Upper West Side

It looks like Lisa Belzberg, Operating Partner at Leeds Equity Partners, founder of the nonprofit PENCIL, and well-connected New York City socialite, has applied her business savvy to the real estate market, snagging penthouse 13 at 44 West 77th Street for $11.5 million, well below the original $20 million asking price. Dubbed the apartment with "the best living room ever," this 3BR/2.5BA, 4,187-square-foot unit has been featured on Bloomberg TV and Open House NYC for its opulent living space, which includes 24-foot, floor-to-ceiling windows, Corinthian columns, a hand painted Venetian plaster ceiling, and an eight-foot-tall 17th century stone fireplace that was imported from the Iberian Peninsula.
And that's not all. Check out the rest of this extraordinary home.

July 17, 2014

Still Portzamparc-ish: New Images of Extell’s Riverside Center Uncovered

By Ondel Hylton

On the website of Extell Development's latest residential tower, One Riverside Park, we uncovered some newer, more realistic renderings of their massive Riverside Center project. The 8-acre superblock between West 59th and 61st Streets lies at the southern end of a string of 11 Riverside South buildings that have been underway since the mid-1990s. Developer Donald Trump had struggled since 1974 to redevelop the 77-acre rail yard, and he developed the first eight buildings as Trump Place before selling a substantial portion of the site to Extell Development in 2005.
See more images of this mega-development here

July 16, 2014

Citigroup’s Former Chairman Sanford Weill Sells His Maid’s Quarters for $5.34M

By Diane Pham

It's great being Sandy Weill, and apparently it's also pretty good being his hired help. According to city records, the former Citigroup chairman just sold off his servants quarters, a lovely little sixth floor pad at celeb favorite, 15 Central Park West. The sale of 6H rang in at an impressive $5.337M — more than five times what Weill paid for it back in 2007. But Weill is no stranger to making big bucks on his real estate deals. Back in 2011 he sold his apartment in the same luxury tower for a record-breaking $88M to Katerina Rybolovleva, the young daughter of Russian billionaire Dmitriy Rybolovlev.
More details here

Real Estate Trends

July 16, 2014

You Won’t Find Oscar Madison in this Immaculate $8.5M Riverside Drive Beauty

Maybe we are dating ourselves but we’re betting on the fact that The Odd Couple is one of those rare shows pretty much everyone has heard of, even if you were born well after the 1970’s TV series. Best known for the hilarious dynamic between unlikely roommates “neat freak” Felix Unger and slovenly but amiable Oscar Madison, the show’s setting was Mr. Madison’s Riverside Drive apartment, about ten blocks south of this immaculate 4BR/4BA home in the Peter Stuyvesant located at 258 Riverside Drive. Take one look at this residence’s ten beautifully appointed rooms and you’ll know Oscar Madison would probably have never have been comfortable living here, but he’d be in the minority on that score. What’s not to love?
Whether you're a Felix or an Oscar, see more of this gorgeous home

Distinctive Homes

July 15, 2014

Jeffrey Gates and Richard Moran Acquire the Rest of Laurie Tisch’s Brentmore Penthouse for $22.5M

Jeffrey Gates, of Gates Capital Management, and his partner Richard Michael Moran have just acquired the rest of Laurie Tisch's penthouse at the Brentmore, according to city records. Three years ago the pair traded up from apartment 6W to 9N, when Laurie Tisch sold off her pad in pieces. Retired investor Michael Stubbs and his wife Veronica, who lived in the neighboring apartment 10/11N purchased Tisch’s remaining unit 10W. Now it appears that Gates and Moran may have added the Stubbs’s newly renovated apartment combo to their estate for $22.5 million.
Take a look inside the newly acquired property here

July 9, 2014

Charming UWS French-Country Apartment Will Sell You with Its Urban Roof Deck

We'll admit it--even though New York City is our home, we sometimes long for the comforts of the suburbs. That's why we were so excited to find this floor-through apartment in a turn-of-the-century Upper West Side townhouse. Apartment 4 at 129 West 80th Street, which is listed at $1.695 million, is a 1BR/1.5BA co-op. Not only has it been renovated to exude a nostalgic, French country feel, but its spectacular roof deck gives you all the charms of backyard living without having to battle summer traffic to the Jersey Shore or Hamptons. And you can't get those skyline views in suburbia!
See what else this little slice of heaven has to offer

Distinctive Homes

July 8, 2014

You Will Go ‘Gaga’ When You Learn Who Once Lived in the Building of This $4.5M Upper West Side Residence

