Sometimes weeks go by when I don't see this perfect gem of a building at the crossroads of no less than four different neighborhoods: SoHo, Chinatown, Little Italy and TriBeCa.
The Old Police Headquarters is a masterpiece of the drama of the Baroque and the stateliness of the Edwardian. It takes up an entire block and one must seek out a view, often hidden by surrounding subsequent buildings, of the treasure at the top: A copper-clad dome of such exquisiteness it reminds one of St. Paul's Cathedral in London or Castle Howard in Yorkshire.
The five-story limestone edifice is a feast of cornices, columns, balustrades, clock faces, finials, pillasters, but designed by the firm of Hoppin and Koen with such Palladian proportion that none of it seems overdone or out of place.
When it opened in 1909, it was meant to impress both policeman and prisoner with the majesty of the law. The basement included a pistol range. But in 1973, the NYPD moved out of the building leaving its fate in the balance. Fortunately, the Landmarks Preservation Society saved the building which was converted into 55 luxury apartments in 1987.
The last listing I saw for apartments:
2-bedroom apartment for rent at $7,000 - $11,500 per month
2-bedrooms for sale at $1,050,000 to $1,500,000
You pay for luxury, even on the corner of four neighborhoods.
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