A classic prewar co-op that feels removed from city life
Most buyers seeking a home on Riverside Drive are probably looking for a peaceful place near a park, although they want to be within walking distance of city action. They’re probably also expecting to find a classically charming building that has retained much of its historic elements, with interesting floorplans that counter the monotony of contemporary apartments. Located on the corner of 73rd Street, one block up from the beginning of the park-side road, the 20-story Art Deco-style co-op building at 5 Riverside Drive checks all the above boxes. Residents get to live in the expansive units of a historically significant building, only a block and a half from the commercial corridors of Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue and right across the street from Riverside Park. “There is this sense of expansiveness there,” says Wendy Tsang, a Compass real estate salesperson who had a listing in the building in winter 2025. “You've got green space out there and you don't feel Broadway at all; the fact that it's close is helpful, but it feels worlds away.”
High style in a ‘high-grade’ building
According to the West-End Collegiate District Extension report, 5 Riverside Drive “was one of the first, if not the first, large apartment houses to be constructed following completion of the Riverside Drive Parkway improvement project in the late 1930s.” Referring to it as a “high-grade” rental, a 1939 New York Times article proclaimed that the building had been extremely popular since its opening (converted to co-op in 1965). Before joining forces, Boak (of the building’s design duo Boak and Paris) worked at the firm of prolific architect Emery Roth, whose designs helped define the architectural character of much of the Upper West Side. In 2001, the publication declared that Boak and Paris were “designers of some of the most inventive and distinctive Manhattan apartment buildings of the 1930s.” Signature markers of their buildings include fanciful window and banister iron grilles with brass trim; multicolored terrazzo floors in a geometric style; varicolored marble fireplaces in the lobby; dropped living rooms; neoclassical details; and sophisticated molded plaster ceiling decoration, most of which 5 Riverside Drive still possesses.
Art Deco style with sunken living rooms, grand foyers and king-sized bedrooms
Consisting mostly of red brick, the building’s exterior is classic Art Deco. Cast stone detailing and stylized ornamentation can be found on the first floor, the central bay and trimming on the edge of the building’s upper-floor terraces and the 18th-floor setback. The entrance’s revolving door is believed to be original iron and brass. (There is a second, larger entrance on the 73rd Street facade for movers and others with large items.)“The area in which this building was built and the Art Deco style really lends itself to quite elegant rooms,” says Tsang. A distinct feature of the units is their sunken living room. “When you enter, there is a grand foyer, which a lot of people utilize as a dining area. You step down these stairs and you're in a very spacious and graciously proportioned living room. There is that sense of grandiosity.” Herringbone flooring and decorative fireplaces (originally operable) are found throughout living rooms and, in some apartments, arched doorways remain. Living rooms also have alternating recessed walls and some homeowners have filled the nooks with shelving, an office or bar setup. Others have simply let them be. Bedrooms are mostly king-sized: “You could do a king-sized bed and furniture,” says Tsang. Even alcoves in the few available studios are large enough and closed off enough to be considered a separate room. Windows populate every room, including kitchens and bathrooms. Penthouses on the top two floors have large terraces, three exposures and clear views of the Hudson River. And, because of wrap-around casement windows, living rooms in corner units have double exposures.
Full-service staff, laundry, plus a stunning Art Deco lobby
As with most pre-war buildings, amenities won’t include a pool or a work-from-home set-up on a decked-out amenity floor. Residents do have full-service staff which includes a 24-hour doorman and a live-in resident manager, however. The lobby is also a bonus with bold, geometric Art Deco flooring in black-and-white, a decorative black-and-white marble fireplace and a deco-style front desk made of a rich-toned wood. The pet-friendly building also has a central laundry room (in-unit washer-dryer with board approval), unit storage and a bike room.
Retail is just one and a half blocks away, and residents enjoy proximity to two exceptional parks.
Residents get to choose from a bounty of activities and everyday conveniences close by. Naturally, Riverside Park's amenities are easily accessible, including the 72nd Street Dog Run and 74th Street athletic track, since they’re just across the street from the building. Pier 1 offers fishing, and during summer months, it comes alive with a packed calendar of events like family-friendly movie nights and dance parties. Residents have the good fortune of living in an area close to the start of Amsterdam Avenue’s split from Broadway, so there are only a few steps between the two thoroughfares as opposed to a full block. Both corridors house a wealth of retail like Trader Joe’s, Fairway and gourmet grocery Citarella on Broadway, and restaurants and cafes like Playa Betty’s and William Greenberg Desserts on Amsterdam. With less than 10 blocks between them, residents of 5 Riverside Drive get access to the Lincoln Center, along with the numerous shops and higher-end restaurants within the Lincoln Square neighborhood. World-renowned greenspace, Central Park, is a cool 15-minute straight down 72nd street. A few blocks up on 77th is the American Museum of Natural History.
Several close-by options make traveling from 5 Riverside Drive easy
Living along Riverside Drive gives easy access to a wealth of transportation options. Drivers get to the West Side Highway in two minutes. For those with electric vehicles, a charging station is just one block up. The 1, 2 and 3 trains stop at 72nd Street and Broadway, only a six-minute walk from the building. The M72 bus stops at 72nd and West End Avenue for crosstown transportation. Cyclists get to enjoy safe and scenic rides along the many bike paths just across the street in Riverside Park.
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Quantarium
Current List Price
Sold Price
Area Factors
Low Crime
Crime Score®
3/ 10
Very Bikeable
Bike Score®
88/ 100
Somewhat Walkable
Walk Score®
68/ 100
Rider's Paradise
Transit Score®
100/ 100
Sources: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com, Walk Score
Sources: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com, Walk Score
WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com, Powered by CAP Index provides objective, accurate, and consistent data to help measure, compare, and mitigate crime risks. Walk Score® measures the walkability of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Environmental risk data is provided by First Street Foundation® and is designed to approximate risk and not intended to include all possible scenarios.
Parks in this Area
South Lawn
1 min walk
Henry Neufeld Playground
3 min walk
Playground
Parking Lot
Verdi Square
4 min walk
Picnic Area
Trails
Riverside Park
6 min walk
Matthew P. Sapolin Playground
6 min walk
Basketball
Picnic Area
Trails
Riverside Park South
8 min walk
Dog Park
Picnic Area
Soccer
Tecumseh Playground
9 min walk
Basketball
Picnic Area
Soccer
Hippo Playground
10 min walk
Playground
West End Park
11 min walk
Trails
Playground
Schools
Source:
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