Co-op of the Day: 41 Eastern Parkway, #7A

Brownstoner:

This was one of the buildings I always admired growing up in Crown Heights during the 1950s.

Although I had many friends along the parkway, I didn't know anybody in this building and could only wonder what life inside was like.

For a little kid, the building's height, neo-Classical details, and enormous canopy spoke of comfort and luxury. And the name, Copley Plaza, made me think of the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, adding to its attraction.

And the location! Right opposite the entrance to the children's section of the Brooklyn Public Library and across the way from Prospect Park. Could anything be better?

Back then, air conditioners weren't universal as they are now, so in spring and summer months people in the building left their windows open, making it possible to see into the big volumes of rooms on the other side of curtains rustling in the breeze. On my way to the library or park, I'd always be sure to glance up, imagining watching Brooklyn from on high.

Turner Towers, where I had friends, was competitive with #41, but #41 gave a better impression from the street, especially with its marble and bronze-trimmed lobby visible through revolving doors -- another of the building's features which made it seem Brooklyn's best apartment house.

Even then, however, the Copley Plaza wasn't in the best shape. One of the revolving doors had been replaced by ordinary swing doors and the lobby was stripped of furniture. But these losses only seemed to add an enticing wistfulness to the place. If it was grand then, it was once even grander.

Come to think of it, the Copley Plaza set my standard for an apartment in New York, which is why I live where I do now.

Nostalgic on Park Avenue

Posted by: NOP at February 12, 2009 7:14 PM