The San Remo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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The San Remo
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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The San Remo
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 Location in Manhattan
Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Built | 1930 |
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| Architect | Emery Roth |
| Part of | Central Park West Historic District (ID82001189) |
| Added to NRHP | November 9, 1982 |
The San Remo is a tall, fancy apartment building in Manhattan, New York City. It has 27 floors and is located right next to Central Park. It's also near another famous building called The Dakota.
Built in 1930, the San Remo is known for its two amazing towers. These towers offer fantastic views of Central Park. The building is a housing cooperative, which means people who live there own shares in the building itself.
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Inside the San Remo Apartments
The San Remo was designed to have many different types of luxurious apartments. When you enter, you'll find beautiful lobbies with shiny floors and marble walls. The building actually has two addresses, 145 and 146 Central Park West. This is because it was built with two separate entrances and lobbies. This design meant people didn't have to walk down long hallways to get to their homes.
Lower Floors
The apartments on the lower floors (up to the 14th floor) were quite large. They usually had about eight rooms and high ceilings. These floors typically had seven apartments each. Some apartments even had outdoor terraces because of the way the building was designed with parts set back from the street.
The biggest apartments on these lower levels were called "C-line" units. They had huge living rooms, libraries, and dining rooms, all facing Central Park. These apartments also had four bedrooms.
Twin Towers
Starting from the 18th floor, the San Remo splits into its famous twin towers. These towers are 10 floors tall and are a key part of the building's unique look. They were inspired by ancient Greek monuments. The tops of the towers look like old temples, with copper lanterns on top.
This twin tower design was very new and exciting when the San Remo was built. It inspired other famous buildings in New York City, like The Majestic and The Eldorado.
In the north tower, there are two apartments on each floor. These usually have two bedrooms and their main rooms face Central Park.
The apartments in the south tower are even bigger. Many of them were originally designed as "duplex" units, meaning they had two floors inside the apartment. These large apartments were similar in size to some of the biggest homes in other fancy New York City buildings.
The two-story apartments in the south tower had their main living areas on the lower floor. This included a very large living room, a library, and a dining room. There was also a kitchen and rooms for staff. A special staircase led up to the second floor, where the bedrooms were located.
Famous Residents
Many famous people have lived in the San Remo over the years. Some of these include musicians like James Levine, Barry Manilow, and Bono from the band U2. Actors like Steven Spielberg, Donna Karan, Tony Randall, Demi Moore, Glenn Close, Dustin Hoffman, Steve Martin, and Bruce Willis have also called it home. Even sports stars like Tiger Woods have lived there.
In 1985, the singer Madonna tried to buy an apartment in the building, but the people who lived there decided not to let her.
History of the San Remo
Before the current San Remo was built, there was an older apartment hotel with the same name on the same spot. It was taken down to make way for the new building.
The architect, Emery Roth, designed the San Remo. He used new building rules to create New York's first apartment building with twin towers. The towers' tops were inspired by a monument in Athens, Greece. Emery Roth also designed other well-known buildings in New York.
Construction of the San Remo started in 1929, just weeks before the start of the Great Depression. Even with the tough economic times, the building was finished in about two years.
The Great Depression's Impact
During the Great Depression, it became harder to rent out very large apartments. Because of this, many of the big apartments in the San Remo were divided into smaller ones. This meant the building ended up with about 20 more apartments than it originally had.
Becoming a Cooperative
Today, the San Remo is one of the most popular and expensive apartment buildings in Manhattan. In the 1970s, it became a "co-op." This means that people who live there don't just rent their apartments; they own shares in the company that owns the entire building. Owning these shares gives them the right to live in a specific apartment.
Buying an apartment in the San Remo is a very big investment. Prices for apartments have ranged from millions of dollars to tens of millions of dollars. The apartments with the best views of Central Park, especially those in the towers, are the most valuable.
Many people who buy apartments in the San Remo have combined them to create even larger homes. For example, Steven Spielberg combined two apartments on the 16th floor to make a very large unit with terraces.
The very top floor of the north tower has a special two-story apartment. This apartment was bought by Bono from Steve Jobs.
Demi Moore owns a very unique three-story apartment at the top of the south tower. This apartment has amazing 360-degree views from all its floors. She sold it in 2017 for $45 million, which was one of the highest prices ever paid for a co-op apartment in that part of New York City.
Images for kids
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The San Remo
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The San Remo seen from the west
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San Remo after a snowstorm
See also
In Spanish: The San Remo para niños