The historic building standing at 135 West 70th Street was built in 1927 to serve as a singular meeting place for all the Knights of Pythias lodges of NYC. Designed by architect Thomas W. Lamb, best known for his ornate movie palaces, it’s no wonder that the Pythian is richly decorated in brightly colored and glazed terra cotta embellishments. Though converted to a condominium in 1983, architect David Gura was careful to retain most of the building's ornamental features. Taking great pains to ensure that elements removed from their original positions were salvaged for use elsewhere within the building, his renovation earned a residential design award from the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
See why this apartment has earned our applause

Distinctive Homes

July 7, 2014

Jaw-Dropping $3.4 Million Central Park West Pad Has Taxidermied Animals Everywhere

If Norman Bates were a real person we imagine he’d be rather fixated on this terrifying homage to our furry and feathery friends at The Beresford. If you ask Halstead realtor Robert Dowling about 211 Central Park West #3J, he would tell you that it’s a rare gem with soaring 10-foot ceilings, and plenty of windows. The woman in the shower… would tell you to run. Either way, we just couldn’t pass up the chance to explore this unique pad and its current owner's interesting style. But you might want to make sure Fido leaves the room before you continue.
Check out this taxidermists' dream here

July 3, 2014

Stunning Penthouse Illustrates Why “Time and Again” The Dakota is One of Manhattan’s Most Treasured Residences

Author Stephen King considers Jack Finney’s classic novel, Time and Again, to be “THE great time-travel story” ever, and figuring prominently in the main character’s attempts to travel back to the late 1800’s is the building that still sits prominently at 1 West 72nd Street, The Dakota. Its significance in the plot is not simply because it was completed around the time of the story’s setting, but rather for a more interesting notion: The Dakota faces a section of Central Park which, when observed from the apartment in the story, remains relatively unchanged from the day it was completed in 1884. A timeless view.
see how 19th Century charm meets 21st Century chic

Distinctive Homes

June 19, 2014

The Country Meets the City in This $6.7 Million Old-World Charmer

Hiding away in the premier St. Urban, 285 Central Park West #12W is what you imagine was the result when old-world country mouse met old-world city mouse… and the two bought a lavish Central Park apartment. With gorgeous pre-war details accented with a touch of country chic, this 3,000-square-foot Beaux-Arts style apartment has a combination of opulence and southern comfort to make anyone happy. In fact, we suspect if Oliver and Lisa from Green Acres had purchased this place, it would have settled all their arguments.
Find out why this Central Park West pad is the place to be here

Distinctive Homes

June 17, 2014

Helen Hunt Finally Sells Upper West Side Pied-a-Terre for $2.58 Million

It looks like Helen Hunt has finally sold her Upper West Side apartment to the tune of $2.58 million. This new development comes after having the apartment on the market for nearly 9 months. That’s essentially like having a baby. Hunt purchased the apartment at 320 West 86th Street for $2.43 million in 2006, according to the Daily News, and was using the 3/BR as a pied-a-terre. Her main residence is in California. After acquiring the co-op, Hunt completely renovated the pad, creating a six-room layout with restored herringbone floors, hideaway office spaces and decorative fireplaces.
Take a look inside the star's pad here

June 17, 2014

Time Warner V.P. Unloads Upper West Side Condo for $4.3 Million

A strikingly elegant co-op apartment at 375 West End Avenue has for $4.3 million, according to city records. The seller, Paul T. Cappuccio, Vice President and General Counsel at Time Warner, Inc., bought the 5BR/3.5BA unit in July 2011 for $3.5 million, netting him an almost $1 million profit. The handsome, 2,400-square-foot space is a mix of traditional design and convenient, modern touches. Stunning, detailed moldings and shiny herringbone hardwood floors work alongside barely-there recessed lighting and a contemporary, marble bathroom. Ten-foot ceilings and large windows framed by panel molding are decorative elements that harken back to the building's prewar construction, while custom walk-in closets and a laundry room with full-size washer/dryer are 21st-century touches.
Take a look at the rest of this swoon-worthy pad

June 9, 2014

$11.5 Million Residence at The Rushmore is Presidential in Its Own Right

Though perhaps a tad less striking than the famous monument sharing its name, the twin towers of The Rushmore rise elegantly above their counterparts along Riverside Boulevard. The Costas Kondylis and Partners designed building actually dwarfs the heads of the Mount Rushmore sculpture by nearly 400 feet, which translates into breathtaking river and city views for the lucky inhabitants.
Check out why this gorgeous home is presidential in its own right

