Upper West Side

On one of the Upper West Side's loveliest historic blocks, the ornate 12-story Beaux-Arts building at 171 West 71st Street known as the Dorilton is an icon of Gilded Age Manhattan living. This distinctive penthouse duplex is as grand as you'd imagine, with four bedrooms, a multi-level planted terrace, and a kitchen on each floor. Asking $7,800,000, we're guessing this capacious co-op is a two-unit combo, with an elevator serving both floors in addition to a grand stair winding its way between them. Both levels of the duplex have dazzling city views.
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Distinctive Homes

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

March 21, 2023

Take the elevator or the hand-crafted stair to all six floors of this $26M Upper West Side townhouse

Begin living immediately–no renovation necessary–in a home that has been luxuriously reimagined by its current owner as a five-story-plus-cellar townhouse masterpiece with an unparalleled level of comfort, within the peerless borders of Manhattan's Upper West Side. This 7,111-square-foot urban mansion contains six bedrooms, seven baths, and two powder rooms. At its heart is a hand-crafted curving staircase. Asking $26,000,000, 248 West 71st Street stands less than two blocks from Central Park, Riverside Park, and the Hudson River. In addition to an iconic address on a historic block, the townhouse boasts front and back gardens, gas and wood-burning fireplaces, private terraces, and endless custom fixtures and finishes. In addition to the graceful stair, all floors can be accessed by a commercial-grade high-speed walnut-clad elevator.
Take the elevator and explore the townhouse

Distinctive Homes

Upper West Side rejects proposed rest hub for delivery workers

Photo by Jimmy Baikovicius on Flickr

March 9, 2023

Upper West Side rejects proposed rest hub for delivery workers

The Upper West Side voted against a proposed rest stop for delivery workers on 72nd Street and Broadway, as first reported by Gothamist. During a public hearing Tuesday, Manhattan Community Board 7 voted 27-8 against the transformation of an empty newsstand into a charging station for delivery workers.
More here

Iconic NYC subway busker Ballerina Mime to perform at Lincoln Center

Photos by Lawrence Sumulong, © Lincoln Center

March 6, 2023

Iconic NYC subway busker Ballerina Mime to perform at Lincoln Center

A New York City busking sensation will emerge above ground to perform at Lincoln Center on Wednesday. The famed living statue the Ballerina Mime will perform alongside original chamber music from cellist Titilayo Ayangade and violist Edwin Kaplan, playing together as duo kayo. The event, called Living Statues, Living Music, will take place at the David Geffen Hall's Kenneth C. Griffin Sidewalk Studio on March 8 at 8 p.m.
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Events & Things To Do

In an UWS studio building, $4.4M co-op has original stained glass and 17-foot ceilings

Photo credit: Tim Waltman for Sotheby’s International Realty

February 17, 2023

In an UWS studio building, $4.4M co-op has original stained glass and 17-foot ceilings

On a stretch of West 67th Street just off Central Park, there are eight buildings that were constructed over a century ago by artists looking for live-work spaces. Located within what is now known as the West 67th Street Artists' Colony Historic District, the studio buildings have apartments with soaring windows that stream in natural light and double-height living rooms that also function as studio space. A two-bedroom co-op is now available at 27 West 67th Street, one of the first artist studio buildings to be constructed on this block. Asking $4,400,000, the duplex boasts original stained glass windows, a wood-burning fireplace, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and the unique New York City prestige that comes with the address.
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Distinctive Homes

New website explores the forgotten NYC neighborhood of San Juan Hill

San Juan Hill neighborhood, 1939.Lee Sievan (1907-1990). Museum of the City of New York. 92.70.1. Gift and © Howard Sieven, Executor of the Estate of Lee Sievan

February 15, 2023

New website explores the forgotten NYC neighborhood of San Juan Hill

Once home to New York City's largest Black population, Manhattan's San Juan Hill neighborhood no longer exists. The diverse working-class neighborhood was razed during the 1950s to make way for the Lincoln Center campus. This week the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts unveiled a new digital resource dedicated to San Juan Hill as a way to explore the history of the neighborhood and ensure that its legacy, and the people who lived there, are remembered. The "Legacies of San Juan Hill" website includes essays, historic images, articles, maps, and other archival content.
Learn more here

History

Photo credit clockwise: Jessica Minghi/Borough Chocolates, Jacques Torres Chocolates, Jessica Minghi/Borough Chocolates, Chocolate Noise.

