Forty years ago a series of former Bell Telephone Laboratories buildings in Manhattan’s West Village were converted into 383 affordable artist live-work spaces by a then young, unknown architect named Richard Meier.  Diane Arbus, Merce Cunningham and Robert DeNiro Sr. are among artists who have lived and worked at Westbeth. In 2009, Westbeth was nominated to the State and National Register of Historic Places and is being considered for New York City landmark designation. Penthouses at the new real estate development across the street from Westbeth, the Superior Ink building, sell for $25 million.