Ex-chorus girls and actresses. Retired jazz musicians. A female impersonator who once worked the vaudeville circuit.
These were some of the characters interviewed in a 1988 New York Times article who lived at the Whitby—a grand 1923 apartment building designed by Emery Roth on 45th Street just west of Eighth Avenue.
The article chronicled a familiar story. The Whitby—once a residential hotel popular with theater people and in the 1980s a rental with rates as low as $221 a month—was going co-op. The retired show folk who lived there feared the change about to hit their eclectic longtime home.
“‘It was a home for actors,” said Jon Richards, an 84-year-old retired Broadway actor who has lived at the Whitby since the 1964 New York World’s Fair. ”We walked in, and we walked in among friends, among family.”’
In the article, a rep for the Whitby’s owner said none of the tenants would be kicked out if they couldn’t afford to buy their apartments.
I wonder what happened to them in the ensuing 24 years—and if the Whitby is now populated by executives and bankers rather than eccentric theater people.
[Top photo: from Streeteasy.com. Bottom: a photo of the Whitby originally from The New York Times, by way of thewhitby.com]
Tags: 45th Street Manhattan, Emery Roth, going co-op, Hell's Kitchen, New York in the 1980s, New York street, The Whitby, Theater District apartment buildings
Ephemeral New York 
March 31, 2012 at 7:46 am |
Executives and bankers? Puh-leaze… If you actually looked at the StreetEasy history you’d see that several of the apartments have been listed and sold for under $400k or even under $300k in the past two years. This is private, affordable housing for individuals or couples with solidly middle-class NYC jobs. I like your blog but your attitudes and idiotic presumptions are so effing stale. I can’t wait for your generation to die off.
April 17, 2012 at 4:18 am |
I believe the reason these units are listed below market value is that many of the units have never been renovated and were renovated cheaply. Another reason is that there is a broker entrenched in the building who likes to lists the units cheaply so they sell quickly and she does less work.
March 31, 2012 at 12:34 pm |
You’ll be waiting quite a while.
April 11, 2012 at 8:11 pm |
“You’ll be waiting quite a while.” I lol’d good, $0.99 Pizza, why so snarky? LMAO
April 17, 2012 at 4:17 am |
I’ve lived in the Whitby for over 10 years. I believe the reason these units are listed below market value is that many of the units have never been renovated and were renovated cheaply. Another reason is that there is a broker entrenched in the building who likes to lists the units cheaply so they sell quickly and she does less work.
I’d love more of these “eccentric theater people” that bought when the building went coop to leave or die off. I’m sure A_patron_of_99cent_Fresh_Pizza_on_41st is one of them. They are living in the past and truly have attitudes that are idiotic and “effing stale”. Bring on the young executives and bankers who are too busy to create drama because they have nothing else going on in their lives!
June 24, 2015 at 3:06 pm |
Wonder if this asshole is still here..If he is a breeder he probably had kids and left good riddance You wouldn’t be here if not for the”past”. no sense of history probably very little self-worth Ur gonna get old too sucker the way you assholes work in before 8 out by 11 if ur lucky checked ur blood pressure lately jerk-off? Here’s to your health
June 14, 2013 at 6:54 am |
My dad’s best friend Lew Black lived there in the 60’s & 70’s.
We’d drive out to NY every summer so my dad could perform at Grossinger’s, and all the Catskill hotels. We also had a cabin in Liberty…I MISS those days!!! 🙂
October 27, 2014 at 1:39 pm |
some of the old residents have died and never removed, it really smells bad
May 31, 2015 at 1:17 pm |
Looking for someone by the named of Madeline Mart who lived at the whitby.She worked as a wardrobe dresser for the musical called 42 nd st on Broadway.not sure if she married and changed her name but if you have old records of phone numbers that would be fantastic.
Best,Carole
June 8, 2015 at 7:27 am |
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