Murray Hill/Kips Bay

Waterfronts across New York City are being developed, many with ultra-luxe high-rise condos with sweeping views. But thanks to rezoning and climate resiliency efforts, as well as the launch of NYC Ferry almost a decade ago, several rental buildings have popped up along shorelines in every borough, making resort-style living slightly more attainable. With beautiful views and amenities to match, and now, a quicker commute via new, expanded ferry service, riverside (and seaside!) living in New York is more appealing than ever. To explore what waterfront life is really like in NYC, we took a look at a few rentals along the water's edge, from glassy high-rises in Greenpoint to modern homes a block from the beach in the Rockaways.
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First look at The Morgan, an 18-story luxury condo rising on a tree-lined block in Murray Hill

Renderings courtesy of We Are Visuals

April 29, 2026

First look at The Morgan, an 18-story luxury condo rising on a tree-lined block in Murray Hill

The first images have been revealed for a new 18-story luxury condo taking shape on a tree-lined block in Murray Hill. Developed by the Continuum Company and Aksoy Holding and designed by INC Architecture & Design, The Morgan at 38 East 35th Street will include contemporary residences ranging from studios to three-bedrooms, along with select duplexes and penthouses. The developer has also launched a teaser website for the building along with the newly released renderings.
see it here

New Developments

NYC’s largest men’s homeless shelter to close this month

Credit: Carl Mikoy on Flickr

March 5, 2026

NYC’s largest men’s homeless shelter to close this month

New York City's largest men's homeless shelter will shut down this month because of the building's deteriorating condition. As first reported by Gothamist, the Mamdani administration plans to close the city-owned Bellevue Shelter on East 30th Street in Kips Bay in mid-March, relocating 250 residents to allow for work to be done on the building. The shelter’s intake services will move elsewhere in Manhattan, and several new shelters are expected to open over the next six months.
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Policy

20-story Murray Hill luxury rental opens lottery for 48 apartments, from $1,842/month

Credit: NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

February 3, 2026

20-story Murray Hill luxury rental opens lottery for 48 apartments, from $1,842/month

Applications are now being accepted for 48 mixed-income apartments at a new CetraRuddy-designed luxury rental development in Murray Hill. Rising 20 stories at 255 East 39th Street, The Lotus is a sustainability-focused building whose cutting-edge amenities, modern residences, and building systems are all designed in accordance with “vegan principles,” according to Brause Realty. New Yorkers earning 70 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $1,842/month studios to $4,518/month two bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Converted former brewery in Murray Hill opens lottery for 28 apartments, from $940/month

Credit: NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

December 24, 2025

Converted former brewery in Murray Hill opens lottery for 28 apartments, from $940/month

A former brewing company headquarters in Murray Hill, later converted into medical offices, has been reimagined once again. Now a residential development, the building at 650 First Avenue opened a housing lottery for 28 mixed-income apartments. The 11-story building first served as the Kips Bay Brewing Company's headquarters more than 120 years ago, and has been transformed by developer Lalezarian Properties into 111 residences, according to CityRealty. New Yorkers earning 40, 80, and 100 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $940/month studios to $3,290/month two bedrooms.
find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Work to begin on $1.6B life sciences hub in Kips Bay next year

All renderings courtesy of SOM / Miysis

December 23, 2025

Work to begin on $1.6B life sciences hub in Kips Bay next year

Work on a huge new life sciences campus in Kips Bay, aimed at cementing New York City as a national leader in the field, is getting ready to kick off. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced a timeline for construction of the Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) Kips Bay at East 25th Street and First Avenue, with deconstruction of the current campus planned for February 2026 and construction of the new campus the following year. The $1.6 billion project will provide modern facilities for 4,500 City University of New York students and create a clear pathway to careers in the life sciences sector. The campus will include an ambulatory care center, a Health + Hospitals training facility, a health sciences high school, and a training center for forensic pathologists.
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New Developments

October 28, 2025

Kips Bay parking lot on East River to become temporary public open space

An underutilized stretch of Manhattan’s eastern waterfront in Kips Bay will soon be transformed into new open space. The city's Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) on Monday announced plans to convert a city-owned parking lot on East 34th Street along the FDR Drive into a temporary park. Although the official design has not yet been released, the agency said the new space will feature ADA-accessible fitness equipment, seating and gathering areas, and a waterfront-friendly layout, with completion expected in spring 2026.
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Architecture And Design

