
The West End neighborhood is one of Manhattan's most beautiful and quiet residential neighborhoods. The majority of buildings along West End Avenue are architecturally distinctive pre-war coops. West End Avenue has the longest stretch of pre-war architecture and ambience in Manhattan.
From neo Renaissance to Art Deco, West End Avenue has stretches of late nineteenth century town houses and several churches and synagogues, but it is almost entirely made up of handsome residential buildings built in the first decades of the twentieth century.
The near total absence of retail on the street marks its quiet, residential character just one block from the hustle and buzz of Broadway.
The West End Preservation Society, is actively seeking to designate the legnth of West End Avenue from 70th Street to 107th Street a historic district.
Both sides of the avenue from West 87th to West 94th Streets are already designated in the
Riverside-West End Historic Distric.
There have only been a couple of new buildings constructed on West End Avenue in the past 50 years. New condos at
200 West End Avenue a glass building located in the Lincoln Square neighborhood at 70th street was completed a couple of years ago.
535 West End Avenue a new condo at 86th Street, a brick building marketed as 21st century pre-war, currently has some residences available for immediate occupancy.
Architecturally
535 WEA compliments the distinguished pre-war luxury buildings along West End Avenue. The grand size apartments are either half or full floors. Prices range from $8.5 million to $25 million.
535 West End Avenue apartments feature luxurious pre-war details: rosewood or oak flooring, traditional moldings, well-proportioned rooms with formal library, dining rooms, high cielings and wood burning fire places.
All homes feature custom Smallbone of Devizes kitchens with attached breakfast/tv room. The kitchens offer La Cornue, Miele and Subzero appliances. Bathrooms are available in 2 different color palettes, and outfitted with Waterworks fixtures, double sink, mahogany or white cabinetry and a selection of mosaic tiled floors and polished stone walls. Homes are fully equipped with Miele side by side Washer & Dryer and AMX technology.
Long time residents of West End Avenue remember the beautiful spring day about 10 years ago when the quiet residential West End neighborhood, was awakened early in the morning by Barbara Streisand when she began filming her movie, ''The Mirror Has Two Faces,'' at an apartment building at 505 West End Avenue.
The attractive 14-story building was erected in 1920 and converted to a cooperative in 1988. The building has 65 apartments.
The nicely detailed, red-brick building has a two-story, rusticated limestone base and a step-up entrance with a canopy flanked by lanterns.
It has an Italian Renaissance palazzo-style facade with quoins at the comers and limestone reveals around the third-story windows.
The movie shoot stretched from its expected 3 days to 12 days. (By coincidence, Barbara Streisand, in her youth, took singing lessons in that very building 505 West End Avenue)
Apthorp Apartments, the elegant full-block apartment complex built by the Astor family for the New York elite has converting its 163 apartments to condominiums. The landmark 1908 building has two addresses 390 West End Avenue and 2201-2219 Broadway between west 79th and west 78th streets.
Prices on West End Avenue range from $375,000 for a 550 square foot 1 bedroom to $25 million for a full floor residence in the new 535 West End Avenue.