3. 1020 Grand Concourse

If a fish mosaic is a bit esoteric, the post-war Executive Towers apartment building looks like a building from a beach front strip landed smack dab in the heart of the Bronx. Incongruous though it may be, its “entry pavilion” adds an interesting modern contrast to a corridor known for its Art Deco street wall buildings.

Completed in 1963, the architect of Executive Towers was Philip Birnbaum. He maintained a low-profile but was prolific; among his other buildings are One Lincoln Plaza (home to a hidden pocket park) and the Hotel Parker Meridien (coincidentally the home of a hidden burger joint).