You’re walking down through the glass-and-steel canyons of the Financial District, past the charging bulls and the tourists fighting over spots to take selfies at the Stock Exchange, and then you hit it. 77 Water St New York NY 10005. From a distance, it looks like a standard, maybe slightly dated, 1970s office tower. But if you actually stop and look up—or look at the roof—you realize this place is a total fever dream.
Most people work in boring boxes. This isn't one of them.
Constructed in 1970 and designed by Emery Roth & Sons, the building was a middle finger to the stuffy, corporate architectural norms of the era. The developer, Melvyn Kaufman of the Sage Realty Corporation, hated the idea that office buildings had to be sterile, intimidating fortresses. He wanted "human-scale" whimsy. He succeeded. Honestly, in a neighborhood that can feel pretty cold and transactional, 77 Water Street feels like a glitch in the simulation. It’s got a fake old-timey candy store, a Sopwith Camel airplane on the roof, and heat lamps that look like something out of a sci-fi movie.
The Airplane on the Roof: No, It Didn't Crash There
Let’s address the elephant—or rather, the British WWI fighter plane—on the roof. If you’re looking at the building from a nearby skyscraper or checking it out on Google Earth, you’ll see a full-sized replica of a 1916 Sopwith Camel perched on a "runway" on the 26th floor.
It’s not real. I mean, it’s a real-size replica, but it’s made of steel and fiberglass.
Kaufman put it there basically because he could. There’s no deep corporate symbolism about "taking flight" or "reaching new heights." It’s just a piece of art meant to give people in neighboring offices something better to look at than a gray HVAC unit. The runway is even functional in a visual sense; it has lights that blink at night. It’s one of those classic New York secrets that most people walking on the sidewalk at 77 Water St New York NY 10005 have zero clue about. You have to be "in the know" or just really observant to catch it.
Why the Plaza Feels Like a Movie Set
The ground floor is where things get even weirder. Most FiDi plazas are just flat slabs of granite with a few uncomfortable metal chairs. Not here.
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At 77 Water Street, you have a 19th-century style general store sitting right in the middle of the lobby area. It’s called Bridgewaters, and yes, it actually sells candy and newspapers. It’s got the wood siding, the porch, and the old-school signage. It looks like it was plucked out of a Midwestern town in 1890 and dropped into the base of a Manhattan skyscraper.
There are also these giant, glowing heat lamps. They look like oversized designer floor lamps you'd find in a high-end loft, but they actually serve a purpose. They make the outdoor plaza habitable in the winter. Kaufman wanted people to actually use the space, not just pass through it. He added wooden benches, trickling fountains, and a literal stream of water that runs through the plaza. It’s a masterclass in "placemaking" before that was even a buzzword in urban planning.
The building basically pioneered the idea of a privately owned public space (POPS) that didn't feel like a sterile hospital waiting room.
The Architecture of 77 Water St New York NY 10005
Underneath all the quirks, the building is actually a solid piece of late-modernist architecture. It’s a 26-story tower with about 600,000 square feet of office space. It uses a steel-frame construction with a glass curtain wall, which was the "it" style for the 70s.
One thing that’s kinda cool? The building is elevated.
Instead of the ground floor being a solid block of wall, the tower is held up by massive columns. This creates that open-air plaza that flows underneath the building. It’s a design trick that makes a massive structure feel light, almost like it’s hovering over the street. The light-gray steel and the dark windows give it a sleek, industrial look that has aged surprisingly well compared to some of the concrete monstrosities built around the same time.
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Who Actually Works Here?
While the outside is a playground, the inside is serious business. Over the years, 77 Water Street has hosted some big names in finance and law. For a long time, Goldman Sachs held a significant amount of space here. More recently, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, a massive law firm, has been a primary tenant.
It’s a weird contrast.
You have high-powered attorneys billing $800 an hour, walking past a fake general store and a neon-lit plaza to get to their desks. It’s a reminder that even in the heart of global capitalism, there’s room for a bit of eccentricity. The floor plates are relatively large, which makes it attractive for firms that need open-plan layouts, but let’s be real—the reason people remember the building is because of the plane, not the floor-to-ceiling heights.
Dealing with the FiDi Realities
Look, being located at 77 Water St New York NY 10005 means dealing with the realities of Lower Manhattan. The area is prone to flooding—Hurricane Sandy in 2012 was a massive wake-up call for the entire Water Street corridor. Since then, the building and its neighbors have had to invest heavily in flood protection and mechanical upgrades.
Getting there is easy, though. You’re a short walk from:
- The 2/3 at Wall Street
- The J/Z at Broad Street
- The R/W at Whitehall
- The Staten Island Ferry (great for a cheap boat ride past the Statue of Liberty)
It’s a prime location. You’re right near the Seaport District, which has been massively revitalized with high-end dining and shopping. You can grab a coffee at the building's lobby shop and be at Pier 17 in five minutes.
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The Legacy of Melvyn Kaufman
You can't talk about this building without talking about Kaufman. He was a character. He once famously installed a giant digital clock at 127 John Street that looked like a piece of pop art. He hated the "International Style" of architecture that made every city look identical.
To him, 77 Water Street was a gift to the pedestrian.
He believed that if a developer was going to take up space in the city's skyline, they owed it to the people on the ground to provide something interesting to look at. In an era where most developers are focused purely on maximizing every square inch of rentable space, 77 Water St New York NY 10005 stands as a monument to the idea that buildings can—and should—be fun.
Practical Insights for Visiting or Working Nearby
If you find yourself near 77 Water Street, don't just walk past it. Here is how to actually experience the building:
- Look for the Plane: You can’t see the Sopwith Camel from directly underneath. Walk a block or two south or toward the water to get the right angle on the roof.
- Visit the Candy Store: It’s a functioning shop. It’s one of the few places in FiDi where you can get a nostalgic vibe without it feeling like a tourist trap.
- Check out the "Month of June" Sculpture: There’s a bronze sculpture by George Segal in the plaza. It’s of three people sitting on a bench. People often mistake them for real people at first glance.
- Use the Plaza for a Break: If you’re a remote worker or just need a spot to sit that isn’t a crowded Starbucks, the 77 Water Street plaza is one of the best "secret" spots in the area. The heat lamps make it usable even when there’s a nip in the air.
- Explore the Seaport Afterward: Since you're already on the east side of the island, walk over to the Tin Building for some of the best food in the city.
77 Water St New York NY 10005 isn't just an address; it’s a piece of New York history that refuses to take itself too seriously. It’s a reminder that even in a city of millions, there’s still room for a little bit of weirdness.
If you are looking for office space in the area, be aware that the building's unique layout and historical status mean that suites often come with "character" that you won't find in the newer Hudson Yards towers. It's a choice between sterile perfection and New York soul. Most people who work there for a while find they wouldn't trade the airplane and the candy store for anything.
Take a moment to appreciate the "porch" area. In the summer, the shade provided by the building's overhang makes it one of the coolest spots (literally) in Lower Manhattan. It’s a rare example of architecture that actually understands the local climate and the needs of the human beings moving through it.
Don't expect a boring tour. Just show up, grab a bag of sweets from the general store, and look at the bronze statues. That’s the real way to experience 77 Water Street.