The Ansonia
One of my all time favorite buildings in all of New York City is the Ansonia on the Upper West Side. Located on the west side of Broadway and 73rd Street. It has quite a presence—architecturally and historically—that really can’t be overlooked. Just like any older building, it has a few stories to tell.
Photo from NYPL Digital Archives
Conceptualized and built by William Earl Dodge Stokes, the idea was to make a grand, French-style residential hotel. The project took five years and opened in 1904. He strategically purchased the land from the NY Orphan Asylum. Broadway takes a slight bend at 73rd Street, which would make his hotel visible for many blocks. For some time it was exactly as Stokes had envisioned it… 1,400 rooms plus 340 suites and over half-a-million square feet, with a ballroom, multiple cafes, dining rooms, a Turkish bath, writing rooms, swimming pool, and a lobby fountain with live seals. The Ansonia was the epitome of luxury in 1904.
Photo from NYPL Digital Archives
One famous resident was Babe Ruth. He thought that the lobby was an extension of his apartment and would often wander about and hang out in his bathrobe and slippers. I happen to be a classical music fan, and I have always been so enthralled that Rachmaninoff, Mahler, and Stravinsky had apartments here also! Did they collaborate? Did Rachmaninoff write his famous Concerto No. 3 here?!
Photo: Babe Ruth - Photo from Library of Congress
After several decades of splendor, The Ansonia was no match for World War II. The entire building was stripped inside and out for its precious metals to help the war effort.
In 1945, Samuel Broxmeyer bought the Ansonia. He bargained with the tenants, offering them large discounts if they would pay their rent several years in advance. After Broxmeyer skipped town with everyone’s rent money, the Ansonia was sold at auction for $40,000.
The new owner, Jacob Starr, soon realized that it was going to cost millions to bring the Ansonia back to life, so he decided to do nothing. Things were looking bleak by the 1960’s. To generate cash, he turned the building’s Turkish Bath House into ‘The Continental Baths’, a kind of nightclub-meets-bathhouse-meets-cabaret. Bette Midler even performed there. In 1977, Starr replaced the baths with ‘Plato's Retreat’. This was a no-rules sex club where a $30 cover charge got you a night of debauchery. It would go down historically as one of the most notorious gay sex clubs in New York City.
Upon Jacob Starr’s death in 1977, his grandchildren inherited the Ansonia. Sadly, his will stipulated that his money was not to be used for upkeep of the Ansonia.
Photo from Chris Baker
In the 1990’s the Ansonia was converted into a condominium. Recently, the Ansonia has been undergoing some facade renovations which have started to be revealed and they look fantastic. One-bedroom apartments are currently going for around $800,000 and a four-bedroom is listed for $8,900,000. Too bad we can’t time travel back to 1945 and pick up the entire building for $40,000.
Photo from Chris Baker
Even though The Ansonia has a troubled history, I still marvel at its architectural grandeur every time I walk by.
