TUDOR CITY, circa 1940

A couple of months ago, we came upon a collaboration of the Works Progress Administration and the New York City Tax Department, a photographic record of all the buildings of the five boroughs in 1940. Although its purpose was quickly forgotten, the indecipherable numbers remain in every picture.

Here are all the buildings that were part of the original Tudor City. Though some got short shrift ‒ hello No. 25 ‒ all were recorded. 

No. 45, Prospect Tower

The Cloister and The Manor

The Hermitage

No. 25, Tudor Tower and No. 5, Windsor Tower

No. 5, Windsor Tower

The 3-Hs: Haddon Hall, Hardwicke Hall and Hatfield House 

Hotel Tudor and Essex House

Hotel Tudor

The Woodstock

The BEAUX-ARTS APARTMENTS

307 E. 44th Street

Today, we travel one block north to profile the Beaux-Arts Apartments. The story begins in 1928, when the Beaux-Arts Society buys a piece of land on East 44th Street to build a new clubhouse. This was at a time when Beaux-Arts architecture was having a renaissance.

Soon enough, a number of prominent members of the club banded together and bought the land for two apartment buildings, adjacent to the newly built clubhouse. The overall plan was to buy the rest of the block and create a Beaux-Arts colony, but timing was against them. They began building just in time for the stock market crash of 1929.

They opened in January, 1930. Among the many architects assisting, Raymond Hood and Kenneth Murchison were credited for overall design. Hood was the better-known of the pair, having the Daily News building, the American Radiator building and the McGraw-Hill building to his credit.

The result was two buildings at 307 and 310 E. 44th Street (the latter sharing a back wall with The Cloister). Comprised of buff, red and black brick with a limestone-and-chrome base, it offered 648 units that were primarily studios, measuring 13 by 22 feet. 

The floors were cork, kitchens were small, and the two twin beds folded up into the walls. At the top of the building were duplexes, with double-height rooms.

Marketing the complex was straightforward. Prospective tenants were told to Venez Ici (Come Here) for a "continental atmosphere" to living via "really modern apartments." Even though the tiny kitchens had no provisions for cooking, a call to Cafe Bonaparte for room service "makes life easy." And the gendarme at the front door ‒ a costumed doorman ‒ made the whole thing fun. 

In the end, the complex's ill-timed opening actually worked in its favor; the idea of taking smaller quarters was already in the air. The Beaux-Arts Apartments fit the times.    

  

To conclude, a photograph taken further down the block about ten years later. This shows the Unique Garage, Tudor City's official garage, reached by tunnel to 43rd Street. In the background are the Beaux-Arts Apartments, named city landmarks in 1988.

Even More NEW YORKER Ads

 

Four New Yorker covers, 1928

Hello there, fans of The New Yorker and Tudor City. Time for another installment of the magazine's ads for the colony; these all ran in 1928, Tudor City's first year of operation. The artwork for this ad campaign had absolutely nothing to do with Tudor City, and as for the copy, it exists for New Yorker readers to enjoy it.  

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Beware Traffic Cops

This speed was simply dizzying. It was bad enough, thought Mr. Bloomfield, when you didn't have to go downhill. Why, in any of these towns, he might get a summons. He feared that the traffic cops were learning to watch for him lately. Mike had been quite cold to him going through Flushing the other morning.

And then. . . disgrace. He could hear Patch, the general manager. . . "We regret, Mr. Bloomfield, that the circumstances. . . an old conservative firm such as ours. . . I am sure you will understand."

Bertha had been against this bicycling from the beginning. How right she was. He could still hear her plaintive words, "Oh Ned, if we only lived where you could walk."

And why not? From Tudor City you can walk wherever you want to go. High, quiet and airy on the East River Front, Tudor City is just four minutes from Grand Central. An independent community with its own shops, restaurant, garage, parks, even a miniature golf course. A variety of apartments at reasonable rentals.

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Clattering Caravans

Rocking along on stilts ‒ clinging desperately to his mount as the hard, slippery seat careens beneath him. . . swaying to the rough, uneasy motion. . . Mr. Buntling rides the "L."

Perhaps the novelty, the adventure that drew him to the outlandish means of travel has worn off. Perhaps the "L" wasn't so bad when he was younger. But whatever the cause, Mr. Buntling is not a happy man. Traffic below crawls, snail-like; mournfully he views the years ahead.

Still, it is not too late. There is a haven for the Mr. Buntlings, where they can march afoot to storm the citadels of finance. No overland journey, no storms at sea. Tudor City ‒ an independent community on the East River Front, just four minutes' walk from Grand Central. High, quiet and airy, with shops, restaurant, park, miniature golf course, everything ingenuity could devise to make life pleasanter. And assorted apartments at reasonable rentals.     

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Heavy Going. . .

The trail was in horrible condition. Stumbling, panting, his rickshaw boys ran on. Tooting to warn the local fauna, they swung at dizzying speed around the tangled roots of subway excavation. The hair stood up on the back of his neck. Down a long, clear stretch, rocking and creaking. And then. . . snagged on a traffic light, while the sahib blistered the already tropical air.

No way to treat nerves. . . specially those of a high powered executive. Taxi-ing to work might be quick, but it certainly was the equivalent of a full day's work in nervous strain. He would make the office in time to phone his broker, but Zounds! What good would it do him. . . in this condition. Poor Mr. Spitkin.

