Ritz Tower, Luxury apartment building in Midtown East, Manhattan, US.
The Ritz Tower is a 42-story residential building at 465 Park Avenue featuring Beaux-Arts elements, including classical details, setbacks, and ornamental windows. The structure houses approximately 100 residences with concierge services, private storage facilities, and multiple elevator systems.
Built in 1926 by architect Emery Roth, the tower was New York's first residential skyscraper and challenged the city's height restrictions at that time. The building shaped the development of residential construction in Manhattan and demonstrated that luxury living could succeed at great heights.
The building attracted prominent residents like William Randolph Hearst and Greta Garbo, becoming a symbol of high society living in New York. It reflected the aspirations of wealthy people to live in a prestigious address in the heart of Manhattan.
The building is a private residence that can be viewed from outside, with its architecture clearly visible from the street. Visitors can admire the classical facade details and distinctive outline from the Park Avenue sidewalk.
At its opening, a clever design was key to its existence: the building functioned as an apartment hotel without individual kitchens in the original units to bypass the city's height restrictions. This unusual arrangement allowed the tower to rise higher than zoning laws would normally permit.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.