by BOND agent and guestblogger Joanna Bickley
Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.
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I was first introduced to Windsor Tower by way of Norman Osborn a.k.a. The Green Goblin. Still in college, and not yet a New Yorker, it seemed only logical that this building was a Hollywood special-effect—a cut-and-pasted Gothic Revival from 18th century England. Several years later I was elated to find that not only did the building exist, but it was steps from my Turtle Bay apartment. Sam Raimi, the director of Spider-Man, wasn’t the only one to see something magical in the building. Windsor Tower has been a backdrop for Scarface, The Godfather Part III, and The Bourne Ultimatum, just to name a few.
Windsor Tower, located at 5 Tudor City Place, is the most magnificent building in the complex. The 26 floor, full-service, co-op is comprised of 799 units and boasts a health club, storage room, entertainment room, and laundry room. There are tapestries and stained glass windows in the lobby, while the exterior features detailed stonework complete with inscriptions. The decorative top of the building spans seven stories and is modeled after 19th century Parisian studios. Contrary to the New York definition, these ‘studios’ are gothic penthouses with 18-foot floor to ceiling casement windows. Ten of these spectacular units were created at Windsor Tower, one of which was home to Charlton Heston in the 1950s. The building is topped with an actual replica of a Tudor Castle and is adorned with ‘finials, piers, and cartouches’. Translation: fairy-tale worthy castles and creatures perched on our Manhattan rooftops! The terraces command some of the neighborhood’s most stunning views. Gargoyles look out on to the Secretariat building at the United Nations, with the Queensboro Bridge and East River beyond. Others face west with views of the Chrysler building and the Empire State Building. It is no wonder Windsor Tower has become such a Hollywood fixture.
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Tudor City, called “a city within a city” by its developer, was created by Fred Fillmore French in the 1920s. It is bordered by First and Second Avenue between 40th and 43rd Street. The midtown oasis feels a world away, elevated two stories above street level with the buildings facing inward toward two private gardens. It includes 12 buildings, 3,000 apartments, 600 hotel rooms and is home to approximately 5,000 New Yorkers. The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the complex and the gardens a landmark in 1988 after a co-op conversion of most of the buildings. Residents enjoy a gourmet deli, florist, hair salon, post office, dry cleaners and restaurants. It is close to the United Nations and corporate midtown Manhattan.
