The 10 oldest surviving apartment buildings in NYC

Before the apartment building became a staple of city living, there existed just two types of housing in New York City: tenements and townhouses. The first apartment building in the city rose in 1870 at 148 East 18th Street, and was known as the Stuyvesant Apartments.
Though it was demolished in 1959, many of New York’s first apartment buildings are still standing today.

[@MrTimeless101]

They might as well demolish the last building (Black,Starr & frost), all its original beauty has been obliterated, sad.

[@dailydoseofsunshine2319]

No. It should be restored

[@joevining2603]

Why arbitrarily demolish a still useable building just because you don't like the way it looks?

[@GlacialLake]

@@joevining2603 so they can build another building he can complain about the appearance of XD

[@edgarcastillo2937]

I ride past some of these all the time when bike messenging and I always think to myself : wow this city has some serious monumental buildings. So happy to live here

[@brickman409]

kind of sad how the first ever apartment building in New York was torn down in 1959. Would have been one thing if it was demolished in the late 1800s or early 1900s, but even by 1959, you think they would have recognized the historical value.

[@tonewebster3091]

By the time I focus my eyes the pic had gone .... way too fast!!!

[@1980spurzfan]

That's why there's a pause button

[@seerstone8982]

You can click on video speed, and slow it down, then when the video stops, it automatically resets to normal speed.

[@jjc1102]

The Dyckman farmhouse was built in the late 1770s , on what is now the corner of Broadway and 204th St.

[@streegneok]

JJ 5 1670s, and it's not an apartment building

[@JasonHorne72]

@@streegneok Actually, it was built in 1785. And multiple families did live there at various times, so, it could be deemed an apartment.

[@hyzercreek]

@@JasonHorne72 But it's a house. Come back for lesson 2 we'll teach you dog and cat.

[@benthebonza5947]

was the new photo of the oldest one even the same building!

[@blackroses1507]

Preserve and remember!

[@juliankovac7678]

John Lennon used to live in the Dakota and he was murdered there too. Quiet some history this Building Must have seen

[@Mrmusic-ck6de]

Yes rip John Lennon

[@ornamentalyouth]

34 Gramercy Park East is also the first coop in nyc unless i am mistaken. man, did they fuck up that last one over time

[@andersliljevall2946]

Did Garbo live in the Dakota?

[@manolotusca5280]

What the hell with the rush job.

[@Joe_Peroni]

Some things just "last forever"! They probably faced danger from rampaging Apaches while they were building some of these places! 😆

[@mamifero.efimero]

for a second i tought it was an alux video

[@jamesdoherty5093]

Does the producer of this video have ADHD??...slow down please

[@heru-deshet359]

This was so fast I had to slow it down.

[@XxowendanxX]

I love it! Great video but damn a little too fast for us slow reading mofos.

[@StamfordBridge]

Owen Daniels Not just the reading, but also having a moment to look at the building. The video is paced far too quickly.

[@LushForests]

@@StamfordBridge I thought it was great. Pause if you need a minute. But not strung out and long so you have to riffle through and find the next building.

[@thesuperhorton70]

Just hit pause lol

[@drpoundsign]

@@StamfordBridge YES. I had to freeze it.

[@Danielevanssmith]

Yes, way too fast!

[@heru-deshet359]

Black Starr and Frost building is unrecognizable.

[@z3rocool420]

I thought my apartment building was old, built in 1910. It is amazing how long these structures last with a little maintenance.

[@erikh9991]

The tour guide told us the buildings with the metal fire exits on the exteriors were (I believe he said) they were constructed before 1910.

[@wolfy1987]

Man, they really butchered the building at 1:19. Needs a good restoration

[@kaylaleave]

I work as a delivery driver and I don’t live in an apartment but when I go into these apartments some look beautiful inside

[@MissRnH]

The transitions are way too fast. Having to keep stopping throughout the video was too cumbersome.

[@Andrewf5251]

i like old architecture it got style unlike modern =)

[@andrewbrendan1579]

The Dakota for me! Ever since seeing "Rosemary's Baby" which had the Dakota as the fictional Bramford and even though the apartments were just movie sets and after reading Stephen Birmingham's excellent book "Life at the Dakota" I've had a special fondness for the building.

[@drpoundsign]

"Who lived there must have been a gardener who cared a lot..."

[@lennyasmrart]

too fast awful vid

[@lenisbennett3062]

These old buildings must be full of rats, roaches, bed bugs, and Democrats.

[@mimela4726]

Everything went by too fast. Had to stop the video.

[@paulfrings1801]

It’s wonderful to see that these buildings still exist but also think about all the buildings that HAVE been destroyed :’(

[@joewoodchuck3824]

I wonder how many of them have elevators. They are attractive, in a NYC sort of way.

[@drpoundsign]

I would think that most of them were retrofitted (if need be.) But, remember-these are "modern" apartments-not walkup tenements. Otis invented the elevator in the 19th Century.

[@stepawayful]

Why not spend more than 6 seconds showing each building? We can't even read the address in the time alotted to each building. Subscribed. Then unsubscribed.

[@bigred9428]

Why does no one give cross streets for videos like this?

[@c.m.b.7567]

i really hope they restore them instead of taking them down

[@bigred9428]

Why aren't tenements apartments?

[@Glidescube]

my apt built in 1970 doesn't count then?

[@paulreese3071]

I wish Walter was here to talk to me about these! 😔

[@barbararyan6212]

this is so cool..they are a work of art!!

[@drpoundsign]

I live in the Midwest, but lived briefly in Brooklyn, and for ten years in the NYC area. I looked up the Adam Clayton Powell ave. building under NYC housing violations portal. I knew from the address that it's in Harlem. There are a LOT of violations(!) and it's in the alternative code enforcement program. I saw numerous "roach" issues, but no mice or rats.

[@bluebugaboo3344]

What happened to the prism top? And why didn't they replace it?

[@filipdrucker4990]

Did expect the stuff to be from the 19th century

[@KimberlySays...]

VIDEO MOVES WAY TOO FAST!!! Geez!!

[@juangarduno4764]

Very short video, I want to see more

[@gierer797]

what song is that

[@zafarfarhan428]

Lovely

[@zqpcydbfoqbdiehdj]

I love ny so much

[@nuthinnicehiphop]

Nobody alive today deserves this nice architecture. They all should be demolished and forgotten asap.