P.S. 157 Lofts

The Upper Manhattan condo scene has its share of conversions, but P.S. 157 Lofts sticks out on St Nicholas—one of those projects where a century-old school finally turns residential. Most conversions give up the original bones, yet they kept the tall windows and open floor plans. It’s a quiet lane off the avenue, handy for anyone tired of Broadway traffic.

Up on the Avenue between 145th and 150th you’ll find the red-brick building at 327 St Nicholas Ave. No retail floors, just lobbies that read apartment. The phone line rings through to management when neighbors need a repair.

Inside the units you get high ceilings from the 1910 design, paired with modern finishes nobody managed to gild. They still list the same building-wide utilities that once powered schoolrooms, now running through conduit. Tenants handle their own meters.

Find the entrance between the two wrought-iron entry gates. To pull up the route before heading north, plug the coordinates into this map. That last stretch after the 1-train flattens out; call (212) 864-4920 if the buzzer skips a tenant.