Iconic Prewar Architecture of New York City Is Reimagined for a Modern Audience

The Big Apple hails as one of the most diverse metropolises in the world, and this eclecticism especially extends to its rich architectural history. Step back in time to the turn of the 20th century, when the beaux-arts movement in Paris leaped across the Atlantic to take hold in Old New York’s building boom. Influences from ancient Greece and Rome, the Renaissance, and the baroque period live on in the revival styles and elaborate details applied to private homes and grand institutions.

Simultaneously, skyscrapers sprang up, soaring higher and higher throughout the prewar era and culminating in the mega-tall towers visible now. Today, another trend is shaping the city, as well: the preservation and restoration of prewar architecture, turning outmoded apartments into vibrant communities.

Take a peek behind five historic facades where revitalized interiors invite the ultimate in 21st-century living.