At 70 Pine Street, a Long-Closed Art Deco Landmark Prepares for Residents

One of New York City's loveliest skyscrapers is also one of its most elusive: the Art Deco structure at 70 Pine Street has been in use as an office space since it was completed in 1932, but once Wall Street bigwigs AIG moved in in the 1970s, its lobby, once filled with shops, was closed off. Its period details—ornate Art Deco carvings, Native American-inspired motifs on the elevators, marble everywhere—were hidden from the public, though still beautiful enough to inspire the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2011 to bestow landmark status upon both the interior and exterior. But it won't be shuttered for much longer: the skyscraper is in the midst of a residential conversion that will not only create 600 apartments, but will also open up that lobby for all to see. Leasing officially launches this week for the first batch of 70 Pine's rental units, and Curbed got an exclusive look at both the model units and that gorgeous, fully restored lobby.

Along with the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, 70 Pine Street exemplifies the Art Deco architecture that was prevalent in New York City in the 1930s. Like those buildings, its exterior tapers as it ascends, culminating in a sharp, stainless steel spire that adds 150 feet to its overall height. (Of note: There are also more than 100 terraces dotted across the exterior; we'll get to that later.) When completed, the 952-foot-tall structure was one of the city's tallest buildings, though the skyscraper race of recent years has bumped it down that list (it holds the no. 8 spot for now). It was designed by the firms Clinton & Russell and Holton & George, who "[enriched] the lower floors with stylized reliefs that rival any architectural ornamentation created during the Art Deco period in New York City," per the LPC's landmark designation. You can see some of those elements in the gallery below.

Developer Rose Associates has been working on the residential conversion for several years, turning 70 Pine into not just a rental building, but a multi-purpose destination. In addition to those apartments, the building is currently home to an extended-stay hotel, Q&A, which began taking its first guests in November. There are big plans for ground-floor retail: Australia's Black Fox Coffee and Brooklyn's Urban Market have both signed on to provide services, with more tenants to be announced. And Spotted Pig honchos April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman are planning a multi-level restaurant for the tippy-top of the building, which has gorgeous views of Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, and beyond (some of which you can see above).

There are currently three model units open to interested parties, which show off a studio, alcove studio, and a three-bedroom apartment. (Six rentals are currently listed on the development's official website.) Pricing for the units is, predictably, on the expensive side: Studios begin in the $3,000 range, and prices escalate from there, going up to in the $9,000 range for three-bedrooms. Renters also get access to an outpost of La Palestra, an over-the-top "wellness center" that offers amenities like a golf simulator, bowling alley, and yoga studio. The leasing gallery is open as of December 10.