The Raymond C. and Mildred Kramer House is an early Modern 6,800 square foot townhouse at 32 East 74th Street (between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue ) in the Upper East Side Historic District in Manhattan , New York City, New York, United States.
77-604: The Lescaze House is a four-story house at 211 East 48th Street in the East Midtown and Turtle Bay neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City . It is along the northern sidewalk of 48th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue . The Lescaze House at 211 East 48th Street was designed by William Lescaze in the International Style between 1933 and 1934 as a renovation of a 19th-century brownstone townhouse . It
154-433: A college education or higher. The percentage of Midtown Manhattan students excelling in math rose from 61% in 2000 to 80% in 2011 and reading achievement increased from 66% to 68% during the same time period. Midtown Manhattan's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is lower than the rest of New York City. In Midtown Manhattan, 19% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per school year , less than
231-563: A depth of 100 feet (30 m). Nearby buildings include Turtle Bay Gardens to the east, as well as Amster Yard and the Morris B. Sanders Studio & Apartment to the north. Numerous masonry houses with brick or brownstone facades were developed in Turtle Bay starting in the 1860s. These buildings usually occupied land lots that were at most 20 feet (6.1 m) wide and had classically inspired design features such as cornices and porticos . In
308-465: A dining room that contained metal-tube chairs with upholstery, a rosewood table, and walls with two hues of gray paint. Additionally, chenille curtains were used for the windows, while the floors were made of gray rubber padding. The house was the city's first private residence with central air conditioning. Indirect lighting was also used throughout the house. The interior originally used a color scheme with various hues of yellow, blue, gray, and white. At
385-507: A low population of residents who are uninsured . In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 11%, slightly less than the citywide rate of 12%. The concentration of fine particulate matter , the deadliest type of air pollutant , in Midtown Manhattan is 0.0113 milligrams per cubic metre (1.13 × 10 oz/cu ft), more than the city average. Eleven percent of Midtown Manhattan residents are smokers , which
462-419: A lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 81.2% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported 8 murders, 23 rapes, 653 robberies, 502 felony assaults, 660 burglaries, 2,375 grand larcenies, and 68 grand larcenies auto in 2022. The main part of midtown Manhattan, between 34th and 59th Streets from Lexington Avenue to Eighth Avenue, is served by five fire stations of
539-587: A major force in Midtown Manhattan's economy, and indeed the city's, as the total value of all New York City property was estimated at US$ 914.8 billion for the 2015 fiscal year . Manhattan has perennially been home to some of the nation's, as well as one of the world's, most marketable real estate, including the Time Warner Center , which had the highest-listed market value in the city in 2006 at US$ 1.1 billion, to be subsequently surpassed in October 2014 by
616-567: A number of private languages and music centers (e.g. Berlitz , American Language Communication Center, New York Language Center, Swan Music School, and the New York Youth Symphony ). The La Scuola d'Italia Guglielmo Marconi Italian international school moved to West Midtown in 2016. The New York Public Library (NYPL) operates the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (also the Main Branch),
693-959: A program aimed at creating "a 24/7, live-work, mixed-use neighborhood" in Midtown South though the conversion of commercial and office space to residential, as part of an effort to create 20,000 new residences citywide in a decade. According to The Broadway League , shows on Broadway sold approximately US$ 1.54 billion worth of tickets in both the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 seasons. Both seasons featured theater attendance of approximately 12.3 million each. Companies that used to have their headquarters in Midtown Manhattan include American Airlines , American Comics Group , American Overseas Airlines , Central Park Media , Eastern Air Lines , GoodTimes Entertainment , LJN , NewKidCo , Pan American World Airways , Philip Morris Companies (now Altria Group ), Trans Caribbean Airways , and Trans World Airlines . In 1997, Aer Lingus announced that it
770-657: A reference branch at 476 Fifth Avenue. The four-story building, constructed in 1911, is known worldwide for its architecture and has several million items in its collections. There are also five circulating branches in Midtown: Two campuses of the City University of New York (CUNY)—the doctorate-granting CUNY Graduate Center and the Stella and Charles Guttman Community College —are located in Midtown, while Baruch College , also of