Distinctive Homes

June 4, 2014

Even Without Matt Damon as a Neighbor, This Upper West Side Condo Gets Top Billing

The Bourne Identify star may have passed on being a neighbor but this 5BR/5.5BA apartment at 535 West End Avenue has star quality all its own, starting with the elegant gallery off a large and semi-private landing – what a way to make an entrance!
Step right this way to see more of this beautiful home

Distinctive Homes

June 4, 2014

Annie Liebovitz Purchases Central Park Pad Next Door to Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro just got a new neighbor, and it’s esteemed photographer Annie Liebovitz. Liebovitz nabbed the Brentmore co-op for $11.25 million, a bit lower than the $14.5 million asking price from a year and a half ago. However, the celebrity photographer will be gaining more than an A-list neighbor. After a long day of work she’ll have a gorgeous 3BR/3.5 bath duplex to return to. The apartment has its own appreciation for the picturesque, with large windows framing Central Park and delivering front row views to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Take a glimpse inside the photographer's new home here

May 29, 2014

Straus Park Stunner with Striking Balcony Asks $4.65 Million

One of the most sought after units in the exclusive Straus Park condominium is back on the market. The Opus'#18B has changed hands a lot over the past few years but like many others, she has learned that you have to kiss a few frogs to meet your prince. Well, she’s ready to meet her prince - or princess - and she's enlisted Corcoran agent Greg Kammerer to help. The 2,241-square-foot condo may sit at the top of a 22-story building but her giant windows bring the city to her fingertips. And that might be all you need of the Big Apple, because with all that this 4BR/3BA condo has to offer you could find yourself vacationing in your own home.
Take a look inside this pretty penthouse here

Distinctive Homes

May 22, 2014

Light-Filled Lincoln Center Apartment Gets Lucky New Buyer

At 3 Lincoln Center (a.k.a. 160 West 66th Street), residents have the bragging rights of living in the only residential building in the Lincoln Center of the Performing Arts complex. And wouldn't you brag too if right outside your window was the Metropolitan Opera House and Juilliard? Apartment 46A is home to the most recent boaster. Sold for $3.9 million, the 1,562-square-foot unit has splendid north - and west - facing panoramic views that can be taken in through the huge, wraparound windows. The 9.5-foot ceilings add to the bright openness of this 2BD/2.5BA apartment.
Check out all the magnificent views and interiors this way

May 21, 2014

$13 Million Central Park West Pad Will Make Your Head Swim

Well, if you were getting your finances together to buy the $13 million apartment at 15 Central Park West, you can get off the phone with your accountant because it's sold. Unfortunately for you, Noel Berk of Mercedes/Berk has sold the Upper West Side stunner to someone else for $13.075 million. But that’s not going to stop us from writing about it, so sit back and take in the splendor that is the apartment you just barely missed out on. Unit 15K is an absolutely astounding 3BR/3.5BA beauty, with giant windows that bathe the entire apartment with light. Upon entry to this 2,500 square-foot haven, you’re greeted with a gorgeous foyer with Venetian plaster walls. This leads to a spacious living room with huge windows so as not to obstruct your view of the Lincoln Center. There’s a dining room situated right off the living room, a perfect place to seat your guests as they spend too much time oohing and ahhing over your apartment to remember to eat. And speaking of food, let’s take a trip into this kitchen.
You won't believe your eyes when you see the view from this gorgeous kitchen, here

May 21, 2014

Five Opulent and Ornate Spaces Looking for an Occupant

Anyone who's gone apartment hunting in Manhattan knows it can get a little monotonous — the bone-white walls, standard hardwood floors, and typical layouts. Sometimes the blank canvas just isn't enough; sometimes you need a little oomph. For those of you who enjoy ogling beautiful homes that have been carefully designed and expertly decorated, we've rounded up five opulent and ornate spaces currently looking for an occupant.
See all the stunning spaces this way!

