59 West 12th Street

59 West 12th Street
59 West 12th Street
	Between 5th and 6th Avenues
General information
Type	Condominium apartment
Architectural style	Art Deco
Location	Greenwich Village
Town or city	59 West 12th Street, New York, New York 10011
Country	United States
Coordinates	40°44′8.66″N 73°59′49.42″W / 40.7357389°N 73.9970611°W
Current tenants	101 apartments
Construction started	1929
Inaugurated	August 7, 1931
Technical details
Floor count	18 including two penthouse floors
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Emery Roth
Developer	Bing & Bing

59 West 12th Street is a residential building located in the Greenwich Village Historic District^[1] in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States.

It was built by the developer brothers Bing & Bing with noted architect Emery Roth^[2] whose other work includes The Beresford and The El Dorado.

It was granted a certificate of occupancy on August 7, 1931^[3] and houses 101 condominium apartments.

Development

It was part of a simultaneous development of five buildings in the area.

Bing and Bing also used Roth to design 299 West 12th Street.^[4]

They worked with the architectural firm of Boak and Paris on both 302 West 12th Street^[5] and 45 Christopher Street.^[6]

And they chose to work with architect Robert T. Lyons on 2 Horatio Street.^[7]

Rivaling Central Park West

Leo Bing announced on April 1, 1929 that his firm had quietly acquired 75 small lots and old buildings largely around Abingdon Square, Sheridan Square and Jackson Square Park. And the lots would be combined to allow for a set of larger-scale, 17-story apartment buildings.^[8]

He said his goal was to "recreate the entire district as a modern counterpart of the high-class residential section it once was" saying it would "rival Central Park West and the fashionable east side within a few years." He cited the goal of neighborhood reinvention as the reason for the simultaneous building, saying his hope was that "complete transformation of the section may be achieved as quickly as possible."^[8]

Despite the start of the Great Depression just months after Leo Bing's announcement, by September 1931, Bing & Bing reported that the "five new buildings on Christopher, Horatio and West Twelfth Streets are proving among the most popular of all the Bing & Bing apartment properties. Callers have been numerous … and a high percentage of the space has been leased."^[9]

Notable residents

Once the home of:

Cameron Diaz (born 1972), actress^[10]
Lena Dunham (born 1986), actress
Larry Dvoskin, songwriter/musician
Carol Greitzer (born 1925), politician who served in the New York City Council from 1969 to 1991 and was the first president of NARAL Pro-Choice America^[11]
Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970), singer, songwriter, guitarist ^[12]
John Lardner (1912–1960), sports writer
Bryan Lourd (born 1960), talent agent^[13]
Isaac Mizrahi (born 1961), designer^[14]
Bebe Neuwirth (born 1958), actress/dancer
Jonathan Pryce (born 1947), actor
Marisa Tomei (born 1964), actress^[15]
John Waters (born 1946), director
Joseph Cataldo (1908 - 1980), a former restaurateur, club owner, casino operator in Havana, Cuba and a "made man" in the Greenwich Village crew of the Genovese crime family under the nickname "Joe the Wop"^[16]