847-432: A roof terrace was installed above this addition to offset the loss of part of the rear yard. The roof doubled as a sundeck. Outside the dining room at the rear of the first story, is a patio with a short flight of stairs leading up to the annex's roof terrace. The balcony and roof terrace both contained glass-tile floors on its roof to illuminate the rooms below. These glass tiles are made of solid blocks for strength. In 2021,
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#1732852606972924-422: A skylight at the center of its ceiling. As of 2021, the living room was being split into a family room in the front and a bedroom in the rear. A fourth story was proposed to be added atop the living room, with a lounge in the front and a guest bedroom in the rear. In Lescaze's original design, a narrow staircase with a wooden railing connected all of the stories. A hydraulic elevator also connects each story. In 2021,
1001-467: Is 41% in Midtown Manhattan, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 45% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018 , Midtown Manhattan is considered to be high-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying . Midtown Manhattan is patrolled by two precincts of the NYPD . Midtown North is patrolled by the 18th Precinct, located at 306 West 54th Street, while Midtown South
1078-643: Is also growing in Midtown Manhattan based upon the city's strength in academic scientific research and public and commercial financial support. By mid-2014, Accelerator, a biotech investment firm, had raised more than US$ 30 million from investors , including Eli Lilly and Company , Pfizer , and Johnson & Johnson , for initial funding to create biotechnology startups at the Alexandria Center for Life Science, which encompasses more than 700,000 square feet (65,000 m ) on East 29th Street and promotes collaboration among scientists and entrepreneurs at
1155-427: Is an eat-in kitchen at the front of the residence, as well as an office (formerly a dining room) at the rear. On the second story are two offices, which consist of the former guest room at the front and the former master bedroom at the rear. The third story contains the living room. The living room has a fireplace with refractory bricks. The living room was originally entirely illuminated by indirect lighting and contained
1232-690: Is commonly defined to be 59th Street ; its southern boundary is less clear, and variously taken to be 34th Street , 23rd Street , or even 14th Street . Midtown spans the entire island of Manhattan along an east–west axis, bounded by the East River on its east and the Hudson River to its west. The Encyclopedia of New York City defines Midtown as extending from 34th Street to 59th Street and from 3rd Avenue to 8th Avenue. In addition to its central business district , Midtown Manhattan encompasses many neighborhoods, including Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea on
1309-546: Is considered to be the busiest transportation hub in the Western Hemisphere , servicing around 650,000 people per day. The Port Authority Bus Terminal , located at Eighth Avenue and 41st Street at the western edge of Midtown, is the city's main intercity bus terminal and the world's busiest bus station, serving 250,000 passengers on 7,000 buses each workday. The building opened in 1950 and had been designed to accommodate 60,000 daily passengers. A 2021 plan announced by
1386-701: Is higher than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 86% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", more than the city's average of 78%. For every supermarket in Midtown Manhattan, there are 11 bodegas . The nearest major hospitals are Mount Sinai West in Hell's Kitchen ; Beth Israel Medical Center in Stuyvesant Town ; the Bellevue Hospital Center and NYU Langone Medical Center in Kips Bay ; and NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital in
1463-496: Is higher than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. Most inhabitants are adults: a plurality (45%) are between the ages of 25 and 44, while 22% are between 45 and 64, and 13% are 65 or older. The ratio of youth and college-aged residents was lower, at 7% and 12% respectively. As of 2017, the median household income in Community Districts 4 and 5 (including Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen )
1540-470: Is less than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 297 per 100,000 people is lower than that of the city as a whole. The 18th Precinct has a lower crime rate than it did in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 82.1% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported 1 murder, 22 rapes, 154 robberies, 185 felony assaults, 205 burglaries, 2,065 grand larcenies, and 116 grand larcenies auto in 2022. The 14th Precinct also has
1617-407: Is less than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. In Midtown Manhattan, 10% of residents are obese , 5% are diabetic , and 18% have high blood pressure —compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively. In addition, 9% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%. Ninety-one percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which