January 25, 2023

The best local chocolate shops in NYC

It doesn't have to be Valentine's Day to crave chocolate. But the sugar-coated holiday certainly provides a good excuse to indulge. Far beyond the red-wrapped drugstore box, creating the sweet (or bitter) treat is now recognized as a craft all its own. Chocolate purveyors range from the old-fashioned to the eco-conscious to makers who hand-mix exotic ingredients and flavors. If you're really hooked, you can make an event of it at a chocolate-themed restaurant, factory tour, or private tasting. Whether you're looking for a last-minute gift for someone special or just a sweet snack, the New York City establishments listed here have something for every chocolate lover–and you can order online or visit the source right in your borough.
Find the chocolate of your dreams, this way

$27.5M palatial penthouse has a front-row view of Central Park and beyond

All photos courtesy of Stefano Ukmar

January 24, 2023

$27.5M palatial penthouse has a front-row view of Central Park and beyond

You can wake up to picture-perfect New York City views every day at this regal penthouse on the Upper West Side. Not only does the apartment at 115 Central Park West offer sweeping park and city vistas from nearly every room, but the home also boasts a whopping 900 square feet of outdoor space, including a 100-foot-long terrace that appears to hover over the world's most famous green space. Asking $27,500,000, the corner penthouse measures 6,000 square feet inside and has five bedrooms and five and a half baths.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

Take the elevator from the pool to the home theater and wine bar in this $17.5M UWS townhouse

Photo credit: Evan Joseph

January 3, 2023

Take the elevator from the pool to the home theater and wine bar in this $17.5M UWS townhouse

Though it comes with its own luxuries, townhouse living often means sacrificing perks like an elevator, pool, and gym. This $17.5 million Central Park West home at 45 West 70th Street has just about everything you could want, all under one gracious, Neo-Romanesque roof. Built in 1891, the house has been thoroughly renovated from stem to stern with every of-the-moment design flourish and 21st-century amenity–including a 33-foot-long, six-foot deep freshwater lap pool/jacuzzi in the cellar.
Take the six-floor townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

December 28, 2022

In an Art Deco landmark on the UWS, this $6.5M co-op has a sunken living room and park views

The Majestic, an Art Deco-style apartment building, is one of many impressive towers that dot Central Park West. A three-bedroom apartment on the 11th floor of the two-tower development just hit the market for $6,500,000. The oversized pre-war home has seven rooms, including a sunken living room that offers a throwback entertainment space with amazing views of the park.
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Distinctive Homes

$6.5M UWS townhouse near Riverside Park has its own outdoor oasis

All photos courtesy of SERHANT.

November 17, 2022

$6.5M UWS townhouse near Riverside Park has its own outdoor oasis

At this six-level townhouse on the Upper West side, access to green space is no issue. Not only is the 1899-constructed home at 341 West 84th Street just one block from the waterfront Riverside Park, but it also features a private rear garden, an outdoor terrace, and a rooftop. Asking $6,500,000, the townhouse is currently configured as a two-family home, with a quadruplex and newly renovated garden-level apartment.
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Distinctive Homes

The Kenneth C. Griffin Exploration Atrium; Photo: Timothy Schenck/©AMNH

October 28, 2022

See how Studio Gang’s canyon-inspired science center is taking shape at AMNH

Not only does the American Museum of Natural History's new center make the museum's founding dream of building one continuous campus across four city blocks a reality, but it also brings a new architectural gem to New York City. Designed by Jeanne Gang's Studio Gang, the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation is a dramatic, curving structure, inspired by caves and canyons formed by natural forces. The museum released new photos and provided a media tour of the Gilder Center this week, highlighting its progress on the Upper West Side ahead of the official opening in February.
Take the tour

