Overview

An illustrated tour of the elegant entrances to New York City's most celebrated apartment houses. This handsome, oversized book introduces us to the grandest entrances of New York City's residential buildings. These posh portals come in an array of forms and styles, such as the porte cochere, 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 West's 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 colour photographs, and many by charming watercolour drawings. These ornate entrances offer a glimpse into New York's past, as well as its future - for 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. AUTHOR: Andrew Alpern has a background as an attorney, architect, and architectural historian, and is the author of numerous books, most recently The Dakota: A History of the World's Best-Known Apartment Building. 440 colour illustrations

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9780789213792

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Architectural historian Alpern (The Dakota) provides a detailed look at ornate entrances to some of New York City's most impressive and historic residential buildings in this lavish book. . . [A] stylish, sophisticated look at the homes of New York City's upper crust. --Publishers Weekly

Architectural historian Alpern (The Dakota) provides a detailed look at ornate entrances to some of New York City's most impressive and historic residential buildings in this lavish book. . . [A] stylish, sophisticated look at the homes of New York City's upper crust. -- Publishers Weekly; Still, if I catalogued the delights in this book, we'd be here all year. . . They say New Yorkers never look up. With all these treasures at or just above ground level, now we know why. -- The Spectator;

Author Information

Andrew Alpern has a background as an attorney, architect, and architectural historian, and is the author of numerous books, most recently The Dakota: A History of the World's Best-Known Apartment Building.

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