7th Avenue in the Penn Station area isn’t landmarked, so there’s not much I can find out about the Manheimer Building, a little 4-story job on 7th near West 32nd. All I know is that it was built around 1910, give or take a year, and in the methods of those times, the architect added little embellishments like terra cotta elements and a wonderfully lettered identification plate.
Manheimer’s descendants are out there someplace, and the Manheimer who built this place did good. It’s always nice to get your name on something other than your tombstone.
There’s another building nearby called the Hellmuth Building, years before Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
12/12/12
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I used to work across the street at 370 7th Ave. for about a year (1976).
I never noticed this building at 369, probably because it is dwarfed by the tall hotel next door.
But it’s a nice-looking building, I’d like to find out more about it.
Hit me with a steamroller. Nice terra cotta. Hellmuth & Buffy? Sorry I don’t get it.
Hellmouth
There is still a Manheimer and Son in Long Island City (they make sents and essences). Wonder if it is the same…
I was able to locate information on the building from a 1940 Manhattan phone book directory located on the NYC Public Library website. Here is the link: http://directme.nypl.org/ (Library page No. 643/directory pg no. 641)
Manheimer Jos ri est 369 7Av……. PE nnslvna 6-6536
Residence 219E60…… RE gent 4-3236
In the 60s the Trader’s Cafe was on the ground floor of the Manheimer building. My father, who was a furrier, worked around the corner and would go there for lunch. I would go with him sometimes when I was little and we’d occasionally go for dinner, too. I remember the owner, who knew I loved lemons, would give me lemon wedges wrapped in paper to take home! I loved herring, too and there was always some to your right as you entered. I loved that place!