There's not officially a name for the South Harlem micro nabe located just below the picturesque Hancock Park but the area's brownstone blocks located just below 124th Street and Manhattan Avenue are some of the most charming ones to be found uptown. Morningside Park makes up the west border one block over and 120th Street is really were it all ends. Within this 4 block corridor, one will find rows of intact brownstones alongside a handful of prewar buildings existing in an almost entirely preserved neighborhood that is right by the express trains and the bustling retail section over on FDB/8th Avenue. A few record holding house sales over $2 million have been made in this area within the past year but all of them also had quite stellar interior renovations on the inside. For those who want to know more about the man behind the statue, check out our past post:
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The ivy sure is pretty!!
ReplyDeleteCan someone tell me what this "prewar" bldg is all about. I guess there is postwar too? What is the difference? Does this difference drive up rent prices?
I am sure many can explain this better than I. But please. Do some basic research. Pre war means pre WWII. But it means more than that.
DeleteTry Plunz's History of Housing in New York City, Elizabeth Hawes's New York, New York, or the AIA Guide to New York City. Or just google "New York City" and pre-war and buildings! The first entries that come up all have definitions. Here's the one from http://nycsapartments.com/new-york-pre-war-building.htm:
ReplyDeleteThe term 'pre-war' refers to the the Second World War. These high rise buildings were built after 1900 and before 1940. They are usually between 10 and 20 stories high. During these years unemployment was very high and construction workers tried to make their jobs last. That had the effect that pre-war buildings are built in a very sturdy fashion! The apartments are quiet and most have - for NY standards - ample space. A 1 BR apartment will have a 'real' bedroom (as opposed to townhouse apartments, where the bedroom is very often a cut up piece of a larger room) and you will have a nice hallway and large closets.
Some pre-war buildings have doormen or used to have elevator men. The really desirable ones, like Bing and Bing buildings have become exclusive COOPs and it's very unlikely, that the COOP board (the owner association) allows subletting - as in a vacation rental!
You will pay more for an apartment in a pre-war than in a townhouse, but you will get more space, privacy and an elevator.