Upper East Side

In November 6sqft featured the Upper East Side co-op at 563 Park Avenue listed by Nancy Novogrod, former editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure magazine and Condé Nast’s House & Garden, and her husband, John, noting the just-right decor and roll-up-your-sleeves renovated kitchen. The Observer reports that sleeves will indeed be rolled up in the marble-topped chef's paradise, as Food Network's Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten and her husband, Yale University dean emeritus, Jeffrey, have purchased the two-bedroom home for $4.65 million.
Take another look at the couple's new Park Avenue pied a terre

July 18, 2016

$4M UES Limestone Mansion Duplex Wows With Tiffany Windows, a Fireplace and an Elevator

By Ondel Hylton and Dejah McGibbon

The elegant carved limestone mansion at 35 East 68th Street on the Upper East Side is quite a standout, even in a neighborhood filled with historic architecture. 6sqft previously featured another duplex in the 13,000-square-foot Beaux Arts beauty that was built as a private residence for physician Dr. Edward Kellogg and grain fortune heiress Mary Dows by Carrere & Hastings, the architecture firm who designed the Frick Collection and the New York Public Library. The landmarked mansion was converted into an eight-unit co-op apartment building, seven of which appeared on the market together last year for $34 million; but it looks like a sale never happened. Now another three-bedroom duplex is for sale, asking $3.95 million. Unlike the other listing, the home's grand historic details are very much in evidence, from the gorgeous oak paneled living room with 14-foot ceilings to Tiffany stained glass windows and a wood-burning fireplace–complemented by a modern custom kitchen and accessible by an elevator.
Tour this grand historic home

Friday Five: 5 Upscale Manhattan Buildings Offering Free Rent and Gift Cards

Every Friday 6sqft is rounding up five of the best rental deals showcased on CityRealty’s newly launched no-fee rentals page, a space where house hunters can find the best concessions being offered by landlords across the city.

July 15, 2016

Friday Five: 5 Upscale Manhattan Buildings Offering Free Rent and Gift Cards

By Annie Doge

A new week means a slew of new rental deals being offered across the city. Today we're focusing on upscale rentals in Manhattan, scanning the island from top to bottom, from the Upper East Side to FiDi, for the most generous of rental concessions. Standouts ahead include one month’s free rent and a $1,000 MasterCard gift card at a Robert A.M. Stern-designed Tribeca tower, and two months of free rent on beautiful new rentals in Yorkville.
5 of the Best deals here

Uncategorized

July 12, 2016

LPC Approves Faux-Classical Mansion on Notorious UES Site of Blown Up Townhouse

Ghoulish history be damned, the Woodbine Company has just received tentative design approvals from the Landmarks Preservation Commission to build a single-family, faux-classical mansion upon the parcel where Dr. Nicholas Bartha blew up his townhouse ten years ago. The now vacant 20' x 100' parcel once held the home of Dr. Bartha who purposely tampered with a gas line to destroy the five-floor mansion to punish his ex-wife for divorcing him and having the court rule that he had to sell the house as part of the settlement. The doctor vowed in an e-mail, "I will leave the house only if I am dead," and on July 10, 2006, set off an explosion which shook the typically quiet Upper East Side block. Only the doctor was inside during the time of the explosion and he succumbed to his injuries five days afterwards.
More on what’s coming to the infamous site

July 11, 2016

Germantown NYC: Uncovering the German History of Yorkville

If you read 6sqft's post about Kleindeutschland, or "Little Germany," you know that in 1885 New York had the third largest German-speaking population in the world, outside of Vienna and Berlin, and the majority of those immigrants settled in what is today the heart of the East Village. You also know that the horrific General Slocum disaster in 1904 pushed the last of the Germans out of the area. And as promised, we're here to tell you where that community went-- Yorkville, then commonly known as Germantown. The Upper East Side neighborhood, bounded by 79th and 96th streets and running from the east side of Third Avenue to the East River, exploded with immigrants from the former Prussian Empire in the early 20th century. Those looking for a fresh start after the tragedy saw opportunity in the many available jobs in Yorkville. Like the East Village, Yorkville still has many reminders of its German past, as well as still-thriving cultural spots.
Take a tour of Yorkville's German history

History

July 7, 2016

Can the Second Avenue Subway Bring New Yorkers Back to the Upper East Side?

