By Rosemary Counter, Vanity Fair, July 6, 2022
Though it’s filmed at the nearby Belnord, the Arconia building in the Hulu series seems much more closely linked to the Ansonia—a real-life apartment complex that’s been home to murder, mayhem, and a swingers club.
Sure, Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez may be top-billed. But there’s only one true, titular star of Hulu’s comedy-crime-whodunit Only Murders in the Building.
Officially, the crime-solving podcasters’ Upper West Side residence is the Arconia, filmed using a cobbled mix of the Belnord’s facade, interior sets with statement wallpaper galore in the Bronx, and countless outdoor locations in and around the city. Though the Belnord tends usually to hog attention from fans, the Arconia’s name and colorful residents seem much more closely linked to the Ansonia, the legendary real-life luxury apartment building that occupies a full city block on Broadway between 73rd and 74th Street.
Made up of 17 stories and around 400 unique units, the building is every New Yorker’s real-estate dream come true: Parisian-inspired with Juliet balconies, round turrets with gray terracotta details, and an opulent archway entry. Inside are hardwood herringbone floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a sweeping marbled staircase spiraling beneath a grand domed skylight. Today, a 3,000-plus square foot, four-bedroom, three-bathroom unit in the building is listed for almost $9,000,000.
For that asking price you don’t just get luxurious modern living—you also get the Ansonia’s bawdy history and raucous reputation, which includes everything from a swingers club to gruesome murders fit for binge-worthy TV. Here are just some of the secrets from the Ansonia’s infamous wild heyday.
