BRONX TIMES REPORTER, A BTR UGUST 2-8, 2019 47
Noonan Plaza Apartments
I spent a leisurely morning
last Wednesday with Nick Di-
Brino checking out the steep
hills, stepstreets and historic
buildings of Highbridge.
Among those we stopped to
get a closer look at was Noonan
Plaza Apartments on
West 168th Street between
Ogden and Nelson Avenues. It
is known for its beautiful art
deco style and for that reason
was granted landmark status
this past June.
Architects Horace Ginsberg
and Marvin Fine designed
the apartment complex for the
Nelden Corporation headed
by Bernard J. Noonan. Noonan
was born in Ireland and
developed other complexes in
the community and it is no accident
that this area became a
fl ourishing Irish enclave. My
friend John McNamara once
told me that even the dogs
in Highbridge barked with
a brogue. Of course, all that
would change after the 1960’s
when the Irish began moving to
the north and east. They were
accompanied by the large Jewish
population of the area and
Hispanic and Afro-Americans
soon fi lled the vacancies. I
should add that when I stopped
by this morning the area was
quiet, the people friendly, security
was tight and Noonan
Plaza was well-maintained.
The major complaint of some
residents seems to be echoed in
many other neighborhoods and
that is loud music encroaching
on their peace.
Noonan Plaza was constructed
in 1931 of beautiful
gilded tan brick set in vertical
piers to showcase the height
of the buildings. There are
eight, six to eight story buildings
with fi ve entrances at
the garden level at West 168th
Street and Nelson Avenue. The
15,000 square foot decorative
courtyard allows for greater
exposure to sunlight for many
apartments which range from
one and a half to fi ve rooms
with the larger units having
two bathrooms. All the buildings
are interconnected and
have elevators.
There are 283 apartments in
the complex that covers about
two acres. A garden promenade
and playground on the
roof added to the splendor of
the building. There is indirect
lighting and colored marble inside
which helps to highlight
the Art Deco style for which the
building is known.
The drug epidemic of the
late 1960’s and 1970’s led to the
wholesale abandonment of
Noonan Plaza and would-be
residents shunned the prospect
of occupying an apartment in
the complex.
The property became almost
a total loss but real estate problems
don’t last forever. There
was an article in the December
2, 1961 edition of the New York
Times indicating that the complex
was assessed at one and a
half million dollars and sold
to Gilbert Ancowitz and his
associates who sought to turn
things around and make Noonan
Plaza something special.
That was no easy task and the
property would be transferred
over again as profi ts were
sought in a teetering market.
Eventually the complex
gained solid footing and seems
to have enjoyed a comeback as
a nice place to live. Now, if only
they could stem the loud music.
The Noonan Plaza Apartments.
REPRINTED FROM 11-11-2010
BRONX SCENE