Best & Co Department Store Building
USA /
New Jersey /
West New York /
Fifth Avenue, 372
World
/ USA
/ New Jersey
/ West New York
apartment building
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11-story cooperative-apartment building originally completed in 1910 with six floors. Built for Best & Co. as a department store, it was expanded it by three floors in 1928 and added a 12-story annex at 7 West 35th Street. In 1947 Best & Co. took over the former Union Club building on the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue and 51st Street and leased its 35th Street site to Bond Stores, which hired Morris Lapidus to redesign the interiors. Bond remained here until the mid-1970s. Eventually two more floors were added to the main building when the building was converted by Ganbir Limited to a cooperative apartment building in 1981, with 118 units.
The building is clad in limestone, except for the ground floor which is faced in polished red granite. The east facade is six bays wide, and the south facade eight bays. The ground floor is lined with storefronts under dark red canvas awnings, with the main entrance at the west end of the south facade, despite the building's Fifth Avenue address. The entrance is deeply recessed, with a set of recessed steps, and a rounded canopy extending out over the sidewalk.
On both facades, the end bays are separated out further from the middle bays. A cornice runs above the 2nd floor and acts as a sill course for the 3rd-floor windows. The middle bays on the east facade are wider, with tripartite frames and transoms, while those on the south facade are divided horizontally into a wider and a narrower pane, also with transoms. All the windows have black metal panels above the transoms. Those at the end bays have projecting stone surrounds, with corbelled sills, and at the 2nd floor, cornices carried on scrolled brackets. The 8th-floor openings have stone surrounds, without the sills.
Both facades set back above a band course at the top of the 8th floor, except for the westernmost bay on the south side, which extends up to the 10th floor. The upper penthouse levels are recessed, with rows of single-windows at the lower penthouse, and more widely-spaced openings surrounds by a garden terrace at the upper penthouse. The ground floor is occupied by Fifth Avenue Barber Shop, Dunkin' Donuts, and Rainbow shoes.
The building is clad in limestone, except for the ground floor which is faced in polished red granite. The east facade is six bays wide, and the south facade eight bays. The ground floor is lined with storefronts under dark red canvas awnings, with the main entrance at the west end of the south facade, despite the building's Fifth Avenue address. The entrance is deeply recessed, with a set of recessed steps, and a rounded canopy extending out over the sidewalk.
On both facades, the end bays are separated out further from the middle bays. A cornice runs above the 2nd floor and acts as a sill course for the 3rd-floor windows. The middle bays on the east facade are wider, with tripartite frames and transoms, while those on the south facade are divided horizontally into a wider and a narrower pane, also with transoms. All the windows have black metal panels above the transoms. Those at the end bays have projecting stone surrounds, with corbelled sills, and at the 2nd floor, cornices carried on scrolled brackets. The 8th-floor openings have stone surrounds, without the sills.
Both facades set back above a band course at the top of the 8th floor, except for the westernmost bay on the south side, which extends up to the 10th floor. The upper penthouse levels are recessed, with rows of single-windows at the lower penthouse, and more widely-spaced openings surrounds by a garden terrace at the upper penthouse. The ground floor is occupied by Fifth Avenue Barber Shop, Dunkin' Donuts, and Rainbow shoes.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 40°44'57"N 73°59'3"W
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