News
LADIES IN LIMELIGHT
May 6, 2010
| Did you know that from the 1870s to World War I, the shopping corridor for women wasn't Fifth Avenue? It was Sixth Avenue below W. 23rd St., also known as Ladies' Mile. We joined CORE Group Marketing and Joyce Gold (whom the New York Times dubbed "the doyenne of city walking guides") for a tour of the landmarked neighborhood's architecture and real estate. |
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| We began at The Cammeyer Building at 650 Sixth, which used to be the home of A.J. Cammeyer, the destination for shoes back then. Three years ago, it was turned into a 67-unit condominium by Kumkang Housing Corp., and CORE took over marketing six weeks ago. CORE's Kajsa Hutton tells us that 30 of the studio to penthouse-sized units, priced from $900k, have closed. Features include Cybex gym equipment, a 3.6k-SF landscaped rooftop, full-time on-site management, and private storage for residents. |
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| Across the street., Joyce (in blue) brought us to 656 Sixth, where workers were putting the finishing touches on Limelight Marketplace, which opens tomorrow. The James Mansour-designed two-level market will feature 35 shops from cutting-edge retailers (many whom haven't had a store before, like flip-flop connoisseur Havaianas) and will have features like a gourmet and specialty food market, and apothecary. Why Limelight? You may remember that the building once housed the infamous nightclub of the same name, and was originally the Church of the Holy Communion. How's that for adaptive reuse? |
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| Behind Joyce is what's considered the first department store along the avenue, 629 Sixth, once home to B. Altman & Co., which left Ladies Mile' in 1906 and closed for good on 34th St. in '89 (it was one of the lucky ones-if you moved into the Ladies' Mile too late or didn't follow other retailers north, your store would fail, Joyce told us). Now it's home to The Container Store. The largest department store was 620 Sixth, where Siegel-Cooper introduced the free sample, and is now home to Bed, Bath & Beyond, Filene's Basement and TJMaxx. We don't want to give away all of Joyce's juicy tidbits, so you can check out her tours here. |