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

Ah, the Second Avenue Subway. It’s been the topic of discussion for over 96 years (yes, the line has been in the works since 1920) and it is finally nearing completion despite reports of delays due to last minute design changes and absentee workers. But the question is, will the Second Avenue subway revitalize the Upper East Side? […]

July 6, 2016

Jimmy Choo Co-Founder Offers UES Mansion Penthouse for $60K/Month

By Emily Nonko

Jimmy Choo co-founder Tamara Mellon has long been trying to sell her palatial penthouse pad, which sits atop the Carhart Mansion at 3 East 95th Street. The Carnegie Hill apartment, which boasts five bedrooms and one of the most impressive shoe closets of all time, recently reduced its price from $34 million to $27 million. And now it's on the rental market for $60,000 a month. The 7,000-square-foot penthouse has a long line of impressive owners—Mellon bought this from the Seagram heir Charles Bronfman Jr.
Check out that closet

Distinctive Homes

June 30, 2016

The Upper East Side Townhouse Where Henry Fonda Married a Countess Asks $11M

This elegant five-story single-family townhouse at 151 East 74th Street has been a home to a president's son (Captain Kermit Roosevelt, son of President Theodore Roosevelt) and Hollywood royalty. The late, great actor Henry Fonda called the nearly 6,000-square-foot townhouse home and hosted his wedding to 23-year-old Italian countess Afdera Franchetti here in 1957. Built in 1878, the brick Colonial Revival style home remains an elegant address, and is on the market for $11.225 million. There have been recent improvements and upgrades, with plenty of potential left for transformation. With that many floors, two decks, a landscaped backyard and a prime Upper East Side location on a gorgeous townhouse block near Central Park, the landmarked home might be just the one for a certain outgoing president who has expressed interest in living in New York City after leaving the White House. There's definitely plenty of room for college kids and their friends, dogs, staff and security personnel.
Tour the townhouse

June 23, 2016

$2M Upper East Side Co-Op Boasts a Marble Mantle from the Plaza Hotel

By Emily Nonko

When your home boasts a marble mantlepiece that originally belonged to the Plaza Hotel, you know you've got something special. Such an item can be found at this prewar co-op, on the market for $1.995 million at the Lenox Hill building 333 East 68th Street. The owner, a former Saks Fifth Avenue executive, took on the designer Lindsay Coral Harper to gut renovate it. She transformed a traditional two-bedroom co-op was into a luxurious bachelorette pad that melds new luxury finishes with restored historic details.
See more

Distinctive Homes

The MTA Joins Forces With Arup Engineers to Build Quieter Subway Stations

Artist’s impression of one of the Second Avenue subway’s 16 new stations

June 16, 2016

The MTA Joins Forces With Arup Engineers to Build Quieter Subway Stations

While the New York City subway system has improved by leaps and bounds since the days of squealing graffiti-covered, crime-riddled trains, stations are still an unpleasant reality. Between the grime, stench, heat and noise of oncoming trains (which in turn makes it impossible to hear indecipherable, possibly important announcements), by the time the actual train shows up we've had our share of city cacophony. The good news is that an engineering firm is working with the MTA to create the amazing possibility of quieter subway stations, Wired reports. The challenge of quieting the din lies in the fact that a subway station has to be "incredibly strong, graffiti-proof, soot-resistant, human bodily waste-resistant,” according to Alex Case, an architectural acoustician with the University of Massachusetts Lowell. This indestructible infrastructure by nature creates an echo chamber that amplifies the racket. Engineering firm Arup has been hired by the MTA to improve the acoustics of the new Second Avenue line, the first phase of which–a stretch of track that lies 10 stories below the Upper East Side–is scheduled to open this December, with 8.5 miles and 16 new stations on the way when the line is complete.
Find out how they're doing it

