NYC’s best gargoyles and grotesques

1 Britannia Apartments
The Britannia was designed in 1909 by Ward and Willauer. “It’s just fabulous!” says Thane Rosenbaum, author of The Golems of Gotham. “There’s a little narrative of gargoyles in action—and you don’t have to strain your neck.”
To get there: 1 to 110th–Cathedral Pkwy.

2 Flushing High School
Prolific architect and NYC Superintendent of Schools Charles B.J. Snyder dedicated FHS and its myriad stoners (the frozen kind) during WWI; the animated ’goyles surround the roofline, jut from columns and watch over the kids wherever they go.
To get there: 7 to Flushing–Main St.

3 Woolworth Building
A grotesque crafted in the likeness of Woolworth designer Cass Gilbert is hidden within the entranceway of this otherwise-boxy edifice. “You can’t get past the security guards,” warns Rick Bell, executive director of the New York chapter of the American Institute for Architects. “You have to squint at it, sneak by and then get thrown out.”
To get there: A,C to Chambers St.

4 Chrysler Building
Behold the grand dame of gargoyledom. According to Bell, William Van Allen’s gargoyles “look like the hood ornament on a car.” Coincidence?
To get there: 7 to 42nd St.–Grand Central

5 Herman Behr home
This Romanesque-revival mansion is better known for its colorful past as the Palm Hotel bordello than for its ferocious dragons. Alas, the residence is on the market for $12 million.
To get there: 2,3 to Clark St.

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