Carter's Review

This very handsome, pre-war, 21-story building at the northeast corner of Washington Square Park has 255 rental apartments.

It is one of the most attractive high-rise buildings surrounding the park and it is directly across the street from the Main Building of New York University, which occupies much of the property around the park.

The block to the west contains many of the city's loveliest Greek Revival townhouses that back onto the quaint and very charming Washington Mews that runs from University Place to Fifth Avenue between Washington Square North and Eighth Street.

This is one of the city's most lively neighborhoods as they are many stores and restaurants nearby on Broadway. The Little Italy, NoHo and SoHo areas are within walking distance as are the impressive residences of Lower Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village nearby. Eighth Street remains a very busy retail center for Greenwich Village but unfortunately the Art Theater on East Eighth Street, for decades one of the city's main foreign film venues, was closed by New York University that now uses it as a film center.

Many of the auction houses such as Kalisky & Gabay and Lawner's that used to operate a couple of blocks north of University Place have been replaced by antique stores and restaurants. University Place was also famous for two bars, The Cedar and Bradley's, between 8th and 11th Streets. The former was the legendary hangout for many Abstract Expressionist painters and the latter was one of the city's finest jazz clubs. The Cedar relocated further up University Place but Bradley's closed in the late 1990s, although The Knickerbocker restaurant still offers good jazz on Ninth Street.

This gray-brick building has a concierge, consistent fenestration, protruding air-conditioners, a one-story marble base, a canopied entrance, an attractive rooftop water-tank enclosure and good retail spaces. It has some balconies and terraces, but no garage, no health club and no sidewalk landscaping.

There are many fine views from this building and excellent public transportation.