199-unit supportive housing complex for seniors and families opens on the Upper West Side

All images courtesy of the WSFSSH

October 27, 2022

199-unit supportive housing complex for seniors and families opens on the Upper West Side

A new supportive housing complex for low-income families and formerly homeless seniors officially opened on the Upper West Side this week. Located at 145 West 108th Street, the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing's WSFSSH at West 108 provides 199 new homes for those in need and gives a new home to the Valley Lodge Shelter, a 110-bed development for homeless older adults. The 193,000-square-foot complex includes on-site supportive services and a wide variety of amenities for residents.
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Affordable Housing

For $34.9M, be the first to live in this smartly renovated Central Park West home

Photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman Realty

October 25, 2022

For $34.9M, be the first to live in this smartly renovated Central Park West home

Nothing says mansion in the sky like 6,200 square feet, five bedrooms, two kitchens, and perfect Central Park views. Asking $34,950,000, this available residence on the upper floors of the Trump International Hotel and Tower at 1 Central Park West is a combination of two units and the result of a three-year renovation by New York-based architects Hottenroth + Joseph. The buyer will be the first to live in the palatial pad post-redesign.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

October 14, 2022

For $845K, this Central Park West garden duplex comes with a private slice of backyard paradise

While we wouldn't think it would be easy to find a cute, well-appointed apartment anywhere near Central Park West for under $1 million, it's even harder to imagine finding one with private outdoor space. Asking $845,000, this bright garden co-op at 71 West 83rd Street in a classic Upper West Side pre-war building is just that rare find.
Check out both floors, the loft and the yard

Distinctive Homes

Photo credit: Tim Waltman / Evan Joseph

October 5, 2022

For $6.5M, this townhouse-sized Apthorp condo offers old-world elegance accented by paintbox hues

Known for some of the most impressive (and expensive) apartments in New York City, the historic Apthorp condominium building at 390 West End Avenue in the heart of the Upper West Side was built for William Waldorf Astor in 1908. Located just minutes from Central Park, the unique building surrounds an interior courtyard. Asking $6,499,999, this five-bedroom residence is one of the building's largest; distinguished by decorator-enhanced interiors accented with subtle painterly hues, the 4,200-square-foot home possesses the size and grandeur of a townhouse with condo convenience and amenities.
Feast your eyes on this regal residence

Lincoln Center announces October 8 opening for David Geffen Hall

Photo courtesy of Chris Lee

September 27, 2022

Lincoln Center announces October 8 opening for David Geffen Hall

David Geffen Hall, the new home of the New York Philharmonic, is set to open to the public on October 8. To celebrate the opening, the hall is hosting a series of events throughout October, beginning with the world premiere of San Juan Hill: A New York Story by composer Etienne Charles. After two celebratory galas, an open house weekend will take place on October 29 and 30, featuring hundreds of artists who will be "animating the hall with performances, participatory activities, and family events," according to a press release.
Details this way

Architecture And Design

September 26, 2022

Popular UWS restaurant Mermaid Inn to close after 15 years

The Mermaid Inn, an Upper West Side gem known for its daily happy hour and affordable oyster deal, is closing its doors on October 16 after 15 years. But longtime patrons will be happy to hear that owners Danny Abrams and Cindy Smith are planning to open a new location on the Upper West Side next year, in addition to a new restaurant in Times Square. “We’re looking at two or three spots to move on the Upper West Side, and we hope to be in one by late spring or early summer,” Abrams told the New York Post.
Details here

Food & Dining

Former UWS home of jazz legend Billie Holiday asks $14M

All photos courtesy of Evan Joseph Photography

September 9, 2022

Former UWS home of jazz legend Billie Holiday asks $14M

The Upper West Side townhouse where legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday lived until her untimely death in 1959 is for sale. Located a block from Central Park at 26 West 87th Street, the historic Renaissance Revival-style brownstone measures over 6,300 square feet and has seven bedrooms and a rear garden. The home, which sold for $9,475,000 in 2017, is now on the market for $13,995,000 following a renovation by architect Amie Sachs, previously of Annabelle Selldorf Architects.
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Memorial honoring Black lives lost to acts of racism will open in Central Park

