Traffic Building is standout architecture for its elaborate brown brick and terra cotta facade. The six-story loft building on Chelsea’s West 23rd Street was designed for the now-defunct Traffic Cafeteria. A diner has taken its place.
According to the Daytonian in Manhattan blog, the ground floor brick and terra cotta has been replaced with stone tiles, but the top five floors – except for modern windows – have kept their original design.
Traffic Building Vital Statistics
- Location: 163 W 23rd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues
- Year completed: 1931
- Architect: Abraham Fisher
- Floors: 6
Traffic Building Recommended Reading
- The New York Times Streetscapes/Readers’ Questions; A Macy’s Building, a Cafeteria, 2 on Riverside Drive (May 30, 2004)
- Daytonian in Manhattan blog
- Emporis database