June 14, 2016

Landmarks Approves Roman Abramovich’s $80M UES Makeshift Mansion

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich started assembling his $78 million trio of Upper East Side townhouses at 11-15 East 75th Street back in January of 2015, but it wasn't until this past March that he first released his proposal to combine the townhouses into a giant mansion. The Department of Buildings rejected his initial, $6 million proposal, which called for "an 18,255-square-foot mansion with a six-foot front yard, 30-foot backyard, and pool in the cellar," as 6sqft previously reported. But since the homes are located within the Upper East Side Historic District, it's the Landmarks Preservation Commission who has the final say. The LPC also rejected Abramovich's first proposal in April, but today they reviewed and approved a revised plan from his architect Steven Wang, along with big-name firm Herzog & de Meuron as design consultant. It calls for a modified restoration of the current facades and the removal of the rear yard building elements to be replaced with a garden and new glass facade that unites the three homes.
More details this way

June 10, 2016

Archilier Architects Design Empire State Building-Sized Tower for Former Subway Inn Site

Earlier this year, 6sqft showed you new renderings of Archilier Architects' "Hudson Rise" mixed-use skyscraper planned for Manhattan's west side. Now the design firm has published their vision for a soaring, super-thin supertall at the former site of beloved dive bar Subway Inn at 151 East 60th Street. Kuafu Properties owns the 28,619-square-foot, six-building assemblage at 143-161 East 60th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues, which they acquired from the World Wide Group last year for $300 million, according to The Real Deal. Kuafu is one of the developers behind the Archilier-designed Hudson Rise development, thus these released renderings may indeed be working images of the planned project. The slender tower shown would encompass 411,700 gross square feet of area and rise 1,240 feet high, just 10 feet shy of the Empire State Building's height of 1,250 feet, despite containing just one-fifth of the floor space. The tower would technically be the tallest building on the Upper East Side (by far), but would be 158 feet shorter than nearby 432 Park Avenue in Midtown.
More details ahead

May 26, 2016

Harriet the Spy’s Upper East Side Townhouse Hits the Market for $4.95M

By Diane Pham

Retrace Harriet's "spy route" and settle in with a tomato sandwich at this Queen Anne-style townhouse said to be the residence that inspired the fictional home featured in "Harriet the Spy," the beloved book starring a precocious 11-year-old who spends her days documenting the moves of her friends and neighbors. According to The Post, the stunning 1880s property at 558 East 87th Street has just listed for $4.95 million, and it's the first time in nearly 70 years that it's been put up for sale. The rare Upper East Side gem is a corner construction, which gives it fantastic views of Gracie Mansion, Carl Schurz Park, and the East River—on top of excellent light from three exposures. And being situated on one of the leafiest and quietest blocks in the city, it's the perfect setting to get into covert shenanigans, à la Harriet.
Have a look inside here

May 23, 2016

Developers Used a Four-Foot-Wide Lot to Build a Taller Upper East Side Tower

The go-to move for building taller than zoning allows is snatching up some air rights, but at 180 East 88th Street in Yorkville, developer DDG Partners found an obscure loophole to increase their building's height. Back in 2014, as the Times explains, DDG received approvals to slice off a four-foot-wide lot from the 30-foot-deep site. This became an official taxable lot, but because it provided a buffer between the building and the street, it allowed the building to avoid typical zoning for structures touching the street, rising to its 521-foot height (60 feet taller than would have been permitted otherwise) and having its entrance on Third Avenue. Now that the motive has become clear, local residents and elected officials are not happy, and adding fuel to the fire is the fact that DDG contributed at least $19,900 to Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The full story ahead

May 23, 2016

Browse the Catalog of Joan Rivers’ Prized Possessions Headed for Auction Next Month

