NYC Facades

From 86th and Amsterdam Ave

Western face

Southern face

According to Essential New York,

The Village of Bloomingdale was centered at Eighty-sixth Street and Broadway, and by the 1880s it was in the throes of urbanization. Streets were displacing paths, row houses were displacing farms, and congregations that had been gathering since the 1850s were becoming scattered. The Reverend Anson P. Atterbury wanted to keep his flock together, and, with an eye to the future, he hoped to attract new parishioners. In 1884 the chapel in the east end of this grouping was dedicated (architect unknown), and six years later this rough-hewn giant of a church was built.

It really is a beautiful giant in many ways.

Miscellaneous: see this article from 1911 which mentions a related “West Presbyterian” church torn down on 42nd Street, and the establishment of a new branch on 175th Street. It is also being considered for landmark status, and may otherwise be demolished!

Ornate entranceway

The enoromous relief in this entranceway make it a visual playground. See also this site for additional history.

Upper West Side Art Deco

The towers on this building appear to mimic those on Central Park West (in particular the El Dorado), but these are actually water towers! Nonetheless, the art deco styling subtly turns a potentially bland and overbuilt facade into something majestic.

An upscale take on the tenement

While i have nothing against this building, its narrow airshafts have become the defining features of the new-law tenements. I do wonder why the stonework in the corners gives way to less attractive brickwork above the 3rd floor.