The kitchen in this $1.53M Murray Hill co-op is like a ray of sunshine

Photo credit: Brown Harris Stevens

October 9, 2025

The kitchen in this $1.53M Murray Hill co-op is like a ray of sunshine

This classic pre-war co-op at Goodhue House at 20 East 35th Street epitomizes elegant Manhattan living. Asking $1,530,000, the ninth-floor corner apartment gets views of Madison Avenue and the city skyline. Within are graciously-sized rooms with architectural details like beamed ceilings and parquet tile flooring. The home's current owner is events producer/designer Kate Edmonds, explaining its bright and lively design details.
get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

For $1.25M, aspirational Murray Hill penthouse has an atrium, spa, and impossibly huge roof terrace

Photos courtesy Allyson Lubow for The Corcoran Group

May 19, 2025

For $1.25M, aspirational Murray Hill penthouse has an atrium, spa, and impossibly huge roof terrace

Small but mighty, this one-bedroom top-floor condo at 71 Park Avenue, asking $1,250,000, has all the charm you'd expect in a Park Avenue address that hasn't changed hands in over 25 years. Ambitious architectural features like glass atrium skylights give it character, and a private terrace that's bigger than the 700-square-foot apartment itself is a bountiful surprise.
step inside, step outside

Distinctive Homes

Talk show host Graham Norton’s ‘jewel box’ carriage house on a secret Murray Hill mews asks $5.6M

Photo courtesy of MW Studio for Corcoran

May 7, 2025

Talk show host Graham Norton’s ‘jewel box’ carriage house on a secret Murray Hill mews asks $5.6M

The tiny, close-ended Sniffen Court Mews in the midst of Manhattan's Murray Hill neighborhood is magical even without celebrity cachet. It's one of the city's smallest historic districts, one of those NYC places where you feel like you've completely stepped away from the city altogether. Irish comedian and talk show host Graham Norton's carriage house at 6 Sniffen Court is one of 10 former horse stables built on the mews during the Civil War. Asking $5,595,000, the home is described by Norton in a New York Times feature as a "jewel box of a carriage house." The 20-foot-wide home's interiors aren't the slightest bit old-fashioned: A fabulous renovation by Gachot Studio and a landscaped roof deck are a design-lover's dream within this private paradise.
discover sniffen mews

Former sculpture studio turned enchanting live-work space in Kips Bay asks $7.95M

Photos courtesy of Andrew Frasz for Sotheby’s International Realty

April 30, 2025

Former sculpture studio turned enchanting live-work space in Kips Bay asks $7.95M

Every so often, we come across an only-in-New York City-type listing, and this townhouse certainly falls under that category. The four-story home at 218 East 25th Street belonged to the sculpture studio Rochette & Parzini for over six decades. In addition to living quarters, the current owner, photographer Clara Aich, has used the majestic space to host musical performances, plays, and other cultural gatherings that benefit from its soaring ceilings, massive skylights, and loft-like proportions. The unique home hit the market this week for $7,950,000.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

August 12, 2024

Colors, prints, and patterns give this $850K pre-war Murray Hill co-op a country cottage vibe

This full-sized two-bedroom co-op on Manhattan's east side at 144 East 36th Street is a classic pre-war home, with high, beamed ceilings and generous proportions. Asking $850,000, the cozy, colorful apartment's decor surrounds graceful arches and molding, hardwood floors–and Chrysler Building views–with pretty prints and floral chintz, bringing the cheerfulness of a country meadow to the historic Deco residence.
step inside

Distinctive Homes

Kips Bay condo fits personal and professional under one roof, studios from $895K

Renderings courtesy of CORE Real Estate

July 12, 2024

Kips Bay condo fits personal and professional under one roof, studios from $895K

A new condominium in Kips Bay combines the personal and professional under one roof. On the corner of Second Avenue and 29th Street, Hendrix House offers 60 residences and an amenity package that is extremely functional for the modern New Yorker. Not only is there a stunning co-working space and lobby with an adjacent courtyard for al-fresco work, but residences have carefully crafted home offices with custom furniture and shelving. Sales recently launched at Hendrix House, with studios priced from $895,000.
find out more

