Upper East Side

October 8, 2014

Bunny Mellon’s Incredible Upper East Side Mansion Finds a Buyer for $41M

After a year on the market, this incredible Upper East Side mansion designed by Bunny Mellon has finally found a family ready to call it home. According to the Observer, the 1960s townhouse currently owned by Irish businessman Tony White and his wife Clare just went into contract for $41 million. The couple originally paid $22.5 million for it in 2006, and when it came time to resell last year, they asked an impressive $46 million. Pricey? Yes. But given its darling location and architectural splendor, why this beauty didn't fly off the shelf is a bit of a surprise to us. Just have a look inside and you'll immediately understand why.
Tour the stunning estate

October 3, 2014

New Yorker Spotlight: Leslie Edelman of Tiny Doll House on Furnishing NY’s Smallest Spaces

By Susan Cohen

On a quiet block on the Upper East Side, there are elaborate houses and grandiose rooms. However, these stately dwellings are not townhouses, but instead the kind that live inside them, filled with miniature plates, plants, and pets. If you haven’t guessed, we’re talking about dollhouses, and they can be found at Tiny Doll House, a store devoted to dollhouses and all things miniature. For almost 25 years, Leslie Edelman has owned and run the store. With a background in interior design for full-scale homes and humans, he has miniaturized his skill set and passion at Tiny Doll House, where New Yorkers of all ages can fulfill their architecture and interior design fantasies for much less than the price of a Park Avenue townhouse. 6sqft recently spoke with Leslie to learn more about his store, and the care and attention to detail New Yorkers bring to their dollhouses.
Our interview with Leslie here

October 2, 2014

Historic Henderson Place Townhouse Asks $7.5 Million

By Aisha Carter

Oh, how the times change. In the late 19th century, developer John C. Henderson began constructing an enclave of townhouses, designed by architectural firm Lamb & Rich, and intended for “persons of moderate means”. Today, one of those Yorkville homes is available for rent, asking $25,900 per month… or if you’d like to purchase it outright, $7.495 million. If you’re looking for remnants of 146 East End Avenue’s low-income housing past, you’re in for a disappointment. The result of a “painstaking” two-year gut renovation, this desirable dwelling only speaks the language of luxury. However, if there’s any city that knows how to preserve its history while providing modern amenities, it’s New York. The final result is a beautifully updated home that pays homage to its honorable past.
Take a look inside this historic home, here

Distinctive Homes

<b>The New Upper East Side: Changes Are Coming Above 86th Street</b>

The Upper East Side isn’t just for your grandparents anymore. Photo by Ed Yourdon cc

October 1, 2014

The New Upper East Side: Changes Are Coming Above 86th Street

By Dana Schulz

There's been so much talk lately about how the Upper East Side is the next cool 'hood--this guy even says it's cooler than Brooklyn--and while that may be true (the neighborhood's got a Meatball Shop; is there really any use denying it anymore?), we have our sights set slightly farther north. The high 80's and 90's, clustered between Park and 1st Avenues, is a hot spot for young professionals who are looking for little more culture and a little less of the bro-tastic bar scene, as well as for just-starting-out families who want a community feel, but not the sky-high rents of Park Avenue and Museum Mile. A slew of new residential developments are popping up in the area, as are fun, independent restaurants and bars. And this piece of Manhattan offers almost just the same transportation convenience as the Upper East Side proper, but with lower rents and a calmer feel.
More on the new Upper East Side

September 30, 2014

Makeshift Mansions: How Today’s Filthy Rich are Creating Homes of Epic Proportions

By Bonnie Clark

For Manhattan’s jet-set crowd, the 2010s are starting to look an awful lot like the 1900s. New York’s upper crust are embracing a return to the Gilded Age, moving out of their fancy penthouses, co-ops and lofts and into opulent single-family mansions. From Aby Rosen’s quest to build the largest private mansion on Park Avenue to Jared Kushner’s conversion of three former Brooklyn Law School buildings into single-family townhouses—the most affluent buyers are now on the hunt for New York’s ultimate trophy prize.
More on makeshift mansions

September 25, 2014

Timeless Trophy: 740 Park Avenue

By Dana Schulz

New York City may have an ever-revolving cast of hottest restaurants, hippest clubs, and even most desirable neighborhoods, but some real estate titans never go out of style in this metropolis. Known as the "Tower of Power," 740 Park Avenue is one such mainstay. The Upper East Side 19-story, Art Deco building was completed in 1930 to the designs of Rosario Candela, often considered the finest architect of luxury apartment interiors, as the last of the grand dames erected along Manhattan's Gold Coast. It didn't reach its peak until the real estate boom of the 1980s, but is today one of the most sought-after addresses with 31 apartments, mostly all duplexes, triplexes, and penthouses. The massively scaled residences feature grand living rooms, formal dining rooms, spiral staircases, high ceilings, expansive foyers, and an abundance of windows.
Plenty more on this timeless trophy residence and its long list of well known inhabitants

