“A forerunner of the skyscraper, the Italianate brownstone was the first building in New York to use rolled iron I-beams for structural support, which were designed by Peter Cooper himself. The Foundation Building houses the Great Hall, which has witnessed some of the most important political and social events of the past two centuries. Debates in the Great Hall gave birth to the NAACP and the women’s suffrage movement, and the space has hosted speeches by Presidents Lincoln, Roosevelt, Clinton and Obama.”

An example of Romanesque Revival executed in sturdy masonry and subtle terra cotta detailing, this former printing press is a historical vestige of the Civil War-era evolution of Lafayette Street from a locale for luxury residences to a literary and cultural center. The three main arches within the front facade help to accent the massive structure of the walls with deeply recessed windows.

Originally home to NYC’s first free library (funded by John Jacob Astor), this building is considered one of the best American examples of German Romanesque Revival, or Rundbogenstil. It currently houses the Public Theater, founded by Joseph Papp and known for launching the original production of Hair.

This Corinthian colonnade once extended the length of nine Greek revival townhouses, of which only four remain. This site was one of the first in NYC to receive landmark status in 1965. Famous inhabitants have included: John Jacob Astor III, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Washington Irving.

A masterpiece of Gothic Revival in marble, Grace Church was James Renwick Jr.’s first major commission.

This Art Moderne-inflected, neo-Classical post office is a relic of WPA-era NYC. Additionally it boasts a claim-to-fame in popular culture, featured on Seinfeld as the post office where Newman works.

Located at one of the most vibrant intersections of downtown Manhattan, this alternately curving and boxy high-rise was envisioned as a "sculpture for living" by recently deceased architect Charles Gwathmey.

A Romanesque Revival from the architect of the Plaza Hotel, this loft building is composed of a harmonious blend of brick, sandstone and terra cotta with polished granite columns. Notable features include three-story arched windows and whimsical ornamental faces.

Now home to the Grace Church School, the Grace Church houses bring the Gothic style of the main church, visible behind on Broadway, to a more residential context.

One of the city’s finest buildings of the last several years, the boldly articulated form of this LEED Platinum-certified educational center acts as a beacon for the Cooper Union’s spirit of innovation.