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#17328526069721694-496: Is located at 421 8th Avenue. The post office stopped 24-hour service in 2009 due to decreasing mail traffic. Midtown Manhattan generally has a higher rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city as of 2018 . A majority of residents age 25 and older (78%) have a college education or higher, while 6% have less than a high school education and 17% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 64% of Manhattan residents and 43% of city residents have
1771-918: Is located in Midtown Manhattan. Haier operates its United States offices in the Haier Building at 1356 Broadway, formerly the headquarters of the Greenwich Savings Bank . Haier held the opening ceremony on March 4, 2002. Sumitomo Corporation operates its New York Office, the headquarters of the corporation's United States operations, at 600 Third Avenue, 10016 in the Murray Hill neighborhood. El Al 's North American headquarters are in Midtown. The Air France USA regional headquarters are in 125 West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Hachette Book Group USA has its headquarters in 237 Park Avenue . In 1994 Alitalia considered moving its USA headquarters from Midtown to Lower Manhattan , but decided to keep
1848-1273: Is one of the world's leading financial centers. Midtown Manhattan is the one of the world's largest central business district , with 400 million square feet (37.2 million m ) of office space in 2018. Midtown contains the headquarters of major companies, including 4Kids Entertainment (formerly), Barnes & Noble , Bloomberg L.P. , Ernst & Young , Calvin Klein , Cantor Fitzgerald , CBS Corporation , Citigroup , Colgate-Palmolive , Cushman & Wakefield , DC Comics , Deloitte , Duane Reade , Estée Lauder Companies , Foot Locker , Frederator Studios , JPMorgan Chase , Hess Corporation , Kroll Inc. , L-3 Communications , Marsh & McLennan Companies , Marvel Entertainment , MetLife , MidOcean Partners , Morgan Stanley , Nasdaq, Inc. , NBCUniversal , The New York Times Company , NexCen Brands , Paramount Global , Pfizer , Polo Ralph Lauren , Saks Incorporated ( Saks Fifth Avenue ), The Sharper Image , Simon & Schuster , Six Flags , TBWA Worldwide , Thomson Reuters , Warner Bros. Discovery , Time Warner Cable , The Travelers Companies , and Univision Communications . The New York Institute of Finance
1925-517: Is one of three houses in Manhattan designed by Lescaze. The four-story building contains a facade of white-painted stucco blocks and glass block windows. The glass blocks, the first to be used on a building in New York City, were installed to provide insulation and privacy while also allowing illumination. The house was designed to accommodate his office at the bottom and his family's residence on
2002-482: Is part of 10001. Other areas between 14th and 34th Streets are covered by ZIP Codes 10003, 10009, 10010, and 10011, though these are generally not considered to be part of Midtown proper. There are also thirty-three ZIP Codes assigned to individual buildings or building complexes. The United States Postal Service operates six post offices in Midtown: The James A. Farley Station , the city's main post office,
2079-430: Is patrolled by the 14th Precinct, located at 357 West 35th Street. The precincts ranked 69th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010. The high per-capita crime rate can be attributed to the low population of the area, as well as the high number of crimes committed against tourists. As of 2018 , with a non-fatal assault rate of 25 per 100,000 people, Midtown Manhattan's rate of violent crimes per capita
2156-409: Is the busiest transportation hub in the Western Hemisphere . Midtown Manhattan is the largest central business district in the world, and has been ranked as the densest central business district in the world in terms of employees, at 606,108 per square mile (234,020/km ). Midtown also ranks among the world's most expensive locations for real estate; Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan has commanded
2233-482: The Associated Press , William and Mary Lescaze "had about as much privacy as a traffic cop". The couple agreed to invite passersby to look at the house for one hour each Monday. They then left a servant to tend to the house every Monday while they traveled elsewhere. Despite this, Mary Lescaze said the couple was not afraid of stone-throwers, as "the stones will simply rattle off". The couple's only son, Lee Lescaze ,
2310-426: The International Style between 1933 and 1934. The house is a redesign of an Italianate -style brownstone residence, constructed in 1865 by Elias and Daniel Herbert as part of a row of brownstone residences on the same block. It is among New York City's few remaining structures designed by architects or artists as their own residences. The house accommodated Lescaze's office at the bottom and his family's residence on
2387-629: The Ladies' Mile , along Fifth Avenue from 14th to 23rd Street; and the Tenderloin , from 23rd to 42nd Street and from Fifth Avenue to Seventh Avenue . Important streets and thoroughfares The border of Midtown Manhattan is nebulous and further confused by the fact that the term "Midtown Manhattan" can be used to refer either to a district or a group of neighborhoods and districts in Manhattan: Midtown Manhattan, along with Lower Manhattan ,