September 24, 2014

The Penthouse at the Mark Refuses to Budge on $60M Price Tag

By Aisha Carter

At least they’re consistent. The on-again-off-again penthouse listing at The Mark continues to insist on a $60 million asking, nearly seven years after it first popped up on the market. This is particularly audacious considering the building’s already shaky history, which is fraught with buyer back-outs, lawsuits, and heavy price cuts. Still, the penthouse surges ahead asking more than $6,000 per square foot and daring anyone to challenge it. And what do you get for $60 million dollars plus $44,645 per month in common charges?
Let's take a look

Distinctive Homes

September 24, 2014

$130 Million Penthouse at 520 Park Avenue Will Be the City’s Most Expensive

By Diane Pham

The Ritz Carlton penthouse combo has just been shoved from its top spot as the city's priciest listing and replaced by the triplex penthouse at Zeckendorf Development Co.’s 520 Park Avenue. At $130 million, it will become the most expensive to ever hit the market, beating out the Ritz pad by about $11 million. According to Bloomberg, the building's sales plan was approved by the New York State attorney general's office last week, and Zeckendorf is already calling the penthouse "the greatest apartment on the Upper East Side.”
More here

Real Housewife of New York Sonja Morgan Drops Price of Lenox Hill Townhouse

Real Housewives of New York

September 22, 2014

Real Housewife of New York Sonja Morgan Drops Price of Lenox Hill Townhouse

By Aisha Carter

star Sonja Morgan has dropped the price of her Lenox Hill townhouse yet again, this time asking $7.2 million. It’s been a rocky few years for the former wife of J.P Morgan heir John Morgan. She’s been trying desperately to hang onto the pad since her devastating 2008 divorce followed by a pricey lawsuit, which forced her to file for bankruptcy in 2010. The five-story home at 162 East 63rd Street, which the couple purchased in 1998 for $9.1 million, has seen its price fluctuate a few times, falling from $12 million to $7.25 million, then returning for nearly $10 million in 2013 before beginning its steady decent to its current asking price. And last we heard, the loopy reality star was renting the home out for $25,000 per month to cover taxes while she tried to sell. The show doesn’t exactly portray the five-bedroom home in the best light, so let’s take a look inside to see what it really has to offer.
See what's inside, here

Distinctive Homes

September 21, 2014

Bernie Madoff’s Infamous Upper East Side Penthouse Sells for $14.5M

By Dana Schulz

The duplex penthouse at 133 East 64th Street on the Upper East Side, where Bernie Madoff notoriously was arrested by the feds and lived under house arrest, has just sold to Lawrence Benenson of Benenson Capital Partners for $14.5 million. Madoff had lived in the home since 1984, but after the government seized it in 2008, it was picked up by toy mogul Alfred Kahn and his wife Patsy in 2010 for $8 million. Apparently, Mr. Kahn was superstitious of the "Madoff curse," but Patsy fell in love with the unit's terrace. They reportedly put the penthouse back on the market in August 2013 for $17.25 million, but reduced the price several times as well as filed for divorce.
Tour the infamous pad here

September 10, 2014

From the Majestic Stair to Its Well-Dressed Walls, $20M Upper East Side Home is Pure Elegance

By Stephanie Hoina

This extraordinary residence in The Ruxcroft at 20 East 64th Street is so classically elegant we almost felt like we had to get dressed up just to look at its pictures. One of only two units in this full-service 25-foot wide mansion condominium, its 2010 renovation was careful to restore many of the original period details, most notably the sweeping staircase winding its way through the home. How can anyone not feel elegant gliding down that majestic flight?
More pure elegance right this way

Distinctive Homes

September 9, 2014

The Met Museum Officially Opens Its Newly Renovated $65 Million Plaza

By Carter B. Horsley

A dramatically redesigned plaza in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue was dedicated today and named in honor of its sole donor, David H. Koch. The four-block long plaza, which flanks the museum’s famous entrance steps, includes two fountains, alleys of trees, new paving and red, angular canopies/parasols over seating benches. The redesign of the plaza space was two years in the making and cost $65 million, contributed entirely by Mr. Koch, a trustee of the museum. In his remarks inside the museum at the Temple of Dendur, Mr. Koch said that when Daniel Brodsky, the museum’s chairman, asked how the new plaza was going to be paid for he said he “had a good idea – why don’t I do it?!” Mr. Koch, who attended the ceremony with his wife, Julia, and three children, said that the plaza “became a passion for me.” He had lived nearby when it was under discussion and he said he hoped it will last for 50 years until a future philanthropist funds another renovation.
More from the event here

