175 Lexington Avenue (New York City, New York)

USA / New Jersey / West New York / New York City, New York / Lexington Avenue, 175
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6-story Neo-Renaissance residential building completed in 1905 as a tenement. Designed by Bernstein & Bernstein, it is clad in buff-colored brick with light-grey terra-cotta trim above a light-grey stone ground floor (and brick basement level). The main entrance is just north of center on the west facade, atop a 3-step stoop, with a black wood-and-glass door and wide sidelight and transom, set in a segmental-arched surround with an egg-and-dart molding and an acanthus-leaf keystone. To the left is a segmental-arched double-window, and to the right are two segmental-arched single-windows and another double-window. Above both double-windows are paneled, projecting stone bases (carried on acanthus-leaf brackets) for the slightly-projecting outer bays on the upper floors.

The upper floors have paired windows in the outer bays, which have angled ends, and three single-windows in the middle section, with the southern two spaced closer together. The outer bays have banded terra-cotta surrounds at the 2nd floor, with all the 2nd-floor windows having splayed terra-cotta lintels and keystones (differing designs between the middle and outer bays). On the 3rd & 4th floors the outer bays have round-eared lintels with keystones, and the middle bay has splayed lintels with scrolled keystones. These also appear on the 5th floor's middle bay, but with roaring lion's head keystones, while the outer bays have rounded lintels with pointed tops crowned by small finials. A black-painted band sets off the 6th floor, which has round-arched windows with terra-cotta architraves, the outer bays with small keystones. A black metal fire escape with intricate railings on the landings runs down the middle of the facade, which is crowned by a black metal roof cornice with brackets, modillions, dentils, and swags.

The longer north facade on 31st Street has a narrow areaway in front of the basement, enclosed by black iron fencing, exposing more of the basement brick and four single-windows. The west end bay projects out from the top of the ground floor, with paired windows (the western one having been bricked in at each floor). At the ground floor there is only one opening in the west end bay. The rest of this floor has seven single-windows and a double-window at the east end bay, all segmental-arched.

The upper floors have three single-windows next to the west end bay, then another trio of windows where the middle window is much smaller, and then four more single-windows. The terra-cotta ornament is similar to that seen on the west facade, and the roof cornice continues across this elevation.

The rear, east-facing facade lacks the ornament of the two main facades, is largely smooth-stuccoed, and has four bays of single-windows with a small fire escape at the south end. The building contains 19 apartment units.
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Coordinates:   40°44'39"N   73°58'51"W
This article was last modified 4 months ago