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2464-563: The New York City Fire Department (FDNY): The greater Midtown area between 14th Street and 59th Street contains seven additional fire stations. As of 2018 , preterm births and births to teenage mothers in Midtown Manhattan are lower than the city average. In Midtown Manhattan, there were 67 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 4 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). Midtown Manhattan has
2541-634: The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated the Lescaze House as a New York City landmark. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 19, 1980. Lescaze's family continued to own the house for sixteen years after his death. The William Kaufman Organization acquired the Lescaze House and the adjacent property at 209 East 48th Street in 1985. Melvyn and Robert Kaufman,
2618-553: The Upper East Side . Midtown Manhattan is located within six primary ZIP Codes . West of Fifth Avenue, Midtown is located in 10018 between 34th and 41st Streets, 10036 between 41st and 48th Streets, and 10019 between 48th and 59th Streets. East of Fifth Avenue, Midtown is located in 10016 between 34th and 40th Streets, 10017 between 40th and 49th Streets, and 10022 between 49th and 59th Streets. The area southwest of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street, sometimes considered to be in Midtown,
2695-499: The Upper East Side . The design of the Lescaze House inspired businessman Raymond C. Kramer to hire Lescaze to design the 74th Street property in a similar style. The Lescaze House was characterized by Ada Louise Huxtable in 1961 as "still extraordinarily contemporary after more than twenty-five years". Steve Dougherty, writing for The New York Times in 2002, stated that the "house puts the much more recent buildings nearby to shame". Architectural writer Robert A. M. Stern wrote that
2772-635: The Waldorf Astoria New York , which became the most expensive hotel ever sold after being purchased by the Anbang Insurance Group, based in China, for US$ 1.95 billion . In the same year, six of the top ten most expensive zip codes in the United States by median housing price were located in Manhattan, underscoring the borough's dominant position in the real estate market. When 450 Park Avenue
2849-474: The 211 East 48th Street brownstone in 1933, Lescaze married Mary Connick Hughes. In August 1933, William Lescaze submitted plans to the New York City Department of Buildings for a modification to the 19th-century brownstone at 211 East 48th Street. The four-story brownstone townhouse had been classified as a single-family home, but Lescaze proposed converting the basement to commercial use, retaining
2926-664: The City University of New York, is located in Midtown South. Mercy College is situated at Herald Square . Pennsylvania Station and Grand Central Terminal are the two major railroad stations located in Midtown Manhattan. Penn Station serves Amtrak , NJ Transit , and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), while Grand Central serves the Metro-North Railroad and also serves the LIRR at Grand Central Madison . Penn Station
3003-479: The Morris Sanders Studios and 212 East 49th Street one block north. As of 2018, the building has 7,000 square feet (650 m) of floor area. Lescaze designed the interior with a neutral color palette that reflected sunlight. The design was meant to let in large amounts of light given the building's small width. Lescaze also made custom furniture and furnishings for his residence. These furnishings included
3080-611: The Port Authority would spend $ 10 billion to expand capacity and modernize the facility. The New York City Subway and MTA Regional Bus Operations each operate several routes that go through Midtown. Additionally, the PATH train to New Jersey terminates at 33rd Street and Sixth Avenue in Midtown. Traffic congestion is common, especially for crosstown traffic. In 2011, a new system of traffic light control, known as "Midtown in Motion"
3157-592: The United Nations, and consulates-general accredited to the United States, in Midtown Manhattan. In addition, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office of the Republic of China ( Taiwan ) is in Midtown Manhattan. 32 East 74th Street Its architect was Swiss-born-and-trained William Lescaze , and it was built for textile merchant and U.S. Colonel Raymond C. Kramer and his wife from 1934 to 1935. In 2008,
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3234-433: The United States achieved completion in Midtown Manhattan, at a selling price of US$ 238 million, for a 24,000 square feet (2,200 m ) penthouse apartment overlooking Central Park at 220 Central Park South . The COVID-19 pandemic and hybrid work models have prompted consideration of commercial-to-residential conversion within the neighborhood's real estate sector. In August 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced
