Building: The Piano Factory

The historic Piano Factory is truly one of the most unique loft conversions in all of Manhattan. Its origins date back to 1874, when the Wessell, Nickel & Gross Company, a piano actions (inner mechanisms) manufacturer, was established on West 45th Street, on the corner of 10th Avenue. The business quickly flourished and they built an addition next door, but then in 1888 they bought another building at the rear of the factory, facing West 46th Street, which soon needed its own addition as well. In the midst of these buildings was a yard with storage sheds. Their business continued to flourish until the Great Depression, when operations ceased at this site.

After languishing for years, the buildings were acquired in 1979 by Richard A. Klein and Charles P. West, who had the vision to convert the former factory complex into coop loft apartments. The development, aptly named The Piano Factory, opened in 1982. At the time, it was the largest market-rate housing development in all of Hell’s Kitchen, and one of the first to be developed under the Clinton Preservation District code.

Today, the Piano Factory is an enchanting enclave of 48 unique and generously-sized loft apartments. The original yard with storage sheds is now a beautifully landscaped, European-like interior courtyard where plants cascade down from the meticulously restored original iron catwalks connecting the north and south buildings. It is a captivating refuge from the moment you enter the wrought iron gates of the main entrance.

Description provided by Glenn Connolly