The Astor Condominium

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Designed c. 1900 by Clinton & Russell in the Renaissance Revival style for interests of William Waldorf Astor. Astor hired the ubiquitous New York City architects Clinton and Russell to design the two southern towers of The Astor in 1901. In 1914, William Waldorf Astor hired another Gilded Age architecture firm, Peabody, Wilson & Brown, to design a third tower for The Astor. The third tower, completed within a year, is structurally and aesthetically similar to both original towers. This “newer tower” is four stories taller as it accommodated larger penthouse-style apartments for the wealthy businessmen who were becoming increasingly attracted to the Upper West Side. This attraction was based on its close proximity to Central Park, the first subway line, and bustling Broadway, which served as the primary corridor connecting uptown to Wall Street.

By the 1970s, this apartment complex was a single-room occupancy hotel known as the West Side Towers. It was converted back to apartments under the name Astor Apartments in 1977. Currently the building is known as “The Astor” and serves as a condominium.