Iguana

 restaurant, commercial building, Mexican cuisine

4-story mercantile building completed in 1917, when the two older adjoining structures at Nos. 238 & 240 West 54th (dating from around 1880) were joined and renovated. A new facade of beige stucco was added as part of the renovation. At the ground floor there are two metal-and-glass doors at the west end, and another up a couple steps to the left. At the left half of the ground floor, another set of low steps leads to a third doorway, the main entrance, and there is a large bay of windows at the east end, fronted by a small patio area. The piers at the ground floor are faced in stainless-steel with a brushed diamond pattern. There are three sloped red-and-white striped canvas awnings at the ground floor, topped by undulating metal canopies.

At the 2nd floor the east half of the facade has a wide band of windows, and the 3rd & 4th floors each have a triple-window next to a single-window, with small awnings. A tiled roof line caps this section. To the right, the west part (which is narrower) has no openings above the ground floor, but does have two small, projecting signs, green neon letters running vertically that spell "IGUANA", and a large metal sculpture of an iguana to their right, facing down with its tail extending upward. This section is taller than the other one, and ends with a stone cornice broken by a rounded pediment.

The building is occupied by Iguana Mexican Restaurant and Dance Lounge, offering three floors of dining and dancing.

iguananyc.com‎