I love that even the lowliest tenements typically have names. A developer would complete his building, then carve a word or two above the entrance—such as the name of the street or a popular politician—to distinguish it from the pack.
Some names are obvious, others more mysterious, such as this one in the East Village. The Claremount is a handsome building on East 12th Street. But why Claremount?
Claremont Avenue, named for an old New York family, is a short street in Morningside Heights, but I’m not aware of any connection between the Claremonts and the East Village. Perhaps it just sounded posh.
The Nonpareil is a tenement on Edgecombe Avenue on the Harlem/Washington Heights border. It translates into “having no match” or “unrivaled.” Quite a boastful name for such a humble building!
Minneola is reportedly a Native American word for “a pleasant place.” Hence this building, in the South Village. Or is it a misspelled homage to Mineola, Long Island?
Helen Court sounds like a soft, peaceful tenement. It’s in Harlem near 125th Street. Helen was a popular name about a century ago. Who was Helen—the developer’s wife or daughter?
Tags: apartment buildings NYC, Claremont Avenue NYC, Minneola apartment building nyc, New York tenement, Tenement mysteries, tenement names, Tenements Manhattan, The Claremount, view of Tenement
Ephemeral New York 
January 7, 2013 at 2:06 pm |
[…] The Claremont, Nonpareil, and Minneola: just some of the names carved into East Village tenements. [Jeremiah's Vanishing NY] […]
January 7, 2013 at 2:27 pm |
I once lived in the “Ironton” at 510 Amsterdam. A little research reveals that it’s owned by Ironton realty. Not as mysterious as I’d hoped!
January 7, 2013 at 3:19 pm |
You could always make up a good story to amuse visitors. One of my favorites is a walkup building in Queens called “Progress.” Who wouldn’t want to live in progress?
January 8, 2013 at 1:44 pm |
@Delancey Stewart: The company was most likely named after the building, and not v.v.
January 10, 2013 at 8:39 am |
At 124 St and Mount Morris Park West stands the “Sans Souci” Somebody was in a happy-go-lucky mood.
January 10, 2013 at 11:37 pm |
The Kaiser’s palace was a popular place when that building was built before WWI. It’s also just down the block from The Cambridge, The Oxford, and Olga. 🙂