References

^ "New York City Landmarks Preservation Committee maps" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 8, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
^ Columbia University Libraries, New York Real Estate Brochure Collection 59–69 W. 12 St."
^ "New York City Certificate of Occupancy 1931" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 21, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
^ Columbia University Libraries, New York Real Estate Brochure Collection "299 W. 12 St."
^ Columbia University Libraries, New York Real Estate Brochure Collection "302 W. 12 St."
^ Columbia University Libraries, New York Real Estate Brochure Collection "45 Christopher St."
^ Columbia University Libraries, New York Real Estate Brochure Collection "2 Horatio St."
^ ^a ^b "Bing & Bing Plan $40,000,000 Apartment Development on Lower West Side". New York Times. April 2, 1929.
^ "Tall apartments in Village centre. Presents rental problem". New York Times. September 27, 1931.
^ Halberg, Morgan. "There’s Something About Greenwich Village: Cameron Diaz Finds a Buyer", The New York Observer, December 21, 2015. Accessed July 5, 2023.
^ September 1976 Democratic Party Designating Petitions, Baruch College. Accessed July 5, 2023.
^ "Taking a Peek at Prewar Classics". New York Times. June 9, 2006. Archived from the original on June 10, 2011.
^ Neuman, William. "Big Deal: Lutèce's Founder Moves On, And Gets a New Home Kitchen", The New York Times, June 13, 2004. Accessed July 5, 2023. "The same West 12th Street block that Meryl Streep is abandoning has just become home to the Hollywood agent Bryan Lourd. Mr. Lourd, a managing partner at the Creative Artists Agency, plunked down $4.9 million for a one-bedroom penthouse condominium at 59 West 12th Street in early April."
^ "Isaac Mizrahi Buys Four Apartments in One Building", WNBC, November 23, 2010, updated April 27, 2012. Accessed July 5, 2023. "Fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi is snatching up apartments in his Greenwich Village building. The Wall Street Journal reported that Mr. Mizrahi has just bought a $3.5 milion apartment at 59 West 12th street."
^ Knutsen, Elise. "Bring On The Waterworks: Marisa Tomei Sued for Water Damage", The New York Observer, February 3, 2012. Accessed July 5, 2023. "While we have no idea what goes on in the bedroom of Marisa Tomei’s apartment, it seems her bathroom habits are coming under public scrutiny. Ms. Tomei has been sued for causing water damage to several downstairs apartments at her New York home, 59 West 12th Street."
^ Mafia : the government's secret file on organized crime. New York: Collins. 2007. ISBN 978-0-06-136385-6 – via Internet Archive.

External links

Emporis listing.^[usurped]

[1] "New York City Landmarks Preservation Committee maps" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 8, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2011.

[2] Columbia University Libraries, New York Real Estate Brochure Collection 59–69 W. 12 St."

[3] "New York City Certificate of Occupancy 1931" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 21, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2011.

[4] Columbia University Libraries, New York Real Estate Brochure Collection "299 W. 12 St."

[5] Columbia University Libraries, New York Real Estate Brochure Collection "302 W. 12 St."

[6] Columbia University Libraries, New York Real Estate Brochure Collection "45 Christopher St."

[7] Columbia University Libraries, New York Real Estate Brochure Collection "2 Horatio St."

[bingplan-8] "Bing & Bing Plan $40,000,000 Apartment Development on Lower West Side". New York Times. April 2, 1929.

[unprecedented-9] "Tall apartments in Village centre. Presents rental problem". New York Times. September 27, 1931.

[10] Halberg, Morgan. "There’s Something About Greenwich Village: Cameron Diaz Finds a Buyer", The New York Observer, December 21, 2015. Accessed July 5, 2023.

[11] September 1976 Democratic Party Designating Petitions, Baruch College. Accessed July 5, 2023.

[12] "Taking a Peek at Prewar Classics". New York Times. June 9, 2006. Archived from the original on June 10, 2011.

[13] Neuman, William. "Big Deal: Lutèce's Founder Moves On, And Gets a New Home Kitchen", The New York Times, June 13, 2004. Accessed July 5, 2023. "The same West 12th Street block that Meryl Streep is abandoning has just become home to the Hollywood agent Bryan Lourd. Mr. Lourd, a managing partner at the Creative Artists Agency, plunked down $4.9 million for a one-bedroom penthouse condominium at 59 West 12th Street in early April."

[14] "Isaac Mizrahi Buys Four Apartments in One Building", WNBC, November 23, 2010, updated April 27, 2012. Accessed July 5, 2023. "Fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi is snatching up apartments in his Greenwich Village building. The Wall Street Journal reported that Mr. Mizrahi has just bought a $3.5 milion apartment at 59 West 12th street."

[15] Knutsen, Elise. "Bring On The Waterworks: Marisa Tomei Sued for Water Damage", The New York Observer, February 3, 2012. Accessed July 5, 2023. "While we have no idea what goes on in the bedroom of Marisa Tomei’s apartment, it seems her bathroom habits are coming under public scrutiny. Ms. Tomei has been sued for causing water damage to several downstairs apartments at her New York home, 59 West 12th Street."

[16] Mafia : the government's secret file on organized crime. New York: Collins. 2007. ISBN 978-0-06-136385-6 – via Internet Archive.

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