Look Up: The Flossiest Building Under the Brooklyn Bridge

Image via Complex Original

Situated in what became in 2007 the 90th historic district designated by NYC’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, it is certainly a truly fantastic luxury residence. It is just off the water and the newly finished (and newly refinished) Brooklyn Bridge Park and a stone’s throw away from Jane Walentas’ Carosel (that tragically got flooded during Sandy). Glamorous celebs like Jane Hathaway are rumored to reside there, and several TV shows have been shot there. The Walentas’ themselves used to briefly call the penthouse home, but these days it sits vacant waiting for its final sale. Maybe you'll be the next one to call it home?

When built, 1 Main was the tallest reinforced concrete building in the world with over 275,000 square feet of interior space. The building was leased to Charles Williams Stores, who ran a mail order firm comparable to Sears Roebuck from offices in the building. In 1998, it was converted into 124 luxury condominiums. The building was purchased along with several others as part of a 2 million square foot deal from Harry Helmsley for just $12 million back in 1979. Street Easy is currently listing the penthouse at 1 Main for over $18 million and at the peak of the last reception, had it priced at as high as $25 million.

Gair is credited with having invented machines for folding corrugated cardboard, flat bottomed paper bags, and boxes. With the rise of Brooklyn’s shipping and trading industries, Gair’s skills with packaging were critical to all and he quickly became the largest manufacturer of boxes in the United States, employing over 1,700 people in his factories in Dumbo.