New Developments

Photo courtesy of Elegran | Forbes Global Properties

October 27, 2023

For the price of a two-bedroom condo, this $2.5M Kips Bay property is a townhouse with potential

Sometimes the best finds are hiding in plain sight. According to the listing, this unassuming building at 240 East 29th Street is the lowest-priced townhouse in Manhattan south of Central Park. It will require some effort to achieve peak townhouse status, but the best things in life often do. Asking $2.5 million, the Kips Bay property presents a wealth of investment opportunities, with lots of advantages from the start.
a diamond in the rough, this way

Distinctive Homes

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 3, 2023

British Consulate’s Midtown East penthouse, asking $7M, hits the auction block starting at $2M

This 6,000-square-foot full-floor residence in the Beekman Regent condominium at 351 East 51st Street, currently asking $6,995,000 (down from $8,500,000 in 2021), may provide an opportunity for auction lovers: The penthouse with city views and five bedrooms is headed for online auction by the British government, with bids starting at $2,000,000. The penthouse has functioned as the British Consul General in New York's residence, so it's a given that its flexible floorplan and nearly 10-foot ceilings would add up to the perfect space for lavish parties and regal receptions.
Take a look inside

Waitlist opens for affordable rentals at copper-clad dancing towers in Murray Hill, from $832/month

Photo via Wikimedia

December 27, 2022

Waitlist opens for affordable rentals at copper-clad dancing towers in Murray Hill, from $832/month

A waitlist has opened to fill affordable apartments available now and for future vacancies at an architectural standout in Murray Hill. The Copper, originally known as the American Copper Buildings, is a pair of luxury rental towers at 626 First Avenue with a three-story sky bridge connecting the two buildings. New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for a spot on the wait list for the apartments, which are priced between $832/month to $1,311/month on NYC Housing Connect.
Do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

Photo courtesy of Anthony Quintano on Flickr

December 8, 2022

How to avoid NYC SantaCon 2022

Manhattan residents may be pleasantly surprised or significantly perturbed when a horde of red-and-white-clad SantaCon 2022 participants flood the streets of Midtown, Murray Hill, and the East Village this Saturday. The annual cosplay event draws thousands of festively-dressed participants into the borough for a day of drunken shenanigans all in the name of charity. The pub crawl is a blast for all of those involved, and not so fun for residents of the neighborhoods and people who need to travel through these areas. Ahead are a few suggestions for those looking to avoid the action during this year's SantaCon.
See more here

Events & Things To Do

New York to open $1.6B life science campus in Kips Bay

A conceptual rendering of the SPARC Kips Bay campus. Courtesy: New York City Economic Development
Corporation

October 14, 2022

New York to open $1.6B life science campus in Kips Bay

A $1.6 billion state-of-the-art life sciences hub will open in Kips Bay, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday. Located on East 25th Street and First Avenue, the Science Park and Research Campus will provide modern facilities for 4,500 City University of New York students, as well as an ambulatory care center, a Health + Hospitals training center, a health care and sciences high school, and a training center for forensic pathologists. SPARC Kips Bay will be funded jointly by the city and state with additional private investment, according to officials.
Find out more

New Developments

Photo credit: Douglas Elliman

July 20, 2022

This $7.5M Kips Bay townhouse has a private saltwater lap pool in the backyard

The three-unit Kips Bay townhouse at 308 East 30th Street is 21 feet wide and beautifully renovated, from its garden apartment to landscaped rooftop deck with Empire State Building views. But the most unique thing about this home, asking $7,500,000, is definitely the heated outdoor in-ground lap pool on the back patio.
Take the pool-to-rooftop tour

Distinctive Homes

June 9, 2022

The Morgan Library unveils $13M exterior restoration and new garden with public access

The Morgan Library and Museum will unveil the recently restored exterior of the Morgan Library and the new Morgan Garden to the public this month. The six-year-long, $13 million project marks the first-ever comprehensive restoration of the historic 115-year-old library’s exterior. Designed by architect Charles Follen McKim for J.Pierpont Morgan, the library was completed in 1906 and later became a public institution. The project restores one of the nation's finest examples of Neoclassical architecture, enhances the surrounding grounds, improves the building's lighting, and enables public access to the grounds of the 36th street site for the first time ever.
Stroll the garden, this way

