This is an unassuming building with some great detail, shown here. Note the lion and human faces in the corbels; what do they represent?
corbel
As many of the buildings on 23rd street near 7th avenue demonstrate, one need not go out of their way to find interesting buildings. (See also: Amsterdam Avenue).
Added: March 1, 2009
These are a great example of buildings with more to offer well above street level; the ground floors are devoted to storefronts with little detail. However the left one, #9, has lovely pillar decorations and a mansard with quatrefoil and peaked window caps.
The right building is suggestive of a factory, with its large window framing on the top three floors; however, I doubt it was a factory, given its location and size. I also included the statues midway up, which are called Atlas’s (as in, Atlas is holding up the building).
I was blown away by this building. It was understated, yet highly ornamented. Even the column in the gap between windows had a decorative framing. It also offered a number of strange features, such as:
- What is “corporation” on the water tower?
- Why is the water tower a different style altogether? (Yes, I made sure they’re the same building!)
- Why is the facade different on the Broadway side versus the 57th street side? That is, in the first picture, why are there two angular tops on Broadway, and only 1 on 57th street?
Is that even a water tower at all? Why would there be an air conditioner coming from the window, then?












