| Bulding Address: | 1 East 70th Street, New York NY 10021 |
| Zip Code: | 10021 |
| Neighborhood: | Upper East Side |
| Borough: | Manhattan |
| Stories: | 7 |
| Year Built: | 1914 |
| Building Class: | B |
History of 1 East 70th Street, Manhattan, NYC
The building at 1 East 70th Street, Manhattan, is the historic Henry Clay Frick House, also known as the Frick Collection building. It is a limestone mansion designed in the French Louis XVI style by architect Thomas Hastings of Carrère and Hastings and was constructed between 1912 and 1914. Originally built as the private residence for the industrialist Henry Clay Frick and his family, the mansion was intended to also serve as a public art gallery after their deaths, housing Frick's extensive collection of Old Master and nineteenth-century paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts.
The mansion is located on Fifth Avenue between 70th and 71st Streets in the Lenox Hill section of the Upper East Side, overlooking Central Park. The property was formerly the site of the Lenox Library, whose collections were relocated before Frick acquired the land in 1906 and expanded it shortly afterward. The mansion sits on a 200-by-175-foot site and occupies about half of the city block it is on. The limestone facade features carved pediments and tympana, with a three-story structure that includes living quarters on the second floor and servants' quarters on the third floor. The first floor was originally used for communal family rooms and has since been adapted into museum gallery spaces.
After Henry Clay Frick's death in 1919, a board of trustees was established to convert the house into a museum, fulfilling Frick's vision of a public institution dedicated to the study and enjoyment of fine arts. In 1931, architect John Russell Pope was commissioned to expand and modify the mansion to better accommodate its new museum function, adding main-floor galleries, program spaces, an entrance hall, and the interior Garden Court. Pope also designed the adjacent Renaissance Revival style Frick Art Reference Library building on East 71st Street, which opened in 1935. Subsequent additions include a two-story pavilion and garden designed by Russell Page in 1977, and a smaller expansion completed in 2011 introducing the Portico Gallery.
The Frick Collection contains approximately 1,800 works of European fine and decorative arts, ranging from the Renaissance to the early 20th century. The building and its contents remain a designated New York City landmark and National Historic Landmark, recognized for their architectural and cultural significance. The Frick Collection underwent a major renovation and enhancement project, culminating in the reopening of the mansion on April 17, 2025, doubling the gallery space and improving visitor experience while preserving the intimate residential atmosphere that is central to the museum's character.
1 East 70th Street, Manhattan, NYC
The Henry Clay Frick House / Frick Collection
The Henry Clay Frick House, also known as the Frick Collection building, is located at 1 East 70th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City. It occupies a site bounded by Fifth Avenue to the west, 70th Street to the south, and 71st Street to the north.
This Beaux-Arts mansion was designed by Thomas Hastings as the residence of industrialist Henry Clay Frick and now houses the Frick Collection museum, which features European paintings and fine and decorative arts dating from the 14th to 19th centuries. The building also contains the Frick Art Reference Library.
The mansion has three stories with an L-shaped layout, stone facade with carved pediments, and an elevated garden facing Fifth Avenue. Originally built in the early 1910s, the interior rooms on the first and second floors have been adapted for museum use, while the third floor was the servants' quarters.
The site covers approximately 45,175 square feet (4,197 m²), spanning about half of the city block. It is part of the Upper East Side Historic District and Fifth Avenue's Museum Mile.
Since its opening as a museum in 1935, the Frick Collection has undergone various expansions, including a recent major renovation and expansion completed in 2025. The expansion added new gallery spaces, an education center, a café overlooking the garden, an auditorium beneath the garden, and accessibility improvements.
The property is recognized as a New York City landmark and a National Historic Landmark for its architectural and cultural significance.
1 East 70th Street
Upper East Side, Manhattan
New York City, NY, USA
Visitor Amenities
- Reception Hall: Upgraded ticketing desks, expanded coat-check, and ADA-accessible ramps at entrances.
- Café: 60-seat space overlooking the 70th Street Garden (opening late spring).
- Museum Shop: Expanded retail area with adjacent seating overlooking the restored garden.
- ADA Accessibility: Restrooms on multiple levels, seven interior elevators, and accessible pathways connecting all public spaces.
Art Conservation
- Sherman Fairchild Center: State-of-the-art conservation labs with dedicated workspaces, natural light, and specialized equipment for sculptures/decorative arts.
- Art Elevator: Purpose-built elevator connecting storage areas to galleries for secure artwork transport.
Library Facilities
- Conservation Studio: High-efficiency equipment for treating rare books, prints, and archival materials.
- Digital Lab: Enhanced facilities for digitizing oversized materials and providing online access.
- Library-Museum Passageways: New limestone-clad connectors between the Frick Art Research Library (10 East 71st) and main museum.
Infrastructure
- Environmental Systems: Modernized HVAC and humidification for museum-quality climate control.
- Lighting: Energy-efficient upgrades including UV-protected gallery skylights.
- Safety Systems: New sprinklers, fire alarms, and IT/security infrastructure throughout.
New Public Spaces
- Stephen A. Schwarzman Auditorium: 220-seat basement venue with clamshell-shaped seating.
- Education Center: First dedicated space for public programs and workshops.
- Special Exhibitions Gallery: Newly created flexible space for temporary installations.
Address: 1 East 70th Street, Manhattan, NYC
Current Tenant: Frick Collection
Type: Museum (formerly Henry Clay Frick residence)
Operational Status: Reopened April 17, 2025 after renovation
Building Details: Beaux-Arts mansion, 3 floors, 45,175 sq ft site
Internet Providers at 1 East 70th Street, Manhattan, NYC
Residents of 1 East 70th Street, located in Manhattan, have access to several top-tier internet service providers offering fiber and high-speed broadband connections.
Verizon Fios
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Astound Broadband
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Spectrum
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1 East 70th Street, Manhattan, NYC
Transportation & Cross Streets
Cross Streets: Fifth Avenue and East 70th Street
Subway: 6 train to 68th St-Hunter College (5 min walk), Q train to 72nd St with M72 bus transfer, N/R/W to 59th St
Bus: M1/2/3/4 to Madison/69th St or Fifth/69th St; M72 crosstown to Fifth/69th St
Citi Bike: Stations at Fifth/72nd St, 72nd/Park Av, and 68th/Madison Av
Parking: Limited street parking; nearby garages available
Drop-off: Taxis/rideshares permitted at 1 East 70th St (no idling)
