Building: 129 Fifth Avenue

As the home of the famed department store Lord & Taylor from 1902 to 1915, 131 Fifth Avenue helped make the Flatiron District and Ladies Mile Historic District the most fashionable shopping destination in New York City from the turn of the century onward. The property actually consists of two connected loft buildings designed by Israels & Harder for the original owners, the Roosevelt family: The first is the handsome Beaux-Arts building with a limestone facade facing Fifth Avenue (at number 129-131), and the other is a cast-iron neo-Renaissance building around the corner at 4 East 20th Street. After Lord & Taylor moved uptown in 1915, the entire property was converted to lofts and showrooms and later to residential use.

Today, 131 Fifth Avenue is an intimate 8-story co-op with only 23 units accessible by keyed elevator and video intercom. The smallest units start at 1,100 square feet. Many are duplexes with original architectural details like 18-foot-high ceilings, 10-foot-high windows, and cast-iron columns. Some boast private terraces with views of the Empire State Building and Freedom Tower.

Centrally located only steps from Union Square, the Flatiron Building, and Madison Square Park, 131 Fifth is surrounded by incredible shopping on Fifth Avenue, many of the city’s top restaurants, and easily accessible transportation. It is pet-friendly, has a full-time super, and has solid financials helped by a separate commercial storefront unit on Fifth. Pied-a-terres, guarantors, and co-purchasing are allowed subject to board approval.