Hi friends, welcome back! My friend is studying architecture and when she was in town, she asked if I wanted to join her on a Madison Avenue, High Fashion, and Historic Preservation walking tour through the American Institute of Architects NY. I’m always down for a walking tour so I was happy to tag along. It was a pretty gloomy day, but at least it made for less sidewalk congestion on the tour. We started at 61st Street and Madison Avenue making our way up to 75th Street. I will say this tour is catered to those studying architecture or in the field, so a lot of the information was a little over my head such as building styles, materials, and names of architects, but I still enjoyed the tour. What I lack in architectural knowledge, I will make up for in googling interesting facts about each building 😊
The first building we saw was the old Barney’s department store at 660 Madison. This was originally designed in 1958 for John Paul Getty and I believe is in the process of being converted into condos.
We admired Hermès new NYC flagship at 690 Madison Avenue complete with a cocktail bar, retail spaces, and rooftop garden.
Across the street the original Hermès store was designed in 1927 with the glass addition in 1984.
This colonial building on 64th and Madison Avenue was built in 1933 and stands out from the rest of the street. It is currently owned by Chase.
The next stop on the tour was at 19 E 64th Street, the Wildenstein & Company Building. This was the most expensive townhome ever sold in NYC. In 2017 it first sold for $79.5 million and then ten months later it sold for $90 million.
Originally constructed in 1879, 740 Madison Ave became home to Bottega Veneta in 2014. They commissioned a major renovation to combine three buildings into one making it the luxury brands largest location in the world.
Georgio Armani is almost done with a massive construction project at 760 Madison Avenue. Per the website full floor residences start at a measly $21.5m 😉 I better check my couch for loose change. This compound includes a flagship store on the ground level, ten apartments, 13 floors, and even Armani himself bought a unit. It’s set to be completed this summer.
My favorite building on the tour was the Fred Leighton Building at 45 E. 66th S. I love the architecture.
These townhomes between 68th and 69th street were converted into commercial use. That massive window is pretty cool.
St. James Church was built from 1869-1884 and designed by James Renwick. He also designed the more famous St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue. In 1924 St. James Church underwent a massive overhaul by Ralph Adams Cram to transform it into the neo-Gothic style seen today.
Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church was designed in 1899 to accommodate the growing population moving north in NYC.
Our last stop for the day was at 945 Madison home to the distinct Breuer Building. This building was built from 1964-66 as the new home of the Whitney Museum of American Art before it moved south to the Meatpacking District in 2014. From 2016-2020 the Met leased the space for a new branch location called Met Brauer. In 2021 The Frick Museum collection moved into the space while the Henry Clay Frick House was undergoing a multi-year renovation. The building was recently sold to Sotheby’s to become its headquarters and exhibition space.
Adjacent to the museum building are historic 1880s row houses that have been converted into retail stores and stunning condos. Per a prior listing on Street Easy, the penthouse recently sold for over $40 million.
Hope you enjoyed following along on the tour! Despite my lack of architectural knowledge I had a great time learning more about the history of Madison Avenue as told by it’s buildings.
off topic but did you feel the earthquake?
I did not , but Jon did. We were both home but in different rooms.
That can happen. When we had that big one in Michigan, I was in th e basement and never felt a thing. Elizabeth was in her bedroom on the top floor and the mirror on her vanity began to shake. She thought it was a ghost (she was three at the time.) Jerry worked on one of the top floors in the RenCen and his office chair on rollers began to travel across the room (with him in it) He said the toilet water had white caps……groan.
I would love to do a tour like this. Although I know nothing about architecture either, I love to see the different styles. The Breuer Building seems quite out of place, what an unusual building. Thanks for the tour! Maggie
It is fun seeing all the different styles of buildings, no building is the same in NYC! The Breuer Building is very out of place, I think that style is Brutalism which seems fitting haha.
Your friend must have been in heaven wandering through New York’s architectural wonders. Some real gems on this walk Lyssy. I find it odd to see buildings converted from apartments to retail. That bodes well for a neighbourhood when businesses move in. Thanks for sharing. Happy Monday. Allan
She sure was! She’s from Chicago but her dream is to retire on the Upper East Side for some reason. The tour was also a way to get continuing education for an architect license, way more interesting than what I had to do for my CPA license. You’re right, those homes near Madison Ave really benefit from the pricey retail.
What a fun tour; I love learning about architecture.
You’d definitely enjoy this tour!
I always enjoy looking up at buildings and take an interest in architectural styles although I’ve never studied it in detail. Like you, I liked the Fred Leighton Building the most, most of the others were appealing except for the Breuer Building which isn’t my style at all. I took my son to see the Flat Iron building when we were over as he liked my photo of it from eight years ago. Our faces dropped as we climbed the steps from the subway station to discover that the building is now shrouded in scaffolding and under wraps! Marion
It makes for very interesting walks when there are so many unique buildings. The Bruer Building seems to be most people’s least favorite, it is pretty harsh. Ah yes it is totally covered under scaffolding. I am not sure how long that will be, I know the building sold recently so maybe they are remodeling. Hopefully they’re done by the next time you come to NYC 🙂
Now this is a tour I’d really enjoy – how fabulous!
You’d love this tour! If only there was a tour to go inside the most expensive townhomes 🙂
The tour sounds really interesting, especially if your walking it on home turf. You’ll see the place through a different lens! Love the Fred Leighton Building, it’s a beauty.
You’re right, it was nice to really take the time to admire buildings I usually just breeze by!
Awesome historic buildings! Especially when such are getting demolished to make way for modern skylines, it’s great to see many being preserved. Thanks for sharing your walking tour with us, Lyssy!
Luckily the historic district has saved so many buildings in NYC and they have very tough criteria for any type of changes to the buildings. Glad you enjoyed the tour!
What a lovely city. Glad to be back here in WordPress and read blogs again.😊
Welcome back 🙂
I would love this tour, Lyssy. It’s hard to pick a favorite from your photos – they all have their individual merits – but the colonial building literally stands out to me. I’m partial to the style (Williamsburg, VA is a whole town’s worth). You find similar beautiful “remnants” of Colonial America in the modern hearts of cities like Boston and Philadelphia.
I thought you would love this tour! I’m sure you would’ve recognized all the architects mentions. The colonial is cute and really stands out from he rest of Madison Avenue.
That seems like a really interesting tour! I love all your photos, and New York has some of the most historical buildings in the country, we definitely need to travel up there someday!
Thank you! It was a fun and interesting tour to join. You really do need a trip to NYC 🙂
Sounds like a fun tour to focus on the unique architecture in the city. I really like the Fred Leighton Building too.
It was a fun tour to join, I’ve walked by these buildings so many times but never truly noticed them.
Lots of very interesting buildings in the Big Apple!
There sure are!
This sounds like a great tour and an opportunity to learn more about the city! To perhaps see things from a different perspective. The Fred Leighton Building is my favourite of the bunch too. How could it not be 😉
I feel the older buildings have more character.
Loving those beautiful older buildings, they must have so many stories to tell✨
This is great. We will save it for our next NYC trip. Great photos. Cheers!