169 Sullivan Street
This striking tenement was built in 1904 by architects Bernstein & Bernstein. Like 185 Bleecker Street, it is designed in the heavy Beaux-Arts style typical of the era, making for a monumental presence on this prominent corner. Also like its contemporary two blocks away, the vivid contrasts of material and color (from the architecture and from later paint jobs) make this tenement appear anything but drab from the outside. Also of particular note is the lacy, intricate ironwork of its fire escape balconies. Typical of many New York tenements, especially of those in the South Village, the fire escapes become integral architectural elements, the light decorative forms providing a necessary contrast to the heavy detailing of the building itself. Tenements in the South Village are extraordinary for the concentration of buildings with these original details remaining intact.
169 Sullivan Street Detail
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