The Presidential Towers - 315 West 70th Street

[lofter1]

The Presidential Towers (http://www.havens-of-manhattan.com/b/37.html) (Harle & Liebman (http://www.emporis.com/en/cd/cm/?id=kornblath,harleliebman-undefined-undefined), 1966), a co-op at 315 W. 70th Street on the Upper West Side -- just west of West End Avenue, north of Lincoln Towers and east of Trump Riverside -- is currently undergoing extensive restoration / renovation. This is a piece of classic 1960's NYC architecture and with some TLC could be a shining gem.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p242/Lofter1/Upper%20West%20Side/315W70_01c.jpg

The windows are the original aluminum sliders; they're looking worse for wear and could use a smart up-grade.

The brick certainly needs a good scrubbing (hoping that there is a surprise or two under all the grit & grime).

The balconies on the east & west ends of the building are being completely rebuilt ...

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p242/Lofter1/Upper%20West%20Side/315W70_01a.jpg

If we're lucky these could turn out as nicely as the recently renovated balconies at 200 CPS (http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showpost.php?p=151711&postcount=532) ...

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p242/Lofter1/Columbus%20Circle/200CPS_01b.jpg

[stache]

Don't hold your breath on that one -

[ablarc]

^ Is that Buenos Aires?

[TREPYE]

Shouldve have started on a a clean slate instead of patching it up.

[lofter1]

Harle & Liebman worked with Morris Lapidus (http://www.morrislapidus.com/) on some other classic NYC building that went up in the 1960's, notably ...

The Summit Hotel (http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:b3AgKR314Y8J:www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/downloads/pdf/reports/summithotel.pdf+harle+liebman&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us) at 51st & Lexington (now "The Metropolitan (http://www.thecityreview.com/summit.html)") ...

http://www.thecityreview.com/summit.gif

http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/gsc/5a28000/5a28400/5a28454r.jpg

Library of Congress (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/I?gottscho:10:./temp/~pp_CKNd::displayType=1:m856sd=gsc:m856sf=5a28454: @@@)

Gottscho, Samuel H. (Samuel Herman), 1875-1971, photographer. (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?pp/gottscho:@OR(@FIELD(AUTHOR+@3(+Gottscho,+Samuel+H+ ++Samuel+Herman+,+1875+1971,+photographer++))+@FIE LD(OTHER+@3(+Gottscho,+Samuel+H+++Samuel+Herman+,+ 1875+1971,+photographer++))))

***

The Sheraton Motor Inn (http://www.greatgridlock.net/NYC_Images/sherinn.html) at W. 42nd / West Side Hiway (recently "re-furbished" and now the Chinese Consulate) ...

http://www.greatgridlock.net/NYC_Images/685.jpg

***

And the equally loved / hated Sheraton Hotel (http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=sheratonnewyork-newyorkcity-ny-usa) (originally "The Americana (http://www.greatgridlock.net/NYC/nyc3.html#52a)") on Seventh Avenue at 51st ...

http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/gsc/5a16000/5a16900/5a16945r.jpg

Library of Congress (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/I?gottscho:1:./temp/~pp_5nCv::displayType=1:m856sd=gsc:m856sf=5a16945: @@@gottsch)

http://www.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2000/12/112840.jpg

[Hamilton]

^ Is that Buenos Aires?

I just got back from a trip to BsAs about a month ago, and my girlfriend happened to be taking care of some cats for a friend on 56th and 7th. I was having some trouble condensing my thoughts on Buenos Aires into words when we happened upon that building on CPS. Voila. Balcony city, though of course that's only one side of the town.