3311-643: The West Side, and Murray Hill , Kips Bay , Turtle Bay , and Gramercy Park on the East Side. It is sometimes broken into "Midtown East" and "Midtown West", or north and south as in the New York City Police Department 's Midtown North and Midtown South precincts. Neighborhoods in the Midtown area include the following: Midtown is the original district in the United States to bear the name and included historical but now defunct neighborhoods such as
3388-496: The brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway Theater District , is a major center of the world's entertainment industry. Sixth Avenue also has the headquarters of three of the four major U.S. television networks . Midtown is part of Manhattan Community District 5 . It is patrolled by the 14th and 18th precincts of the New York City Police Department . Geographically, the northern boundary of Midtown Manhattan
3465-401: The center and with nearby academic, medical, and research institutions. The New York City Economic Development Corporation 's Early Stage Life Sciences Funding Initiative and venture capital partners, including Celgene , General Electric Ventures, and Eli Lilly, committed a minimum of US$ 100 million to help launch 15 to 20 ventures in life sciences and biotechnology. Real estate is
3542-729: The central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan , serving as the city's primary central business district . Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building , the Chrysler Building , the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project , the headquarters of the United Nations , Grand Central Terminal , and Rockefeller Center , as well as several prominent tourist destinations, including Broadway , Times Square , and Koreatown . Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan
3619-411: The citywide average of 20%. Additionally, 92% of high school students in Midtown Manhattan graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%. There are no public elementary or middle schools in Midtown. The New York City Department of Education operates the following public high schools in Midtown, serving grades 9–12: Private schools include The Beekman School , Rebecca School , and
3696-469: The early 20th century, some of these houses were renovated with new interiors or exteriors. By then, a large portion of Turtle Bay's population was involved in the arts or architecture, and structures such as the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design and the residential Turtle Bay Gardens and Beaux-Arts Apartments were constructed for this community. The Lescaze House was designed by William Lescaze in
3773-411: The elevator was proposed to be extended upward to the fourth floor. The basement and first floor are extended at the house's rear into part of what was originally the garden. The annex stories are slightly raised above the main house's stories. Within the annex at basement level, a stair led up to the library in the annex's basement and led down to another studio in the annex's cellar. At the first story,
3850-547: The first through third floors as a residence. Lescaze's original plans called for central air-conditioning. Due to objections over the proposed zoning of the building, the city government rejected Lescaze's initial proposals to modify the house. Lescaze resubmitted his plans for his house in December 1933 and, in an amendment the next month, clarified that the glass-block windows would enable ventilation and air-conditioning equipment to be installed. The glass block tiles were delivered to
3927-405: The front of the basement office was a reception room that originally contained a counter. The reception room had a plaster ceiling with sound-absorbing tiles. Behind the reception room was a bathroom, storage room, and a studio on the left side of the office, all connected by a corridor on the left side. Below the basement, there is a cellar that had storage and a mechanical room. On the first floor
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#17328526069724004-433: The full width of each floor. The hollow glass blocks measure 5-by-5-inch (130 mm × 130 mm) across and 2.5 inches (64 mm) thick. The glass block wall on the third floor lit the living room, but had no movable windows, as the top floor had air conditioning. The living room's glass wall is the largest in the house, with 680 glass blocks. The guest room at the front of the second floor had no air conditioning, so
4081-534: The glass block walls were fitted with two movable windows. The master bedroom at the rear of the second floor is slightly curved outward in an "S" shape. The glass blocks on the facade were made by the Macbeth-Evans Glass Company. The glass blocks served to reduce heat, provide privacy, and allow light to pass through. Translucent glass blocks were used at the front of the second-floor bedroom and third-floor living room. The first-floor kitchen, as well as
4158-457: The glass blocks. Sage completely renovated the Lescaze House sometime before 2011. By 2015, the building contained both a residence and a commercial unit. According to Gothamist , representatives of Sage researched the house's history before making modifications. Some time afterward, the 48th Street facade was restored to its original appearance; the stucco was painted and glass blocks were installed to Lescaze's original specifications. The interior
