Sometimes the most ordinary buildings hold charming surprises. Take 239 East 73rd Street, for example.
It’s a well-kept but unremarkable tenement-style walkup, similar to so many that line the low-rise pockets of the Upper East Side’s Lenox Hill neighborhood.
But someone over the years with a playful sensibility decided to liven up the nondescript facade with a couple of colorful mosaics: one of an owl, the other of a rooster.
A yearning for country life? A whimsical representation of daytime and night? Perhaps the reason for the mosaics is lost to the ages. But they remain on the streetscape, delighting sharp-eyed passersby.
Tags: 239 East 73rd Street, Lenox Hill Mosaics on Tenement, Lenox Hill Upper East Side Tenement, Mosaic Tiles Yorkville, Yorkville Tenement
Ephemeral New York 
September 15, 2022 at 4:31 am |
You know, I really really enjoy this series!! It really breaks up the day!
September 15, 2022 at 9:58 am |
Thanks for this whimsical posting.
September 15, 2022 at 11:26 am |
If you can work these out, let me know if you can workout all the ornaments on and in front of 318 East 18th st in Gramercy. Been wondering about those for over a decade.
September 15, 2022 at 2:53 pm |
On it!
September 15, 2022 at 11:45 am |
Bars over the windows always say something about the neighborhood.
The mosaics are a nice touch!
September 15, 2022 at 12:28 pm |
Rob wrote: “Bars over the windows always say something about the neighborhood.” E. 73rd is a good neighborhood. It seems like the residents want to have – and keep – nice things. That said, the mosaics are rather nifty (to use an outdated but appropriate word).
September 15, 2022 at 2:52 pm |
I imagine the bars were leftover from another era in New York City…and sadly they might be coming back into vogue again.
September 16, 2022 at 2:48 pm |
I love the mosaics. Perhaps they are a nod to all of the people who move to this city from the countryside.