Image courtesy of Si B on Flickr

September 7, 2022

Memorial honoring Black lives lost to acts of racism will open in Central Park

A new exhibition honoring Black lives lost to racial injustice in the United States will open this month in New York City's historical Seneca Village, once home to a thriving black community that was displaced by the city to make way for Central Park in the 1850s. Presented by the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art (SDAAMFA), the Say Their Names Memorial Exhibition is a month-long augmented reality experience debuting on Saturday, September 17 at West 85th Street in Central Park.
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History

$7M UWS penthouse has two balconies and Billionaires’ Row views

Photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

August 29, 2022

$7M UWS penthouse has two balconies and Billionaires’ Row views

From the two south-facing balconies at this Upper West Side penthouse, you get picture-perfect views of New York City's towering skyscrapers that dot Central Park's edge. The rarely-available 3,000-square-foot penthouse takes up the entire 19th floor of 160 West 86th Street, a boutique condominium off Amsterdam Avenue. While looking outward is nice, the views inside aren't too bad, either, thanks to its spacious and functional layout and four exposures.
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Distinctive Homes

Janet Jackson sells her Central Park West home for $8.8M

All photos courtesy of Yoo Jean Han for Sotheby’s International Realty

August 22, 2022

Janet Jackson sells her Central Park West home for $8.8M

Janet Jackson sold her Upper West Side apartment for $8,800,000 last month, slightly below the initial asking price. As the Wall Street Journal first reported, the pop star's three-bedroom condo in the Trump International Hotel and Tower at 1 Central Park West hit the market in April for $8,995,000. Jackson has owned the home since 1998 but has not lived there since the pandemic.
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Asking $27M, the last available penthouse at Waterline Square has the perfect private terrace

All photos courtesy of Evan Joseph

August 18, 2022

Asking $27M, the last available penthouse at Waterline Square has the perfect private terrace

Boasting more than 6,500 square feet of interior space, a decked-out terrace, and iconic skyline and water views, this penthouse at Waterline Square is just as lavish as expected. Since it's the last such unit available at the mixed-use development, we're taking a closer look at the residence, which is currently on the market for $27,000,000. Sitting atop Richard Meier's One Waterline Square, the home has five bedrooms, 50 feet of direct Hudson River views, and an outdoor terrace that feels open, yet secluded at the same time.
Get the details

Distinctive Homes

This $385K UWS studio is two blocks from Riverside Park

All photos courtesy of Coldwell Banker Warburg

August 11, 2022

This $385K UWS studio is two blocks from Riverside Park

When it comes to studios in Manhattan, a good measure of whether it's "spacious" is if both a bed and couch can fit. Not only is that the case for this newly available co-op on the Upper West Side, but the residence, now asking $385,000, also has two closets and a dishwasher, both features that are somewhat of a rarity for studios in the city. Located at 235 West 102nd Street, the home is in a prime Upper West Side neighborhood, with Riverside Park just two blocks from the building.
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Distinctive Homes

$3.5M Hotel des Artistes duplex has a double-height living room and indoor wraparound balcony

Photo Credit: Guillaume Gaudet for The Corcoran Group

July 27, 2022

$3.5M Hotel des Artistes duplex has a double-height living room and indoor wraparound balcony

A duplex in one of New York City's most famous buildings is now available. Located at 1 West 67th Street on the Upper West Side, the neo-Gothic style Hotel des Artistes was built in 1915 as an artist's co-op building and has been home to notable residents over the last century, including the dancer Isadora Duncan, former NYC mayor John Lindsay, and artist Norman Rockwell. On the market for $3,495,000 is a one-bedroom with soaring 20-foot ceilings, colossal south-facing windows, and a balcony overlooking the great room.
Take it all in

Distinctive Homes

For $3.7M, this top-floor UWS aerie has 16 skylights, 14-foot ceilings, and a balcony

Photo credit: Tina Gallo for The Corcoran Group

July 18, 2022

For $3.7M, this top-floor UWS aerie has 16 skylights, 14-foot ceilings, and a balcony