As 6sqft previously detailed, when the beloved comedian Joan Rivers passed away in 2014, she left behind a lavish Upper East Side penthouse packed with a collection of glittering designer gowns, gilded furnishings, jewelry and collected items that reflected a lifetime love of pretty things. Rivers herself once described the decor of the 5,100-square-foot triplex as “Louis XIV meets Fred and Ginger.” Christie's has issued a catalog listing the opulent collections of Rivers' home that will be included in the live auction, scheduled for June 22 with viewing times beginning June 17. Items from Harry Winston, Tiffany's and Fabergé will join art and small personal items–like Bob Mackie gowns, a silver Tiffany & Co. water bowl engraved "Spike” and a silk pagoda dog bed (h/t Curbed).
Find out more about the auction

May 23, 2016

For a Limited Time, Related Offering One Month Free in New Upper East Side Rental The Easton

Not quite ready to buy a condo, but still want to feel like you're living in one? For a limited time, the Related Companies is offering one month free at their newest upscale rental The Easton, located at 205 East 92nd Street. The 36-story development is located at the boundary of the Carnegie Hill and Yorkville neighborhoods on the Upper East Side and is loaded with all the amenities, thoughtful layouts, and meticulous craftsmanship typical of many new high-end condominiums.
Find out more

May 6, 2016

Spotlight: Alex Gregg Is the Upper East Side’s Go-To Comic Book and Sports Card Guy

By Susan Cohen

At a time when Batman and Captain America are all over the big screens and sports culture is becoming increasingly digital, one might think superheroes' and athletes' presence on paper is waning. But collecting cards and comics is alive and well in Yorkville, where Alex's MVP Cards and Comics has everything an X-Men-, Archie-, or sport-loving aficionado could want. Alex Gregg first opened a store on the Upper East Side 27 years ago. The business grew out of his own personal collection and interest and is now the place to locate that latest rookie card, newest comic, or buy a piece of memorabilia. Alex certainly knows a great deal about history - particularly New York history - having worked for 22 years as a bartender at the famed (and now closed) establishment Elaine’s. 6sqft recently spoke with Alex about how cards and comics have both changed and remained the same and about his days at Elaine’s.
Read the interview with Alex

May 4, 2016

Affordable Luxury Hits the Upper East Side Market at 389 East 89th Street

At First Avenue and 89th Street on the Upper East Side, 31 floors of spacious, light-filled homes have been reintroduced to the market. In a building previously known as the Post Toscana, 199 rental apartments have been upgraded and enlarged into 156 one- to three-bedroom residences fashioned by acclaimed interior designer Paris Forino. Now dubbed 389 E 89, the tower is the latest in a flurry of top-shelf rental buildings re-branded as affordable condos with high-end finishes.
All the info ahead

May 2, 2016

Hedge Funder Daniel Nir’s $52M Co-op Sale Is This Year’s Biggest

When Daniel Nir, founder and CEO of hedge fund Gracie Capital, and his wife, philanthropist Jill Braufman, listed their sprawling Upper East Side co-op for $48 million a year ago, it certainly caught raised a few eyebrows. But the 16-room home at 4 East 66th Street has actually sold over ask for $52 million, making it this year's biggest co-op sale and the seventh biggest co-op sale to date. It's also the first time this pre-war building has cracked the top-ten list. The couple bought the home in 2007 from hotelier Robert H. Burns for $29 million, leaving them with a nice chunk of change.
See what all the fuss is about

Real Estate Trends

April 27, 2016

Rent the Opulent Upper East Side Mansion Once Home to Versace for $120,000/Month

By Annie Doge

Now's your chance to live like fashion royalty, as the opulent Upper East Side townhouse once owned by Gianni Versace is on the rental market for the first time, asking a whopping $120,000. The Italian designer bought the house at 5 East 64th Street for $7.5 million in 1995, just two years before he was murdered in Miami. It sold again for $30 million in 2005 to Swedish hedge fund manager Thomas Sandell, but it still retains many of the details left over from Versace's renovation, including marble floors, massive chandeliers, and the painted living room ceiling.
See the whole place

