Bing & Bing

Bing & Bing was one of the most important apartment real estate developers in New York City in the early 20th century.

The firm was founded by Leo S. Bing and his brother, Alexander M. Bing. The brothers often worked with the architect Emery Roth[1] on buildings like The Alden, at 82nd and Central Park West, and the Southgate complex of apartment houses on the south side of 52nd Street between First Avenue and the East River. In 1985, the heirs of the Bings[2] sold most of their buildings to a partnership led by Martin J. Raynes.[3]

The firm had a reputation for building "stately, spacious apartments in elegantly detailed buildings that often had Art Deco touches."[4] Bing & Bing buildings, all built for the luxury market, often feature multiple setbacks with private terraces.[4] According to The New York Times, "The Bing & Bing buildings are regarded as among the city's finest prewar properties."[3]

Alexander Bing (1879 – 1959) was also an author, artist, art patron, and philanthropist. Bing was the first president of the Regional Planning Association of America, and the primary source of funding for the City Housing Corporation, the organization behind the development of housing landmark Sunnyside Gardens in Astoria, Queens, and the planned community of Radburn, New Jersey. Late in life, Bing also started the Friends of the Whitney Museum of American Art, with David Sholinger and Roy Neuberger.