7. Eldorado Apartments
Eldorado, the mythical city of eternal opulence immortalized in Candide and other pieces of literature, may be lost to all but the most intrepid explorers. The New York apartment building that bears its name, though, is available to anyone who can swing its price tag — many millions of dollars. Located on the edge of Central Park, at 300 Central Park West and overlooking the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, the Eldorado Apartments were constructed between 1929 and 1931, with designs by architecture firm Margon & Holder and architect Emery Roth.
The building’s design was futuristic for its time, with its bold parallel towers culminating in sharp spires that overlook the reservoir. Eldorado almost resembles an electric plug, reaching out of the trees, seeming ready to puncture the clouds. With yellow cast stone and yellow terra-cotta facade evoking the city that inspired its name, and three entryways bordered by bronze frames and birds among gardens of Art Deco ornamentation, the building is truly an Art Deco masterpiece.