Infamous 74th Street Townhouses Fully Boarded Up

Free Upper West Side News, Delivered To Your Inbox

In a 2006 New York Times story, “Even a Major Architect Has Minor Commissions,” writer Christopher Gray discussed two rowhouses at 231–233 West 74th Street (between Broadway and West End Avenue).

“In 1929, the two houses were scheduled for demolition to make way for a 35-story hotel on the Broadway corner. But it was never built, and by the 1930s furnished rooms were offered for rent in both buildings, a practice that has continued ever since.”

Advertisement

ILTUWS noticed over the weekend that 231 West 74th Street is now completely boarded up with no points of entry, indicating the last tenants are gone; 233 was boarded up last year.

ALSO READ: Remembering the Nightmare: The 74th Street Rat House

The two addresses have since fallen on hard times—some neighbors call them a blight—with boarded-up windows and scaffolding installed in 2024. When Gray asked the owner, The Beekman Estates (which purchased the properties in 1995), what they planned to do, “a Beekman representative who gave his name only as Mr. Palmer said that the owner was waiting for the last of the tenants to leave, ‘and then we’ll figure it out.’”

ILTUWS contacted Mt. Pleasant Management Corp. on Monday morning, requesting to speak with a representative familiar with 231–233 West 74th Street. The Beekman Estate lists Mt. Pleasant as the agent for both addresses. When ILTUWS asked about next steps, reception took our phone number and said, “Somebody will call you back.”

Advertisement

In recent years, the two addresses became an informal hangout for all kinds of passers-by once scaffolding went up. Their wrap-around staircases share a long front wall that often doubled as a makeshift bar, a spot for delivery riders to rest, or even an impromptu lunch counter for local workers. Milk crates would appear for extra seating, letting several people gather comfortably at once.

The scene wasn’t always benign. Some used the below-street stairwell at 233 as an outdoor bathroom, and litter often accumulated. ILTUWS saw someone cleaning the area on several occasions; the individual said they worked for the building and wanted to keep the space tidy.

ILTUWS also observed the last tenants of 231 West 74th over the past year: an older man and woman, known for their reclusiveness and unwillingness to be interviewed, who came and went from the basement-level apartment. Their departure now raises the question—what’s next for the space?

Advertisement

The Department of Buildings website shows that The Beekman Estate has filed permits, but none currently indicate demolition. The posted signs read “Work in Progress: Residential,” with anticipated completion in 2026.

Have a news tip? Send it to us here!