The Ansonia: Transforming a Historic Home into a Modern Paradise

Designed in 1904 by notable architect Paul Duboy, the Ansonia was created to be a luxury hotel that stretched between 73rd and 74th streets along Broadway in Manhattan. The Ansonia was originally built as a residential hotel with vision of a complete utopia. The residences were to be self-sufficient which resulted in one of the strangest New York apartment amenities ever. For instance, Duboy added a farm to the roof, complete with chickens, ducks, goats and even a bear. Tenants would receive fresh eggs with surplus sold to the public. There was even a cattle elevator to transport cattle from the ground floor to the roof.

History

The residents of the Ansonia live in luxurious apartments complete with formal dining rooms, parlors, multiple bedrooms and libraries. Every apartment boasted sweeping views of Broadway, elegant moldings, bay windows and high ceilings. The smaller units did not have kitchens as the central kitchen and staff served the residents. The Ansonia also featured tearooms, Turkish baths and a grand ballroom.

This 18-story steel frame hotel was the first air-conditioned hotel in New York and the largest residential hotel of the time. With a Beaux-Art style exterior and a Parisian-style mansard roof, the building featured corner towers, open stairwells and wide interior corridors which were unusual for a Manhattan building.

In the mid-20th century, the residential hotel had been divided into one-bedroom and studio units. From 1977 to 1980, the Ansonia’s basement was home to an open door swinger sex club which was shut down in 1980 due to health concerns. At this time, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Most recently, in 1992, the building was converted into condominium apartments with 430 in total. By 2007, the majority of rent-controlled tenants moved out and the small apartments were sold to buyers which were recreated to include modern amenities with the building’s glory days restored.

Modernization

Although the rooms in the buildings were changed throughout the years, in the middle of the 2000’s, the goal was to restore the building to its natural beauty. The first step in the restoration was to deal with a leaky roof and exposed wires. Over the years, the maintenance within the building had declined rapidly. Therefore, as part of fixing the wiring, all of the units were rewired to modern wiring requirements. The leaky roof was also repaired by contractors.

Also, plaster had been falling off the wall and the wooden floors horrible worn in many of the units. Contractors re-plastered the walls and laid herringbone designs on the wood floors. Frosted glass lighting fixtures, storm windows with seats and ornate moldings were all reinstituted. Next, a wallpaper color scheme was plastered onto the walls. Although new, the wallpaper had older designs to coincide with the original building.

Additional, the switchboard was replaced with a computer-based internal telephone system and new boilers. New ducts and kitchen and bathroom fans were installed, an upgrade to the electrical distribution system was implemented and asbestos was removed from all apartments. Elevators needed dot be restored and a roof-top deck was added. Per the requirements set forth by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, the Broadway store facades were restored.

One of the most ambitious aspects of the restoration was on the main entrance which originally featured terra cotta tiles in the vaulted ceiling with arched windows. There was an ornate porte-cochere, which had previously been covered in an earlier modernization effort, which was to be reinstalled.

Additionally, the underground parking garage needed to be completely added below the foundation of the building. This was a huge expense and major construction undertaking to add this modern amenity. Given the scarcity of available parking in Manhattan, this valuable addition allowed the owners to increase the price on apartments.

The Ansonia Associates invested around $11 million in capital improvements to restore the apartments and public areas in 1990. There have been minor modifications since but the major facelift occurred in the early 1990’s to the Ansonia back to its original look and feel.

Modern Ansonia

Today, the Ansonia Condo now holds 425 apartments across several combinations. The greatest benefits include atypical floor plans which range from studio apartments to four bedrooms. Due to the restoration efforts, there are multiple flowing living areas, circular living rooms and grand galleries. Additionally, a full-time doorman, roof deck, storage bins and garage are all available as part of the condo purchase.

Building Facts

There are 315 floor plans available for the different condo units within the building. The average rental price is $4,626 per month. From a sales perspective, the average price is $2.2 million. In addition to the fact that this is located in Manhattan where space is scarce, the reason for the higher-than-average sales price is due to the modernization efforts that were conducted in the 1990’s to restore this historic home.

The restoration added considerable value back into each unit and the entire value of building. Given that it was in poor working condition, the restoration brought the building back from being shut down, bulldozed and turned into a more modern living space.

The building is in close proximity to Riverside and Central Parks and close to the Lincoln Center. The Ansonia continues to be a popular destination for celebrities. Most of the original amenities can still be found in the building including, the carriage entrance with a street block-long lobby. The rooftop garden, ornate and beautiful staircases, 12-foor wide hallways, posh elevators and a new lounge in the main lobby. The underground garage is a nice touch which is included in the cost of the condo.

For those who are history buffs and have a true appreciation for the architecture and vintage buildings, the Ansonia gives you an insight into Old New York. This beautifully restored building has been redecorated to include all modern amenities and features thanks to the work done in the 1990’s. The Ansonia has had a long and difficult past from original construction to almost being shut down due to health code violations to being beautifully restored. The original architects would be proud of how far the Ansonia has come today.