He's cured now. The doctor prescribed air and exercise. And quiet. He lives in Tudor City and walks to the office, sedately, with contemplative eyes. He sits in the park, or putts about the miniature golf course. A quiet, independent community on the East River Front, with its own parks, restaurants, shops and reasonable rentals.    

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Paul and Virginia Took the 5:17

It was the last time. Not the first, but the last. For it seems that Virginia liked her new clothes. While Paul had never liked the 5:17. They always seemed to reach Moorland-by-the-Fells just in time to meet Jupiter Phoenix. There were five taxis in Moorland-by-the-Fells. And 500 inhabitants who commuted.

The rest of the story is brief and simple. Virginia said no tree was worth it. Paul knew where there was a tree in New York. Several, in fact, with lawns, fountains, rustic seats, even a miniature golf course. So they live in Tudor City, forever free of the 5:17. Just four minutes from Grand Central, within walking distance of almost everything. An independent community with restaurants and coffee house, laundry, valet and maid service, garage, medical nursing bureau and a supervised playground for the children. A variety of apartments at reasonable rentals.

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For those interested, some earlier posts about The New Yorker, here and here and here.

Anatomy of a Photo: THE MIDDLE PARK

Once again it's time to examine a photograph in detail. Today's subject is a study of the Middle Park, that isthmus of a park sandwiched between two larger versions. This shot was made in 1929, before the addition of Hotel Tudor.  

A zoom-in on the South Park, which at that time had a trellis (like the North Park) along its back wall. There is also an awful lot of fencing going on. 

The water tower of Hatfield House

The entrance to The Woodstock, along with a Bishops Crook light pole for night time illumination.

This large edifice is the about-to-open Daily News building.

Finally, an atmospheric view of people waiting on the platform for the 2nd Avenue El to arrive. Ah, long ago!

REAL ESTATE REPORT: What's Your Apartment Worth?

  Recent Tudor City sale prices via Streeteasy.

Sign in No. 5 Lobby

The Cloister 

$795,000, Apt 812, two bedroom

$710,000, Apt 310, two bedroom

Essex House

$962,500, Apt 701, two bedroom

$962,000, Apt 601, two bedroom

Haddon Hall
$785,000, Apt 1101C, one bedroom
$781,000, Apt 703C, two bedroom

Hardwicke Hall
$740,000, Apt 702B, two bedroom
$325,000, Apt 303B, studio 

Hatfield House   
$335,000, Apt 408A, studio
$338,120, Apt 1103A, studio

The Hermitage 
The Hermitage is a rental-only building. Recent monthly rentals:
$6,395, Apt 805, three bedroom

$4,998, Apt 1004, two bedroom

The Manor  

$475,000, Apt 206, one bedroom

$450,000, Apt 315, one bedroom

Prospect Tower, No. 45
$550,000, Apt 707, one bedroom
$487,500, Apt 1807, one bedroom

Tudor Gardens, No. 2
$1,225,000, Apt 9HS, two bedroom

$950,o00, Apt 15ES, one bedroom

Tudor Tower, No. 25
$435,000, Apt 1205, one bedroom
$425,000, Apt 1519, one bedroom

Windsor Tower, No. 5
$475,000, Apt 1125, one bedroom
$450,000, Apt 1920, one bedroom

Woodstock Tower

$745,000, Apt PH-3206, one bedroom

$465,000, Apt 2310, one bedroom

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The entrants for a million-dollar listing include a two bedroom unit at $1,199,000 or a three bedroom spread with a terrace at $1,900,000, both of which are in No. 2. There is also a three bedroom in the Essex House for a cool $1,580,000.

And then there is this one bedroom at $1,950,000 in No. 5. Yes, it's a penthouse. And one of the least expensive ones because of its smaller size ‒ around 1,000 square feet. But it's arranged over three floors, one of which is a swell little terrace. 

PH5: Entry level main room with 18-foot-high ceiling.

PH5: Top level garden terrace.

We wrote about this same penthouse back in 2017, when it was off the market; more about it here. And its up-to-the-minute listing here from Compass.

Even More MISCELLANY

Herewith, another serving of various items, none of them worthy of a long piece, but just fine if you prefer snacking to reading. 

The title page of a 1939 booklet, featuring one artist's take on a bird's-eye view of the enclave. This was, of course, made before the tennis courts became 2 Tudor City Place in 1956.

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PARTICIPATING IN TABLEAUX 

Children of Tudor City, New York City, participated in a tableaux, "The Queen of Stratford", held under the direction of Miss Travers in the North Park of Tudor City. Little Ruth Pryor is the daughter of Arthur Pryor, son of the famous bandmaster. She took the part of the Queen while William Walker shown with her took the part of William Shakespeare.    

This publicity shot for Tudor City ‒ and Miss Travers School ‒ made by Acme in 1930, has an alternative shot on this very blog; read about it here.

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The rarely seen east side of the Fred F. French Building, a monument to Mesopotamian art deco that opened the same year ‒ 1927 ‒ as Tudor City. The figure depicts Mercury, the god of commerce.

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A mid-1930s view of Nos. 25, 45 and The Woodstock. Lining the river are United Dressed Beef Co. and Wilson & Co., part of Slaughter House Row. 

Artifact: PROMO BOOKLET, circa 1987

We have spent a considerable amount of time of late examining Tudor City's early days, so today we'd like to look at another occurrence that happened more recently, thirty-five years ago. This was the announcement that the complex was to be turned into cooperative apartments. 

There was a lot of hubbub, and a promotional booklet was produced as a free give-away. Here it is, without comment for a change.