four-story brick-and-stone base is enchanting, with the third-story arcade flanked by pseudo towers. The five Gothic-arched entryways reveal the building’s inventiveness: The center doors lead to a conventional elevator lobby; the flanking doors lead to maisonettes – duplex apartments with private entries from the street. (sample floor plan here)

Van Wart & Wein designed the similarly styled Campanile almost directly behind Beekman Mansions. Set at the end (450) of E 52nd Street, on a bluff overlooking FDR Drive, the 14-story building has unimpeded views of the East River, Roosevelt Island and the 59th Street Bridge.

Beekman Mansions Vital Statistics
  • Location: 439 E 51st Street at Beekman Place
  • Year completed: 1925
  • Architect: Van Wart & Wein
  • Floors: 10
  • Style: neo-Renaissance
Beekman Mansions Recommended Reading

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