For a brief time in the early 20th century, Riverside Drive rivaled Fifth Avenue for its stretch of opulent mansions. With the passage of time and the rise of luxury apartment living, many of these mansions were lost, but we have the chance to once again enter that bygone era with the help of Gilded […]
Riverside Drive is best known for elegance and quiet. But behind its century-old facades lie secrets—from surprising architectural details to scandalous crimes. There are hidden passageways and “spite walls”, a surprising tower and a “slum with a view”, a hidden quintuplex apartment and a sweet and sad memorial to a young child. The Drive is […]
Join LANDMARK WEST! for a special walking tour led by Stephanie Azzarone, author of the award-winning book, Heaven on the Hudson: Mansions, Monuments, and Marvels of Riverside Park. As you stroll some of the UWS's most beautiful blocks, from 72nd to 83rd Streets, you'll hear how Riverside Park and the Drive came to be and what makes them so very special. You'll also learn some of the secrets of Riverside Drive’s more unusual people and places.
LANDMARK WEST! continues its focus on Riverside Drive's rich history, notable architecture, colorful residents, and secrets—from exquisite interior design details to delicious scandals—with another engaging walk led by Stephanie Azzarone, author of the award-winning tbook, Heaven on the Hudson: Mansions, Monuments, and Marvels of Riverside Park. Moving into the middle section, from 86th to 107th Streets, you'll hear how Riverside Park and the Drive came to be and what makes them so very special. Azzarone will take you back to the days when William Randolph Hearst ensconced his movie star paramour and a fortune of European treasures inside a Riverside Drive mansion. You'll visit the Drive’s tallest apartment building, its only privately owned freestanding villa (whose owner stiffed his architect) and contemplate the sad fate of America’s first supermodel. Multiple affairs, a scandalous divorce and a murder color this tour’s tales.
