NOW

Toby Chancey, owner of Toby Clarity Lighting, is proud of what he does and passionate about his work: “I love people, I am a man of service, whatever I can do to make their lives better, that is what I do.” He’s been in the electrical lighting business for over thirty years, beginning at a supply house and building jobs with contractors before ultimately opening his own store. The success of the shop can be mainly attributed to Toby, who has been there for 15 years: "I am the shop, I am the one who performs and makes it do well because people like me and my personality."

Toby Clarity Lighting offers lighting and electrical services ranging from repairs and recovering lampshades to selling light bulbs and rare lamp parts. They also offer house calls for hanging fixtures and ceiling fans.

THEN

These highly detailed tenement buildings were built in 1900 and designed by architect M. Bernstein. Bernstein was a prolific architect in the early years of the 20th century in the neighborhood, having designed other tenements with very similar architectural details. It is interesting to note that the building was described at the Real Estate Record as two six-story brick flats, and not tenements, which was unusual for the time and for the eastern area of the Upper East Side. One can theorize that the intricate architectural details of the brickwork, stone enframements and cornice, contributed to the elevated category. Today, the building stands mostly unaltered, with only the cornice missing.