“Gentle when stroked fierce when provoked.” Does that sound like a fitting motto for a street? Maybe not, but it is connected to 25th Street. Today, we’re exploring 25th Street in New York City. This street holds more stories than you might imagine.
25th Street runs from 11th Avenue to the FDR Drive. Only Madison Square interrupts it. For such a short street, 25th Street is unusually wide. It was originally laid out as part of Avenue A. Different parts of the avenue are known by different names. These names include Asser Levy Place, Sutton Place, and York Avenue.
Let’s talk about Asser Levy. He was one of the first Jewish people in New Netherland. He arrived from Brazil in the 1650s. The centerpiece of Asser Levy Place is a bathhouse. It was constructed in 1908. In the mid-to-late 1800s, NYC’s population boomed. Running water and plumbing were rare. Good hygiene was an unattainable dream. Communicable diseases spread quickly. Public bathhouses began appearing in 1901. The 23rd Street Bathhouse was one of them. It was later named Asser Levy Bathhouse. Architects Arnold W Brunner and William Martin Aiken designed it. The design was based on Roman baths. The bathhouse became a NYC Landmark in 1974. Today, it is a recreation center with a swimming pool open in the warm months.
Now, let’s focus on the buildings of 25th Street. Take a look at numbers 210, 212, and 214 on the south side of East 25th. The architect really went all out. The brickwork has gold leaf and terra cotta decorations. You can spot monsters, angels, cherubs and bearded guys. As a group, they are called the Centennial Apartments. They were likely built around 1876.
Pubs mark the intersection of 3rd Avenue and East 25th. There’s AWOL and Dog & Bone. Dog & Bone is a British-themed pub. It specializes in hot dogs. Fitzgerald’s is another pub. It has a unicolored Irish exterior like Parnell’s in Kips Bay.
Notice the contrast between Dog & Bone. It is in a 5-story walkup. Behind it is 134 East 25th. It’s the Baruch College Newman Vertical Campus. This building replaced the RCA Victor studios building. Elvis Presley recorded “Hound Dog” there.
The Lexington Building is at 151 East 25th Street. It was built in 1894 as a powerhouse for streetcar lines. It runs through to East 26th Street. The building was sturdy. It became home to printing firms, magazine publishers, and bookbinders. Today, it houses the Baruch College Newman Library.
The “Fighting 69th” Regiment Armory is at Lexington Avenue and East 25th. The regiment was founded in 1849. It has a rich history in US wars. Its headquarters are at 68 Lexington Avenue. It fronts the avenue between East 25th and 26th Streets. The armory was built from 1904 to 1906. Hunt and Hunt were the architects. The design is Beaux-Arts style. It includes a French Second Empire-style mansard roof. Art shows have been held here since 1913. Marcel Duchamp’s “Nude Descending a Staircase” was first shown here.
Quakers have a connection to 130 East 25th. This seven-story brick building was built in 1916. It has Mayan ornamentation. There are buffalo heads, snakes, and watchdogs. Since 1994, the Society of Friends has run a care facility for people with AIDS here.
118 East 25th is also unusual. Its facing is made of glass blocks and terra cotta. The New York State Appellate Court Building is at East 25th and Madison. It was built around 1900. James Brown Lord was the architect. The building is in Italian Renaissance style. The limestone exterior and interior art are elaborate. Sculptures of lawgivers and civic virtues decorate it.
Madison Square became the oasis it is today around 1870. In 1811, the street layout of Manhattan Island was designated. A “Parade” was laid out between 23rd and 34th Streets. It was named for James Madison.
Naval commander David Farragut is memorialized in sculpture. It is by Augustus St Gaudens. The monument was dedicated in 1881. It was first located at 5th Avenue and 26th Street. In 1935, it was moved to its current location.
Originally, the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral Church of St Sava was a northern branch of Trinity Church. It was constructed between 1850 and 1855. Richard Upjohn was the architect. The Serbian Orthodox Church bought it in 1943. It was rededicated in 1946. A fire destroyed the church in May 2016.
Superior Sewing Equipment is at 48-54 West 25th. It is in the Sewing Machine District.
So, as we continue our tour, remember the layers of history. Remember the architecture. And remember the people who shaped 25th Street into what it is today.