4235-507: The house but stayed on the sidewalk until the building department approved the revised plans in February 1934. The Lescaze family moved into the house in June 1934. The design of the Lescaze House inspired similar renovations to other structures in the neighborhood, including four townhouses on 49th Street in the 1930s and 1940s. The Lescaze House initially attracted so much attention that, according to
4312-447: The house's historic design. In 2020, the house was sold again to Hendale LLC. The Lescaze House is at 211 East 48th Street in the East Midtown and Turtle Bay neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City . It is along the northern sidewalk of 48th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue . The house has a frontage of 16.58 feet (5.05 m) along 48th Street. The land lot has an area of 1,666 square feet (154.8 m) and
4389-493: The last of the structures to be sold, when Hendale LLC purchased it for $ 3.8 million in March 2020. The following January, architecture firm Turett Collaborative submitted renovation plans for the Lescaze House to the LPC. The company proposed repairing the exterior, consolidating mechanical equipment on the roof, and excavating the rear yard. Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is
4466-510: The neighborhood was 64.1% (18,351) White , 4.6% (1,310) African American , 0.1% (34) Native American , 20.8% (5,942) Asian , 0% (8) Pacific Islander , 0.3% (92) from other races , and 2% (569) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 8.1% (2,324) of the population. The entirety of Community District 5, which comprises Midtown Manhattan, had 53,120 inhabitants as of NYC Health 's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 84.8 years. This
4543-510: The neighboring rowhouse at 209 East 48th Street. After William Lescaze's death in 1969, Mary continued to maintain the property. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Lescaze House as an official landmark in 1976, and the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The house was sold in 1985 to the William Kaufman Organization, which conducted renovations but largely maintained
4620-701: The offices where they were at the last minute. Global Infrastructure Partners has an office in Midtown Manhattan. Silicon Alley , the common metonym for New York City's high tech sector, is based in Midtown South , specifically the Flatiron District . Prominent Silicon Alley companies in Midtown include AppNexus , Blue Apron , Gilt , Betterment , Oscar , SoFi , Rent the Runway , Warby Parker , and WeWork . The technology sector has been expanding across Midtown Manhattan since 2010. The biotechnology sector
4697-494: The original 1865 brownstone. The office itself had a wall of glass blocks that separated it from the street, providing privacy while still letting sunlight in. On the left side of the house, a stoop leads up to the Lescaze family's main residence on the first floor. The stoop was retained from the original brownstone design. The second and third floors of the front facade are nearly identical, with large glass-block windows across almost
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#17328526069724774-429: The rear, used transparent blocks because these rooms did not need as much privacy. At night, when the Lescaze family turned on the lights, the glass block facade appeared to be illuminated. According to Architectural Forum , this allowed the facade to be "at night as frankly expressive of the life within as it is by day". The Lescaze House's glass block exterior inspired the use of the material on nearby structures, such as
4851-643: The skylights were proposed for cleaning, and the rear yard was proposed to be lowered to the annex's cellar. William Lescaze was born in Onex, Switzerland , near Geneva , in 1896. He received his diploma from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich in 1919 and founded his business in New York City in 1923. Lescaze partnered with George Howe to design structures such as Philadelphia's PSFS Building , an early International Style skyscraper. Just after buying
4928-491: The subsequent owners of the house, were looking for a tenant by 2001. Although the glass blocks used in the windows were no longer being manufactured, the LPC insisted that any replacements be to the same specifications as the original design. According to a spokesman for SageGroupAssociates (later Sage Realty), which leased property on behalf of the Kaufman Organization, a Pennsylvania studio had agreed to make replicas of
5005-420: The townhouse was sold for $ 12 million, and in 2015 it was sold for $ 15.9 million. In December 2017, after renovation, the house was back on sale with a $ 20 million price tag. The townhouse is composed of glass, glass blocks and frosted glass casement windows , white stucco , blue-enameled steel panels, a projecting marquee , and a curved, inset front entrance. It has five bedrooms, four bathrooms,
5082-470: The upper floors. The Lescaze House was the first building in the city to use a facade of glass blocks , although Lescaze claimed it was the first such structure in the United States. The house was characterized by later owner Sage Realty as "the first modernist house in New York City". It is one of only three houses designed by Lescaze in Manhattan, all of which share a similar style. The other two are at 124 East 70th Street and 32 East 74th Street , both on
