The Upper East Side Book logo

Madison Avenue logo                                                                                 

20 East 74th Street

Southwest corner at Madison Avenue


20 East 74th Street

20 East 74th Street

By Carter B. Horsley

This 17-story apartment house occupies a prime Upper East Side location one block south of the former Whitney Museum of American Art on Madison Avenue.

The red-brick building was erected in 1947 and designed by Sylvan Bien.

Most of its apartments have balconies, which only protrude slightly from the facade and are partially recessed with angled interior walls. The balconies, which are each shared by two apartments with a small partition between them, give the building’s facades a greater sense of depth and visual interest.

The building, which has a one-story marble base, has a doorman and concierge and attractive, canopied entrance, which is directly across from Coco Pazzo, a fashionable restaurant. It has no garage, no sundeck and no health club.

The neighborhood here is as good as it gets in New York with many famous boutiques and art galleries nearby. Central Park is less than a block away and bus service here is excellent.

Traffic can be heavy on Madison Avenue, but the attractive sidestreet is quiet.


Home page of The City Review