April 21, 2016

$1.4M Co-op in Jackie Onassis’ UES Childhood Building Looks Exactly Like You’d Imagine

It doesn't get much more classic Upper East Side than this two-bedroom, sixth-floor co-op on a quietly elegant street just off Park Avenue. The limestone-anchored 1928 building at 125 East 74th Street, designed by Lafayette A. Goldstone, as the NY Post informs us, was the early childhood home of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Unit 6A in this pretty prewar building is on the market for $1.39 million. Famous associations aside, the gracious layout of the apartment, which started out having eight rooms and was reconfigured to its current five-room state, looks to be a pretty good deal for the price given its size and location.
See more of this elegant aerie

April 18, 2016

Mega-Mansion Watch: National Academy Lists Three UES Properties for $120M

Three lots in Carnegie Hill on the Upper East Side comprising the National Academy Museum & School just hit the market for $120 million. The prize properties, situated directly on Central Park, could be "one of the most remarkable conversion opportunities currently available in all of New York City." The property, listed by Cushman & Wakefield, includes two interconnected townhouses at 1083 Fifth Avenue and 3 East 89th Street, and a 65-foot-wide school building on East 89th Street, adding up to over 42,000 square feet of of above-grade space plus 12,000 square feet below-grade for "a wide variety of potential visions" including an epic single-family home, boutique condominiums, or continued use as an educational/community facility.
Find out more

April 12, 2016

Keith Olbermann Lists Trump Palace Condo for $4M in Opposition to Presidential Candidate

CityRealty recently took a closer look at if and how Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoric is affecting his real estate empire. They found that, despite how polarizing he is a presidential candidate, it's unlikely that anything will change thanks to an established trust in his brand and the city's current supply and demand status. But there's at least one New Yorker who disagrees, and he's taken a bold step to prove it. The Wall Street Journal reports that liberal commentator Keith Olbermann has listed his Upper East Side condo in the Trump Palace for $3.9 million in opposition to the presidential candidate. Though he's taking a loss on the listing price (he bought the 40th floor pad for $4.2 million in 2007, near the height of the market), he said "I feel 20 pounds lighter since I left... If they had changed the name of it to something more positive like Ebola Palace I would have happily stayed."
But what does Mr. Trump have to say?

April 7, 2016

Lenox Hill’s Rose Modern Nears Completion; Homes Range from $2,850 to $6,650 Per Month

At the northeast corner of York Avenue and East 74th Street, a glass and metal pile of floors is nearing completion. Developed by Golden Asset LLC and designed by Stephen B. Jacobs Group, the thin-skinned tower soars 20 stories above its characterful block of brick and fire-escape adorned context. Named Rose Modern, the building anchors a corner site at 501 East 74th Street and will be near the 72nd Street station of the Second Avenue Subway, anticipated to open later this year.
Get a look inside

April 5, 2016

UES Firehouse Studio That Andy Warhol Rented for $150/Month Is Now Listed for $10M

In 1959, just before his career was about to take off, Andy Warhol bought a townhouse at 1342 Lexington Avenue near 89th Street and moved in with his mother. "But after three years there, canvases had begun to fill the ground floor apartment, while Brillo boxes and Campbell’s soup cans were stacked to the ceilings," reports Blouin Art Info. So when a friend tipped him off to a vacant firehouse nearby at 159 East 87th Street, the pop artist saw an opportunity for his first official studio. He wrote a letter to the city and began paying $150/month for the two-story building with no heat or running water (h/t DNAinfo). It's here that Warhol is said to have created his famous "Death and Disaster" series from 1962-63, and now, more than five decades later, the property is on the market for $9,975,000.
Find out more this way

April 5, 2016

New Views and Video of David H. Koch Center for Cancer on Manhattan’s Upper East Side