It’s Free to Look: 28 East 10th Street

When merely pre-Second World War seems fit for the plebes, this Devonshire throwback offers pre-Revolutionary War airs without the political baggage.

Named for a sleepy British aristocratic family, 28 East 10^th Street doesn't come with a peerage but it does have its own crest. It was designed by Emery Roth in 1923 and restored in 2009, with careful attention to the architect's mock Elizabethan finishes, such as copper emblems and wood paneling.

In this four-bedroom unit, listed by Stribling, the interior design by Victoria Hagan is heavy on the white moldings and light on the armor and plaid. Not everyone was happy when they knocked down a few walls to convert the building to condos. But now with over 4,100 square feet, this $12.5 million unit is airy in both senses of the word.

Just off Washington Square, and in the path of many tipsy N.Y.U. students, the building's location may bring new meaning to that sleepy Devonshire family motto: "Safety through caution." — Laura Kusisto