Architecture And Design

September 9, 2014

Regal Penthouse at 1185 Park Avenue Returns, Asking $25 Million

By Aisha Carter

The impressive penthouse at 1185 Park Avenue is back on the market. The palatial estate was listed last year, asking $27.5 million. However, buyers apparently felt that price was too expensive for a sprawling five-bedroom duplex with an astounding 2,850-square-foot wrap-around terrace. So, the Carnegie Hill prewar pad has returned with a $2.5 million discount and high hopes that history won’t repeat itself.
Take a look inside the pristine pad, here

Distinctive Homes

September 5, 2014

Gorgeous Upper East Side Townhouse is Looking for Its Forever Owner

By Stephanie Hoina

With all the hubbub over Common Core these days (have you seen the NEW math?), it’s nice to know that some things simply add up the way they should – like this incredible 4,125-square-foot single-family townhouse located at 506 East 87th Street. Situated on a tree-lined street near Carl Schurz Park, this beautifully renovated residence built in 1899 was purchased in April 2013 for $7.99 million, but then sold in January 2014 for $6.85 million, a pretty steep drop for just eight months. It's now back on the market for $7.75 million, so here’s hoping the third time’s the charm and the new owners will spend many years enjoying all that this home has to offer.
Take a peek inside this incredible home

Distinctive Homes

September 3, 2014

REVEALED: SHoP-Designed Condos by Anbau on the Upper East Side

By Dana Schulz

Looks like the Upper East Side will be adding another luxury condo project to its roster--but this time it's an "affordable luxury" building. Located at 1711 First Avenue at East 89th Street, the 34-story building is being designed by SHoP Architects for Anbau Enterprises, who has shared renderings of the project with New York YIMBY. The building will have a bluestone base with a small cantilever over the 89th Street entrance. The rest of the façade will be brick and glass, offering floor-to-ceiling windows without the total curtain wall appearance. The western façade will be slightly glassier than the rest of the building.
More details here

August 15, 2014

Jed Johnson-Designed Prewar Stunner Sells for $10.3 Million to Hedge Funder David Steinhardt

By Aisha Carter

Dune Realty CEO Daniel Neidich has just sold his gorgeous six-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bath Yorkville apartment for $10.25 million to David Steinhardt, the son of "Wall Street's greatest trader", Michael Steinhardt, according to city records filed yesterday. This Austere apartment is certainly a sight to behold with its spectacular finishes and expansive views. Designed by such notable names as Jed Johnson, along with Alan Wanzenberg and Thad Hayes, its no wonder this home is the perfect blend of formal entertaining and luxurious living.
Trust us. You want to take a look inside this home...

August 7, 2014

Map Out Your New Home or Art Gallery in This $20M Upper East Side Co-Op

By Aisha Carter

Surely by now you’ve noticed the abundance of cartography in this apartment, (and you’ve probably accurately guessed that this article will be filled with its fair share of map references), but the new owner of this Upper East Side home will be invited to do a completely different kind of exploration. The fact is, this second-floor unit at 31 East 72nd Street has a great deal of potential, either as a commercial or residential space, and its spacious layout leaves room for plenty of creativity.
Take a look inside here

Distinctive Homes

August 5, 2014

This Unbelievable $11.5 Million Penthouse Offers 3,000 Square Feet… of Rooftop Terrace

By Aisha Carter

No, that wasn’t a typo in the title. This penthouse apartment at 655 Park Avenue is more than just 3,300 square feet of interior space. It also has a 3,000-square-foot rooftop garden so amazing, even the statues are luxuriating on it. But if you’ve been reading this blog you know it’s not our style to go straight to the mind-blowing terrace. Let’s take a tour through the rest of this premier pad first. Trust us. You won’t be disappointed.
Let's take a look inside this magnificent penthouse...

Distinctive Homes

July 30, 2014

$4.6 Million Gallery-esque Upper East Side Apartment Is a Work of Art

By Aisha Carter

Who wouldn’t want a loft-like Upper East Side apartment walking distance from Museum Mile and Central Park and complete with panda paintings? Yes, this 3 bedroom co-op at 65 East 76th Street has enough room on its wall space to showcase the best of your art collection, and it has enough lighting—both natural and tracking—to host a gallery showing. Well, who says the gallery can’t be a work of art in and of itself? We know this unit doesn’t.
Take a look inside this beautiful pad here

Distinctive Homes

July 30, 2014

Late “60 Minutes” Anchor Mike Wallace’s Estate Sells for $13 Million

By Aisha Carter

After nearly two years on the market, Mike Wallace’s estate has finally sold, for a significant discount, according to city records. The home was initially placed on the market after the anchor’s death in 2012, asking $20 million dollars, a far cry from its closing $13 million sale price. Occupying the 15th and 16th floors of the distinguished 730 Park Avenue—a white-gloved Jacobean/Tudor style co-op designed by F. Burrall Hoffman, Jr. and Lafayette A. Goldstone--this 4BR/4.5BA duplex, offers plenty of light, gorgeous city views, and original prewar details.
Take a look inside the anchor's former home here

