[8] Prior to the erection of 299 and 302 West 12th Street, the northern side of Abingdon Square Park was the site of several well regarded five-story row houses.

[9] “[C]onstructed of red brick and with artistic wrought iron balcony railings,” notes a New York Times article of the day, “the houses have not only always been well kept, but have been occupied by many prominent residents of the ninth ward.”[10] The destruction of the houses and their replacement with a 16-story high rise were cited by local residents as changing the demographic of the neighborhood in what can be seen as an early case of gentrification in New York City.

[11] He said his goal was to "recreate the entire district as a modern counterpart of the high-class residential section it once was" saying it would "rival Central Park West and the fashionable east side within a few years."

Callers have been numerous...and a high percentage of the space has been leased.”[13] In recent years, units in the building have been priced higher than average for the area partly because of restrictions on new construction in the West Village and the resulting dearth of condo options.

[14] In 2011, after a well-publicized apartment search, Jennifer Aniston purchased both the penthouse and a one bedroom unit beneath it for a combined $7.9 million with the intention of converting them into a duplex.