Posh Portals: The Entrances to New York's Grandest Apartment Buildings

About this book

An illustrated tour of the elegant entrances to New York Citys most celebrated apartment houses This handsome oversized book introduces us to the grandest entrances of New York Citys residential buildings. These posh portals come in an array of forms and styles such as the porte cochre with a passage to admit carriages or motor cars; the classic awning originally meant to be retracted in good weather; and Neoclassical Romanesque and Gothic revivals. Architectural historian Andrew Alpern highlights approximately 140 entrances from the nineteenth century to the present including those of the Dakota the first true luxury apartment house in New York; San Remo one of Central Park Wests most impressive apartment houses; and the Ansonia at one time the largest hotel in the world. Each entrance is accompanied by a description of its signal features and the history of the building that surrounds it. All are represented in splendid color photographs and many by charming watercolor drawings. These ornate entrances offer a glimpse into New Yorks past as well as its futurefor today once again entryways have begun to feature heavily in the marketing of residential buildings. Posh Portals will be an inspiration for architects and a delight for city dwellers. 440 illustrations most in full color