Twenty9th Park Madison - 39 East 29th Street

Urban planners might want to make a case study out of the area just north of Madison Square Park in Manhattan. There's been a persistent stream of development activity in this part of town, and the latest entrant is a rather unremarkable 142 apartment 34-story condo tower rising fast at 32 East 29th Street. Called Twenty9th Park Madison (don't ask) this H. Thomas O'Hara designed condo topped-out in what seemed like record time. It is a plain straight forward design, with a mostly windowed curtain wall, and masonry accents at the base and corners. What interested us more than the building itself (roof deck at right) is whether or not this location will come together as a residential neighborhood. After the jump we consider the area and the neighbors.