New York City is one of the most exciting places in the world. As an epicenter for the arts, media, and culture, New York has a rich history and a promising future, told mainly through its architecture. Perhaps more known for iconic buildings like the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, or even mega-tall residential towers like 432 Park Avenue that have been on the rise, New York also has an abundance of buildings that tell a different story about the history of the Big Apple.
The following list features 10 lesser-known historic buildings that can’t be missed on your visit to New York City. From one-of-a-kind post-modern lobbies by the famed Kevin Roche and John Dinkeloo, castle-like apartments where some of the world's most famous celebrities live, and windowless towers rumored to be CIA hideouts, these buildings provide insight into what New York was like before enormous glass skyscrapers began to dot the skyline.
Historic Hidden Gems
60 Wall Street / Kevin Roche & John Dinkeloo
While the unique form and decor of the exterior make this 47-story Pomo building interesting, its lobby, which is accessible from both Wall Street and Pine Street, is really the main attraction. Outfitted with large rocks, palm trees, a flashy latticework ceiling, and columns that feel like an ode to Egyptian revival designs, there is no space quite like it in New York City. Unfortunately, this privately owned public space, or POPS, may be demolished soon to make way for a more modern corporate office interior.
AT&T Long Lines Building / John Carl Warnecke
Also known as 33 Thomas Street, the AT&T Long Lines building is a 550-foot tall windowless skyscraper in the TriBeCa neighborhood of Manhattan. For years, there was much speculation about its program, with many people believing it to be an outpost for CIA operatives. In actuality, the building serves as the world’s largest long-distance phone call processing center, once processing 175 million phone calls a day. By far one of the most unusual skyscrapers in the city, it’s also one of the best examples of Brutalism.
Pythian Temple / Thomas Lamb
The Pythian Temple is a historic Knights of Pythias building on West 70th street in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan. It was originally built to serve as a hub for the 120 Pythian lodges of the city, and later housed a recording studio. Today, it stands as an 88-unit luxury condominium building. The entrance is an over-the-top example of an Egyptian revival temple, done with an Art Deco twist. Its architect was well-versed in ornament, having designed many theaters across the city. The exterior features many Egyptian forms, including Pharaonic figures as column capitals.
Municipal Asphalt Plant / Ely Jacques Kahn and Robert Allan Jacobs
Designed to fit the residential character of the neighborhood with an industrial flare, the Municipal Asphalt Plant was the first parabolic-arched building in the United States to use reinforced concrete. The exterior features four arched ribs and the walls and roof are made of cast-in-place concrete panels. In the 1970s, the city opened recreational fields outside of the plant, dubbing them Asphalt Green, and becoming one of the largest outdoor community sports facilities in the area.
The Dakota / Henry Janeway Hardenbergh
The Dakota Apartment building was built in the late 1800s and is located in the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan. Designed in the Renaissance Revival style, the building was one of the first large developments in the area and is the oldest remaining luxury apartment building in the city. The building is designed as a large square with a central “I”-shaped courtyard, through which all apartments can be accessed. The façade includes large dormers, terracotta spandrels, niches, and balustrades. Many celebrities have called The Dakota home over the years, including John Lennon, Judy Garland, and Bono.
American Radiator Building / Raymond Hood and André Fouilhoux
Now called the American Standard Building, this landmark skyscraper is located in midtown Manhattan, near Bryant Park. It was built in 1924, combining gothic and modern architectural styles, breaking away from classical details that dominated skyscrapers at that time. Decorated to pay homage to the American Radiator Company, its façade is clad in black brick, symbolizing coal and emphasizing the building’s solid mass. It also features gold bricks, representing fire, and the entrance contains black mirrors.
Greenwich Savings Bank / York and Sawyer
The Greenwich Savings Bank, also known as the Haier Building, was once the headquarters of the Greenwich Savings bank for more than 50 years in the 20th century. Designed in a classical revival style, the exterior features rusticated stone blocks and Corinthian colonnades. The bank’s interior is a large, elliptical-shaped room with limestone columns, a granite floor, and a domed ceiling with a skylight.
The Woolworth Building / Cass Gilbert
Constructed in the early 20th century, the Woolworth Building was designed in a neo-Gothic style in lower Manhattan. Opposite city hall, the skyscraper stands 792 feet tall and was the tallest building in the world for 17 years (until the completion of 40 wall street). The building was once dubbed the “Cathedral of Commerce” due to its status as an iconic headquarters site and its resemblance to historic European churches. At one time, a record company housed a recording studio within the tower.
The San Remo / Emery Roth
One of the most desirable apartments in New York City, the iconic San Remo has one of the most distinctive silhouettes in the skyline. Located in the Upper West Side neighborhood, the building offers incredible views of Central Park. The massing is split into two twin towers each has ten floors, originally designed to conceal the building’s water tanks. The San Remo features two addresses, as each tower has its own separate entrance and elevator lobby. It’s rumored that the south tower residences are more desirable as they were not subdivided when the building experienced financial troubles during the Great Depression.
Ford Foundation / Kevin Roche & John Dinkeloo
The Ford Foundation building on the east side of Manhattan features one of the most iconic building atriums in the entire city. Although it was recently renovated, its original design and intent were largely preserved, paying homage to Roche and Dinkeloo’s masterpiece. The lobby space is open to the public, where guests can walk around the terraced garden spaces and look up 160 feet into the Ford Foundation’s offices.
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