64 Avenue C | Block : 374 | Lot #6

Building Date : 1902
Original Use : Residential/Commercial

Original Owner : John Katzman
Original Architect : Sass & Smallheiser

Description & Building Alterations

Built in 1902 as a 22 family tenement with stores by John Katzman, this building retains much of its original ornament including its terracotta window hoods, surrounds and belt courses. In 1952, the storefront was altered and a few years later in 1959, the apartments were updated with new kitchens and bathrooms by P. G. P. Realty, President Paul Kornblum and altered to accommodate 10 additional apartments.

The beloved Puerto Rican restaurant, Casa Adela, has been located here since 1973, and has become a magnet for local Puerto Ricans to experience a taste of the homeland. It also attracts visitors from far and wide who visit for the authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. The owner, Adela Fargas, passed away in January, 2018. Her children, Luis and Abigail, have continued to run it.

Block : 374 / Lot : 006 / Building Date : 1902 / Original Owner : John Katzman / Original Use : Residential/Commercial / Original Architect : Sass & Samllheiser

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What is the Building Blocks Project

What does a building mean to someone who lives there? A person who lives on the block? In the neighborhood? In the city? This site presents a wealth of historic information gained from GVSHP’s architectural research survey about the buildings located in the East Village.

The site explores the area generally considered today as the East Village: from a northern border of 14th Street to a southern border of Houston Street, Avenue D in the east to 4th Avenue/the Bowery to the west. You can explore the information about the blocks and buildings featured here in two ways.

Pick a block. Maybe it’s yours, or perhaps it is just your favorite place to shop, grab a bite, or just people watch. Then explore the buildings that make up that block. Or take one of the many guided tours on the site, curated by a collection of organizations and experts from the neighborhood. See how they experience the neighborhood. Then tell us what the neighborhood means to you. The site’s comments section allows you to open a dialogue with others who feel just as passionately as you do about the East Village.