Manhattan Residential Architecture from the 19th Century to the 21st Century:

New Yorkers lived in townhouses during the 19th century.

 19th Century Single Family Townhouses were made of Brownstone and Limestone.

The luxury apartment house was actually invented in New York in the late 19th century. Upper-class New Yorkers lived in townhouses and single-family mansions during the 19th century. By 1930, 90% percent of Manhattanites lived in apartments. To lure potential tenants, developers borrowed the word "apartment" from the French to make the new buildings sound more fashionable. The word and the lifestyle stuck.

In 1890 The Dakota was the first luxury apartment building in Manhattan. 

It's Beaux Art Chateau style architecture was popular in the late 19th century.

 Architect: Henry Hardenburgh

 In 1904 The Ansonia was called the most technologically advanced apartment house in the world. 

     Architect: Grave and Duboy  built (1899-1904)

Apartment house living spread from New York to the rest of the country.

1930 Art Deco Buildings - The San Remo Apartments

An ad for the San Remo in the NY Times in April 1930 called it :

As modern as a flying boat, as luxurious as the Ile de France and designed for people who are at home on both. Birds in the sky are your only neighbors.

      Architect: Emory Roth's 27 story Masterpiece

After World War II the New York apartment buildings became flat panels of brick and glass, lacking shape, color, texture, and ornamants.  

 1950 Brick Buildings                                                           

1960 Buildings were white brick - Wedding cake style  

     New York Towers built in 1966

1970 

     Buildings made of concrete have set back vertical rectangles with balconies

1980    

     Brick facade with glass - post modern

1990

     Distinctive Brick  facade of the 90's

2000 Glass Towers of the New Millenium

         165 Charles Street: Architecht Richard Meier

Blog by: Mitchell Hall 

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