July 23, 2014

You Won’t Have to Compromise with This Spectacular $18M Prewar Pad

By Aisha Carter

They say purchasing a home means you have to compromise. Surely you can’t have everything you want. Well, this $18 million opulent apartment in the York & Sawyer-designed 860 Park Avenue would beg to differ. Old world charm? Check. Modern conveniences? Check. Enough architectural details to make the biggest architecture nerd’s head spin? Check and check. This 4th floor unit is the supreme luxury abode, in one of the city’s premier white-glove co-ops, which is exactly what you would expect of a building designed by the same people responsible for the Federal Reserve Bank and the Bowery Savings Bank.
Take a look inside the remarkable co-op here

Distinctive Homes

July 22, 2014

Renovated Grand Duplex Maisonette Provides Prewar Character with 21st Century Touch

By Aisha Carter

When you think of the Upper East Side, you can’t help but imagine the old Edith Wharton novels and early 20th century “polite society”. This $7,250,000 parlor apartment at 830 Park Avenue manages to embody that very spirit, while throwing in a bit of 21st century flair.
Take a look inside this prewar stunner here

Distinctive Homes

July 20, 2014

The New York Architecture Day Trip: From Colonial to Deconstructivism in Manhattan

By Jason Carpenter

New York has a long history of great architecture. From the very beginnings in the colonial period to today, there are more great buildings to see in New York than anywhere else on the planet. Thankfully, with this guide, you can see them all in one simple south-north trip across Manhattan. Many great buildings are too tall or difficult to see up close, so we've chosen an example of each style of New York architecture that can also be appreciated from the ground level, rather than forcing you to gawk straight up at a skyscraper. Check out our New York architecture day trip.
Get your itinerary here

July 20, 2014

Bookworms Rejoice: Upper East Side Mansion Boasts Palatial, Double-Height Library

By Dana Schulz

Most of us in Manhattan are lucky if we can find room to fit one, tiny bookshelf in our homes, so you can imagine our reactions when we saw the opulent, two-story library at 12 East 69th Street. Not only does it make us ashamed of our puny literature collections, but the room is at least three times the size of our apartments. The celestial ceiling mural, massive amount of black walnut built-in shelving, and custom spiral staircase are also making us green with envy. Non bookworms, have no fear--this house has an equally regal, double-height media room, which comes complete with sound-proof walls, rich wood paneling, a 12-foot screen, and plush velvet seats.
You don't want to miss the rest of the palatial digs

July 18, 2014

Hotel Carlyle Co-op With Stunning Views Sells for $4.5 Million

By Aisha Carter

After what appears to be a long, intensive history on and off the market with a few price drops, unit 3006 at the Hotel Carlyle Aerie has finally sold, according to city records. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride might be a fitting way to look at this co-op, as it appears to have been on the market for a year and a half, eventually dropping their asking price from $7.75 million to $4.9 million, and ultimately settling in at a $4.5 million sales price. But one look at the living/dining room (and an aptly placed telescope by the window) makes it clear that the star of this apartment is the amazing views. As Mastercard would say, those views are priceless.
Take a look inside here

July 17, 2014

Was Hemingway’s Beloved Memoir ‘A Moveable Feast’ Finished Within These Walls?

By Stephanie Hoina

In the fall of 1959 American author Ernest Hemingway rented a small apartment at 1 East 62nd Street, just off Fifth Avenue, in an attempt to achieve some privacy on his visits to New York City. Although eventually published posthumously, A Moveable Feast, was scheduled to be released the following year, and Hemingway spent the better part of 1959 completing this tale of his early days spent among writing giants the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein and James Joyce. We may never know if the walls of the now Spencer Condominium got to see those finishing touches, but we're pretty sure they’ve witnessed a great deal of history since the limestone mansion was built at the turn of the century for John Drexel, grandson of the founder of Philadelphia banking house Drexel & Co.
Read on to discover a different moveable feast

Distinctive Homes

July 15, 2014

This $5.25M Young Huh-Designed Town Home Will Make You Forget You’re in the City

By Aisha Carter

What if you could enjoy all the conveniences of living in the most fabulous city on Earth while still getting to come home to a peaceful hideaway? That’s what this Young Huh-designed, five-story Astor Terrace townhouse offers. Unit #TH-NE11 is a completely renovated 3BR/3.5BA townhouse with floor-to-ceiling windows and a private, tree-lined patio. Each bedroom not only has its own en suite bath, they each have their own private floor.
Sound like something you're interested in? There's more here

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