472 Broadway, one of Manhattan’s narrowest buildings in Soho north of Grand Street, has been up, down and then up again…literally. It’s known as the Gila Building because of the inscription on its cornice. When constructed in 1878 as a loft and showroom for Levy Bros. & Co. with a cast iron front and brick rear on Crosby Street, it was fully five floors in height…
However, a 1934 alteration in the era long before historic preservation was practiced, the top four floors and the cast iron were lopped off, leaving the squat building you see on the right in this 1940 tax photo.
Recent construction, though, added the four floors back and then one more, complete with the “Gila” cornice, making it a masterfully designed building that harks back to the era in which it was built. According to StreetEasy you can rent one of the lofts for the price of $15,000 per month.
At least, it’s a piece of modern architecture that’s pleasant to look at.
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6/26/23
4 comments
The Gila building is a monster!
A monster, perhaps, but, in it’s own unique way, it seems to work and fit right in.
Making good use of this valuable Manhattan real estate. You may have covered these other two buildings in a past blog. 75 1/2 Bedford Street and 39 St. Mark’s Place are also very narrow buildings.
You say one of the narrowest in Soho. But how narrow ? Less than 25ft? 20ir less? And what is the history of being narrow? What is the history of the lots on Broadway in Soho being sold and first developed? That’s the forgotten Ny I wanna know.