Building: The Christodora House

Christodora House is a full-time doorman, pet friendly, prewar condo situated on Avenue B directly across the street from Tompkins Square Park (which boasts the 2nd largest dog run in NYC). It features laundry rooms on every floor and a vast bike room on the lobby level. The neighborhood is home to wonderful restaurants, cafes and boutiques and is a short walk to the East River Parkway complete with tennis courts, running track, baseball & soccer fields, playgrounds and picnic areas).

Built in 1928 – Christodora House was once known as “the skyscraper settlement” and with 17 stories was at one point the world’s tallest structure dedicated to social services. The settlement provided food, shelter, education and health services to nearly 5,000 local residents each week.

Additionally the building housed a music school, poet’s guild, theatre, gymnasium and swimming pool. George Gershwin, whose brother Ira led the poet’s guild, gave his first public performance on the third floor. Time was not so kind to the good deeds of this organization and eventually the building was abandoned, taken over by the city and sold at public auction. Christodora House was restored and converted to 89 condos in 1986 and has remained the most sought after prewar doorman condo in the entire East Village.

Description provided by resident broker Emma Hamilton Malina