Contemporary artist Rashid Johnson lists Kips Bay townhouse for $5M

All photos courtesy of Evan Joseph / Sotheby’s International Realty

May 26, 2022

Contemporary artist Rashid Johnson lists Kips Bay townhouse for $5M

Artist Rashid Johnson and his wife, fellow artist Sheree Hovsepian, are selling their brick townhouse in Kips Bay for $4,995,000. Located at 139 Lexington Avenue, the turn-of-the-century four-bedroom property measures more than 4,100 square feet across five floors. Every level boasts original details--like mantles, plaster crown moldings, and ceiling medallions--and, of course, tall ceilings and walls perfect for hanging artwork.
See inside

Distinctive Homes

This furnished $5.75M Midtown townhouse has been designed for modern living, framed by a rich history

Photo courtesy of The Corcoran Group

May 25, 2022

This furnished $5.75M Midtown townhouse has been designed for modern living, framed by a rich history

Just off Park Avenue on a tree-lined street just four blocks from Grand Central Station, this landmarked townhouse at 130 East 38th Street is both historic and a modern design masterpiece. Built in 1869 as a Second Empire-style brownstone, the four-story home's facade was altered in 1919 by the popular Ziegfeld actress Ida Adams. Its rounded oak front door originated in a Detroit mansion. More recently, the three-bedroom home, listed for $5,750,000, has been reimagined for the 21st century, from its finished lower-level suite to its landscaped roof terrace with panoramic skyline views.
Take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

Park in your garage & take the elevator upstairs at this $5M Kips Bay townhouse

All photos courtesy of Compass

February 14, 2022

Park in your garage & take the elevator upstairs at this $5M Kips Bay townhouse

It's a rare home in the middle of Manhattan that allows you to bypass the inconvenience of city parking; this brick single-family townhouse at 453 Second Avenue in Kips Bay does just that, with its own curb cut and private garage. And there's an elevator, so you don't even have to deal with vertical townhouse stair-climbing. Asking $4,995,000, the four-story townhouse has been given a thoroughly modern renovation from top to bottom with four bedrooms, three separate outdoor spaces, and tons of living and entertaining space.
Take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

Photo by Jim Henderson via Wikimedia Commons

December 7, 2021

How to steer clear of NYC SantaCon 2021

The idea behind the annual cosplay event is solid: A "charitable, non-political, nonsensical Santa Claus convention that happens once a year to spread absurdist joy." With booze, of course. But after entering the mainstream and picking up steam for a full 25 years (the event took a year off in 2020, because, you know), the annual pub crawl seems better suited to a 1980s frat house than the streets of NYC. And we're pretty sure there are better ways to spend a day of drunken debauchery than yelling across Midtown bars over a horde of sloshed Santa clones. This year's SantaCon details are here, so you can figure out where not to bring a first date on Saturday, December 11. A few more suggestions, ahead.
Ho, ho, no

Events & Things To Do

In Murray Hill, $4.5M townhouse has two gracious apartments and a romantic Broadway history

Images courtesy of Compass.

December 1, 2021

In Murray Hill, $4.5M townhouse has two gracious apartments and a romantic Broadway history

Built in 1857, the 4,000-square-foot townhouse at 113 East 35th Street on a tree-lined Murray Hill block is a fine example of Italianate brownstone style. Inside, a thorough renovation of the home's five floors has resulted in two spacious apartments–a two-bedroom lower duplex and four-bed upper triplex–that offer the best of Manhattan living. Asking $4,500,000, the home has kept its historic details while adding modern style and convenience. It has also been blessed with well-deserved fame of the best New York City kind: Former residents include film and stage stars Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, who lived here in the 1940s and 1950s, during the heady days of their legendary romance.
Have a look inside

Distinctive Homes

One of Manhattan’s most ornate office building lobbies is now a NYC landmark

Photo: George Comfort & Sons via Landmarks Preservation Commission

November 9, 2021

One of Manhattan’s most ornate office building lobbies is now a NYC landmark