In an era when Manhattan’s skyline seems to sprout glass-and-steel towers by the week, a devoted subset of buyers is looking in the opposite direction, toward buildings erected long before World War II .

These apartments, built between the 1880s and the early-1940s, are prized for their craftsmanship and character — things that modern construction often struggles to match.

“Pre-war apartments continue to attract a very specific type of buyer in New York City, someone who values history, craftsmanship, and architectural charm over the sleek amenities of new developments,” Ben Jacobs, a luxury real estate broker at Douglas Elliman, told 6sqft. 8

Many clients, he added, are drawn to the high ceilings, thick walls, and intricate moldings that “just ‘feels like New York.’”

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