“Beautiful” and “tenement” don’t generally go together; tenements were intended to be cheap housing for the masses, and for the most part, developers didn’t care much for aesthetics.
But sometimes you come across one with incredible ornamental details, like this five-story walkup in Hell’s Kitchen—the twin of a similarly detailed tenement next door.
Above and below the windows are swirls of terra cotta leaves, flowers, birds, and angels.
It’s a lush and lively facade. The developer must have wanted his building to stand out, and it does.
Tags: New York City housing in the 19th century, tenement ornamentation, tenements, tenements in New York City, terra cotta details on tenements
Ephemeral New York 
January 24, 2011 at 5:11 pm |
You’ve got to see the website BeautyofNYC.org for wonderful words about many places of beauty in NYC!
April 26, 2015 at 2:42 pm |
What is exact address? Would love to see it !
April 26, 2015 at 2:43 pm |
What is exact address? I’d love to see it in person ! Glorious!
October 27, 2015 at 4:17 pm |
This one is at 317 West 51st Street.
October 27, 2015 at 4:36 pm |
316 West 51st Street, sorry. The building is from 1920, so that is past the tenement house period the neighborhood was (in)famous for. That should explain the decorations.