One of my favorite NYC apartments bulidings.
C Z GUEST
Flip through the "inspiration" file that every designer keeps, and at some point you will find a picture of C.Z. Guest. Debutante, showgirl (briefly), model (painted nude by Diego Rivera), socialite, gardener, intimate of artists and writers; Guest had the kind of life that seems fiction, and the perfect patrician looks to illustrate it. She wore her designer clothes with thoroughbred elegance, keeping to simple lines, rich fabrics, and soft colors to suit her cool complexion. But perhaps what drew creative types to her most was Guest's down-to-earth personality, exemplified by her recent advice to would-be gardeners visiting her web site, "The most important thing is to enjoy yourself and have a good time."
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The well-proportioned, tower, which has no setbacks, was erected in 1978 and designed by Gruzen & Partners for Sheldon Solow, who also developed the sloping skyscraper at 9 West 57th Street and the tall apartment tower at One East River Place at 525 East 72nd Street.
Described by Elliot Willensky and Norval White as "tall, suave...the equivalent in architectural terms...of the gray flannel suit" in their fine book, "The A.I.A. Guide to New York City, Third Edition," (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988), this 46-story tower, which has 7 apartments a floor, significantly upgraded the Second Avenue corridor and reinforced the nearby emerging cluster of luxury residential towers along Third Avenue.
Willensky and White also noted in their book that "A welcome subtlety is its developer's decision not to employ an ostentatious name, rare for most recent luxury apartment towers."
As part of this development, Solow also erected several townhouses, clad in pink granite and designed by Eli Attia, behind the tower on 67th Street that were eventually converted to rentals.
The tower, which also has the addresses of 1261 Second Avenue and 244 East 67th Street, is convenient to cross-town buses and a subway station is nearby at 67th Street and Lexington Avenue.
The tower, which is setback in a plaza with a driveway at 265 East 66th Street, has a health club and skylit pool, a doorman and concierge and a garage. The building has video security and valet service and a bicycle room.
The layouts have living rooms with sweeping vistas at the curved corners. The large windows extend from the ceiling to the floor but are placed behind low radiator units that those who suffer from vertigo will appreciate. Large circular columns are placed a bit uncomfortably close to the windows in many of the apartments.
While few in number, Solow's impressive projects have never been routine and have always raised the industry's postwar standards.