Tuesday, August 14, 2012

640 West End Avenue: A Neighborhood Favorite!

A guest post by IHDF intern Jonathan Ortiz

My favorite building on the Upper West Side is 640 West End Avenue, at West 91st Street. It is my favorite because it stands out from a mile away. One side of the building is almost completely covered in ivy, which in my opinion gives it a very good, mesmerizing look. I mainly like it because it doesn't follow the standard look of buildings in the area, it has its own identity.

Because this building captured my attention, I did some research. here are some things I found interesting: The building was designed by the architecture firm Townsend, Steinle & Haskell in 1912. It has a three-story rusticated limestone base with the rest of the building being grey brick. The entrance does not have a canopy, but instead two polished granite columns and a broken pediment reveal on the second floor window above the entrance. And here's a fun fact - 640 West End Avenue was used in an episode of Seinfeld as the exterior of Mr. Pitt's apartment building.

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