1. The Vauxhall

The Vauxhall (780 Riverside Drive) at right and other Audubon Park Historic District buildings at left

The Vauxhall, completed in 1914 near the end of the first great apartment house boom in Washington Heights, is located at Riverside Drive and West 155th Street.  It was designed by George and Edward Blum, French-American brothers who have a cult following among fans of pre-war architecture, due to the Blums’ skillful use of terra cotta and tiles in building facades.

“Vauxhall: …Complex textile-like facade with patterns formed by varicolored brick and blue and white tile from Moravian Tile Works…” George & Edward Blum: Texture and Design in New York Apartment House Architecture,” by Andrew D. Dolkart and Susan Tunick, Princeton Architectural Press, 1993.

The only building on this list that has historic landmark designation, The Vauxhall is located within the Audubon Park Historic District, which was designated by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2009. Audubon Park is a residential enclave within Washington Heights, built on a former estate with an irregular street pattern and sloping grades.

Check out more coverage of Washington Heights.