May 20, 2014

Picture-Perfect Apartment in the Trump International Finds a Buyer

The Donald has no shortage of high-rise real estate accolades, but the Trump International Hotel & Tower, located at 1 Central Park West, is considered by many one of his most successful developments. Adapted from a former office tower in 1997, it soars 44 stories above Columbus Circle with stunning views of Central Park and the Hudson River. The lower 22 floors are occupied by a hotel, while the upper 22 contain 158 modern, sunny private residences that are nothing short of trump-tacular. Unit 23D, which recently sold for $8.55 million through Ido Berniker at Mercer Partners, is no exception to the billionaire-worthy design. The 3BR/3.5BA apartment has 10-foot ceilings, as well as sleek modern finishes that really make the interior shine.
More about the spectacular home this way

May 15, 2014

The Dakota: Extraordinary Views, Architectural Grandeur…and Yoko Ono

Maybe money can’t buy you love but it can buy you this beautifully renovated and carefully restored apartment at 1 West 72nd Street in the legendary Dakota listed at $14.5 million. Designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh and completed in 1884, the Dakota is one of the world’s most renowned residential buildings. Designated as both a New York City Landmark and a National Historic Landmark, its residences boast many of the building’s original 19th-century details including 13-foot ceilings, soaring doorways, plaster moldings, exquisite hand-carved woodwork, hardwood flooring, pocket doors, shutters framing the windows, and wood-burning fireplaces – and at least one interesting 21st century detail: Yoko Ono calls it home.
Imagine what it would be like to live here

Distinctive Homes

May 15, 2014

Tiptoe Through the Treetops at 25 Central Park West

The phrase “stunning views of Central Park” could have been first uttered for this elegant and meticulously gut-renovated Century Condominium apartment. From nearly every vantage point you feel like you're walking on the treetops of New York City’s renowned oasis of green – a view that has been enjoyed by the inhabitants of #14J since the Century opened in 1932 on the former site of the historic Century Theater. Sharing an Art Deco motif with its sister building The Majestic (on 72nd across from the Dakota), the 32-story Century stands out among its predominantly Beaux-Arts neighbors and became part of the Central Park West historic district in 1985.
See what it feels like to tiptoe through the treetops

Distinctive Homes

May 9, 2014

A Look Inside Demi Moore’s Much Talked About San Remo Triplex

By Diane Pham

Demi Moore made news this week when word got out that she would be putting her San Remo triplex up for sale for a whopping $75 million. While no listing or photos of the 7,000-square-foot 145 Central Park West space have surfaced (apparently Moore is quietly showing it), one of 6sqft's reporters did some sleuthing and found these old black and whites from the Museum of the City of New York which pretty much meet the specs: of the two triplexes in San Remo today, one was made combining the only two-story unit in the building and the mechanical space above it. Moore and then hubby Bruce combined a two-story unit with the space above it... Though we're sure the decor has changed since the Spring of 1937 when it was occupied by Theodore C. Wiehe, with a little bit of imagination we bet you can fill in the gaps. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this blast from the past. And if you've got some money to spend, make Ms. Moore an offer. You'll also be granted the record of "the person to have spent the most money on a co-op ever". A win?
Inside the historic apartment

May 8, 2014

Socialite Valerie Mnuchin Buys a Slice of Heaven on Park Ave

Valerie Mnuchin, daughter of former Goldman Sachs exec and current art dealer Robert Mnuchin, has just become the proud owner of a gorgeous 4BR/5.5BA penthouse on the UES. This three story apartment, redesigned in 1953 as a collaboration between original developer Henry Mandel and architects John Sloan and Albert Nast, has retained much of its pre-war charm with an original wood paneled library and a tromp l’oeil ceiling. The opulent triplex, occupying the 15th-17th floors of 898 Park Avenue, features views of the city right from it’s brightly lit formal dining room. The views don’t stop there either. The entire apartment is outfitted with large windows, most notably the ones that line the walls of the 16th floor, showcasing a wraparound terrace large enough for plush lounging furniture and plenty of foliage. And while we’re on the topic of the plentiful, let’s discuss the insane amount of storage space in this 4,100 square-foot mansion disguised as an apartment. Each of the apartment’s four bedrooms comes with an abundance of closet space and an en-suite bathroom.
Check out more of this dream home here

Real Estate Trends

Simpsons

May 7, 2014

‘Simpsons’ Star Hank Azaria Buys New Pad With Stunning Views

star Hank Azaria just bought a piece of Gold Coast property overlooking Central Park. After selling his Soho apartment last year, Azaria has found a new love, in the form of a $9.2 million apartment in a pre-war, Neo-Renaissance building designed by architect Rosario Candela at 75 Central Park West. If it’s at all possible to have Central Park over for lunch, this 3BD/4.5 BA apartment makes it practically customary with oversized windows that make views of the picturesque landmark accessible from the kitchen - along with several other rooms. The stunning space also features large rooms with hardwood floors, beamed ceilings and gorgeous decorative moldings.
Take a peek inside the Gold Coast beauty here

Real Estate Trends

May 6, 2014

The Beresford: Old World Charm Meets Modern Day Living in Apartment #2G