The Abbey Condominium, an icon of Romanesque Revival architecture.
A NEW YORK CITY LANDMARK
The massive six-story building located at 205 East 16th Street is an icon of Romanesque Revival style, constructed in rock faced brownstone, originally built in 1888. The structure was built as a Parish House for St. George's Church and was also known as the St. George's Memorial House. These structures and others built during its time in complementary style add to the romantic and picturesque architecture throughout the block which has maintained its historic integrity.
Both were designed by noted architect Leopold Eidlitz, a leader of the Romanesque Revival movement. It's style is typified by rock faced masonry surfaces, rounded-arched openings, and extensive use of gabled rooflines and towers. The land for the Parish House was acquired by J. P. Morgan, a senior warden of the church. He bought the land from Rutherford Stuyvesant in 1886 and conveyed it to the church for one dollar.
The entire Stuyvesant Square District was designated a New York Historic District in 1975, although the Church and Parish House were recognized as landmarks earlier. The property is also registered in the National Register of Historic Landmarks.
Originally foreseen as a community center to extend the church's influence beyond the privileged parishioners, it continued to service the neighborhood until it was turned into a residential/professional building.
The building was acquired in 1996 by the present developer to be renovated and recreated into its current incarnation as The Abbey Condominium. The conversion of the property to The Abbey Condominium was a grand undertaking: the transformation into a luxury condominium, taking advantage of original and distinct building facets long hidden by previous internal renovations. This project, conceived of by developer Herb Hirsch, was described as "amongst the most creative and artistic real estate undertakings in recent years" by New York Living magazine. Since its development, the property has also been featured in publications such as Forbes, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and TV spots on ABC News and Fox. The building is presently configured as 32 luxury apartments and 4 professional suites.
Location
Address:
205 East 16th Street
New York, NY 10003
Easy Metro Access:
3rd Ave Station:
2 blocks away gives L Train access.
Union Square Station:
2.5 blocks away, a major hub, gives access to 4, 5, 6, N, Q, R, and L Trains.
Neighborhood Features:
Local Eats and Shopping - Scene Magazine in their October 2013 issue which featured Apartment 2D recommends various local favorites: Irving Farm, Gramercy Project, Friend of a Farmer, Kiehl's, Trattoria Il Mulino, Jazz Standard, and Casa Mono.
Maialino, Pure Food & Wine and Posto are some restaurants that makes Zagat's Guide to Gramercy.
Full K-12 School Access - Gramercy has various public and private schools in the area. For some community info there is a small summary of options on zillow.com with data provided by greatschools.org.
A Vivacious Neighborhood Constantly Improving - New York Magazine's Best of New York list for Gramercy Park includes the Dover Street Market for a fantastic shopping experience and Rose Bakery for delicious local eats.
Healthcare - Conveniently nearby are the top-tier Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital and several private practices in general and alternative healthcare.
Parks - The Abbey Condominium is centered between Gramercy Park, Stuyvesant Park, and Union Square Park. Playgrounds include the popular Augustus Saint-Gaudens Playground. Further information on NYC Parks.