The Jazz Age in Brick and Steel: Art Deco, the Chrysler Building, and Its Enduring Legacy in Greenwich Village
The Chrysler Building is one of the most iconic and beloved skyscrapers ever built. With its soaring spire, chrome-plated gargoyles modeled after 1929 Chrysler hood ornaments, and gleaming, terraced crown, it was the epitome of Art Deco design: elegant, futuristic, and unapologetically modern.
Its dazzling lobby welcomed its first visitors when the Chrysler Building opened on May 27, 1930.
At 1,046 feet, it was the first building in the world to suppress the Eiffel Tower in height, and briefly the tallest building in the world—a title it held for just 11 months before the Empire State Building surpassed it. But the Chrysler Building remains an unrivaled icon of the Jazz Age and the Art Deco movement. You cannot help but hear Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue looking at this shimmering architectural gem.
To celebrate this crown jewel of Art Deco design, it’s worth turning our attention not only skyward—but southward—to Greenwich Village, where Art Deco left an equally lasting, if more intimate, legacy.
While the Chrysler Building is a shining pinnacle of the style, Art Deco architecture took many forms across New York—from the monumental to the modest, from Midtown to the Village. Village Preservation’s interactive Art Deco map—explore it here—uncovers this hidden history, pinpointing buildings that brought the same design ideals to the downtown streetscape.
The map takes you on a journey identifying Art Deco buildings and related structures in our neighborhoods, but begins with the fascinating history of Art Deco. The streamlined Jazz Age architectural style known as Art Deco was named after the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, or the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Art, which opened in Paris on April 28, 1925. Defining architecture, interior design, and fashion through the 1920s and 30s, Art Deco was defined by molded masses and geometric forms, bold colors, sharp kinetic lines and edges, bas-relief, and the utilization of industrial elements. Architecturally, our neighborhoods have some glorious examples of this romantic and modern design movement.
One Fifth Avenue (1926)
Standing at the north end of Washington Square Park, this tall, imposing residential building is clad in dark brick with subtle Deco detailing. It became a symbol of changing times in the Village—less bohemian, more cosmopolitan, yet still architecturally daring.
45 Christopher Street (1930–31)
A handsome apartment building designed by the firm Boak & Paris, it features classic Deco touches like strong vertical lines, stylized geometric ornamentation, and setbacks that reflect the zoning laws of the time—just like the Chrysler Building.
10 Greenwich Avenue, Women’s House of Detention (1931-32; demolished, 1974)
Considered the only Art Deco women’s prison ever constructed, the Women’s House of Detention was designed with reform ideals in mind and the stated intention of providing a more humane environment for prisoners. It instead became reviled by inmates and residents of the neighborhood alike. This infamous structure’s inmates included Ethel Rosenberg, Angela Davis, Dorothy Day, and Andrea Dworkin. After it was torn down in 1974, it was replaced by the Jefferson Market Garden.
Though very different in scale, buildings like these share the same design DNA as the Chrysler Building: the emphasis on verticality, modern materials, and stylized motifs pulled from industry, nature, and machinery. Both the Chrysler Building and its smaller downtown counterparts emerged from a moment of optimism and experimentation.
Art Deco reflected a belief in progress, speed, and the promise of the future—values that can be seen not only in the city’s tallest towers but in the textured facades of everyday residential and commercial buildings throughout Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo.
The Art Deco brilliance of the Chrysler Building continues to inspire. But it’s far from alone in telling the story of this iconic design movement. Thanks to tools like Village Preservation’s digital map, we can explore how Art Deco shaped the very fabric of neighborhoods like Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo—one brick, setback, and stylized spandrel at a time.
But a shared style isn’t the only connection between the Chrysler Building and our neighborhoods. In fact, the midtown skyscraper wouldn’t event exist were it not for a 19th century institution deeply rooted, and still located, in our neighborhoods. If you’re interested in learning how, or about other great landmarks of New York City that have roots in and deep connections to our neighborhoods, make sure to explore our Beyond the Village and Back maps here and here.