5159-420: The upper floors. The Lescaze House was designed with a dining room at the first story, bedrooms on the second story, and a living room on the third story, as well as a basement and first-story annex in the back yard. Lescaze designed much of the furniture for his residence. William Lescaze and his wife Mary moved into the house in June 1934. Their son Lee Lescaze , in his adulthood, also moved his own family into
5236-489: The use of glass blocks became "not only a trademark of his personal style but also a symbol of high-style Modernism throughout the 1930s". However, Lewis Mumford objected to the extension of the house into the rear yard, saying: "When architecture forgets the necessity of open spaces, it moves one step forward and two backward, no matter how 'modern' its design." Despite this, Mumford called the house "a very useful piece of individual pioneering". The front facade on 48th Street
5313-509: The world's highest retail rents and is the most expensive shopping street in the world. Midtown Manhattan is the country's largest commercial, entertainment , and media center, and is also a growing financial and fintech center. Many of New York City's skyscrapers , including its tallest hotels and apartment towers , are located in Midtown Manhattan. The neighborhood hosts commuters and residents working in its offices, hotels, and retail establishments, tourists and students. Times Square,
5390-403: Was $ 101,981, though the median income in Midtown individually was $ 120,854. In 2018, an estimated 11% of Midtown Manhattan residents lived in poverty, compared to 14% in all of Manhattan and 20% in all of New York City. One in twenty residents (5%) were unemployed, compared to 7% in Manhattan and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent,
5467-503: Was announced, with the aim of reducing traffic congestion. Approximately 750,000 vehicles enter Midtown Manhattan on a fall business day. According to the 2011 Traffic Data Report for New York State, 777,527 vehicles a day went through select toll facilities into Manhattan. The New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division , First Department, is located at the Appellate Division Courthouse at 25th Street and Madison Avenue
5544-424: Was born in 1938 and grew up in the house. In Lee Lescaze's adulthood, his father renovated the adjacent brownstone at 209 East 48th Street for Lee's family. The two houses were connected at their third stories. William Lescaze died of a heart attack at his house in 1969, at the age of seventy-two. Following his death, his wife Mary continued to maintain the house in largely its original condition. On January 27, 1976,
5621-602: Was completed in 1900 by architect James Brown Lord , who used a third of the construction budget to decorate the building with statues and murals. The Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration operates its New York office on the 22nd floor at 135 West 50th Street . Several countries, including Algeria , Argentina , The Bahamas , China , Costa Rica , Germany , Ireland , Israel , Jamaica , Japan , Luxembourg , Mexico , Morocco , Saudi Arabia , Singapore , South Africa , South Korea , United Kingdom , and Ukraine , have Permanent Missions accredited to
5698-516: Was moving its North American headquarters from Midtown to Melville , New York , in Suffolk County on Long Island . Based on data from the 2010 United States Census , the population of Midtown Manhattan was 28,630, a change of 2,823 (9.9%) from the 25,807 counted in 2000 . Covering an area of 692.81 acres (280.37 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 41.3 inhabitants per acre (26,400/sq mi; 10,200/km ). The racial makeup of
5775-462: Was pulled forward to the building line. Separate entrances were provided for the office, at the English basement slightly below ground level, and the residence, above ground level at the first story. The entrances are grouped under a projecting porch supported by one Lally column . A short flight of steps at the center of the facade led down to Lescaze's office. The entrance was recessed to the lot line of
5852-400: Was renovated with a new hydraulic elevator and a contemporary-style kitchen. In 2018, after renovating the house, Sage Realty placed the building on sale for nearly $ 5 million. Sage also separately placed the adjacent structures at 209 East 48th Street and 210 East 49th Street for sale. The three buildings were worth almost $ 15 million combined and were sold separately. 211 East 48th Street was
5929-408: Was sold on July 2, 2007, for US$ 510 million, about US$ 1,589 per square foot (US$ 17,104/m ), it broke the barely month-old record for an American office building of US$ 1,476 per square foot (US$ 15,887/m ) based on the sale of 660 Madison Avenue . In 2014, Manhattan was home to six of the top ten zip codes in the United States by median housing price. In 2019, the most expensive home sale ever in
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