Envision living in a building so grand it was almost named Klosk Apartments. Instead, we stand before The El Dorado. This cooperative apartment building graces 300 Central Park West. The El Dorado sits between 90th and 91st Streets. It borders Central Park on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Construction spanned from 1929 to 1931. The El Dorado is a prime example of Art Deco architecture. Margon & Holder were the architects of record. Emery Roth served as consulting architect. The El Dorado features twin 12-story towers. They rise from a 17-story base. It is part of the Central Park West Historic District. The El Dorado is a designated New York City landmark.
Notice the base’s small setbacks. The towers emerge from the eastern side. The first three stories on Central Park West are clad in cast stone. Three angular bronze archways mark the main entrance of The El Dorado. Tan and brown brick cover the rest of the facade. These emphasize the building’s vertical lines. Some upper-story apartments boast angular stone balconies. Sculpted finials adorn the tower tops of The El Dorado.
Originally, The El Dorado held 200 apartments with 1500 rooms. Over time, some have been split or combined. The lobby is decorated with marble. A gym was added in the basement during the 1990s.
The El Dorado replaced earlier apartments also named El Dorado. Developer Louis Klosk started the current building. He faced financial issues after the 1929 Wall Street Crash. The Central Park Plaza Corporation acquired The El Dorado at a foreclosure auction in 1931. Later, pastor Charles M Daddy Grace bought the building in 1953. In 1960, Alexander Gross purchased The El Dorado. It became a housing cooperative in 1982.
The El Dorado occupies a nearly square lot. It measures approximately 39765 square feet. It has 200 feet of frontage on Central Park West and 90th Street. There is 194 feet on 91st Street.
Before this El Dorado, another stood here. Completed in 1902, that El Dorado was an eight-story complex. It contained 50 apartments.
Margon and Holder were relatively unknown architects. Emery Roth was experienced with large apartment buildings. The El Dorado joins other Art Deco buildings on Central Park West. These include the Century and the Majestic.
The El Dorado stands 391 feet tall. The twin towers are a distinctive feature. The Multiple Dwelling Act of 1929 influenced the building’s design. Splitting the upper stories into towers allowed more window space.
The Central Park West facade is symmetrical. The lower three stories feature yellow cast stone. A frieze of inverted arches and chevrons sits above the third story. The remaining stories are clad in tan brick with terracotta trim.
Most of the ground floor contains professional apartments. The doors have Art Deco railings. The main entrance features angled bronze arches. Spandrels above the arches display geometric patterns.
At the 13th story, angular stone balconies appear. The central groupings are set back above the 14th floor. This creates a balcony with an Art Deco balustrade.
Above the 17th story, the towers rise. Terracotta balconies face Central Park West on the 26th story. The corners of each tower are set back above the 27th story. The top of each tower features finials. These give the pinnacles a stepped profile.
As of 2022, The El Dorado had 204 apartments. Originally, there were 200 apartments with 1500 rooms. Elevators are grouped into five cores. Many units had fireplaces. Some had outdoor terraces.
The El Dorado was marketed to a less wealthy population than other buildings nearby. The Art Deco design appealed to new money residents. The lobby originally featured murals depicting a high-rise skyline.
The El Dorado became a co-op in 1982. Upgrades followed. The co-op board planned to replace the windows. This led to the building’s landmark designation in 1985.
Over the years, many famous people have called The El Dorado home. These include Edie Adams, Alec Baldwin, and Carrie Fisher. The El Dorado’s towers are visible from afar. Its design makes it one of the city’s finest Art Deco structures.