Once upon a time in upper- and middle-class America it was socially unthinkable for more than one family to live under one roof, even though the Europeans had been at it for centuries. But once the idea of apartment dwelling caught on, Americans took it up with a vengeance. And nowhere was the concept of the luxury apartment taken up in greater, more flamboyant style than in New York City. This magnificently illustrated book-there are over 100 line drawings of representative apartment floor plans and over 100 black-and-white photographs splendidly reveals the architectural and decorative details of life at the top in Manhattan. From the East Side to the West, here are the vital statistics on seventy-three of New York City's best luxury apartment addresses, from vintage structures such as the Dakota and the Dorilton to the more contemporary Olympic Tower. Along with the many illustrations, author Andrew Alpern, AIA, includes fascinating mini-histories of each building, noting the architect, builder, date of construction, and subsequent alterations, and elaborating on the building's design, decor and social history. The range in style of the buildings included is dazzling. The Majestic is pure Art Deco. The Kenilworth is French Second Empire. One tenant called the Dakota "Middle-European Post Office." 44 West 77th Street was originally so outrageously ornate that The Architectural Record once called it "An Apartment House Aberration." Butterfield House and the Tower East offer crisp, modern contrasts. -- from book cover.
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