J.W. Marriott Essex House

Essex House didn’t get off to the most auspicious start, with construction beginning mere days after the Crash of 1929. But it was still chugging along when three years later its now famous six-story red neon sign debuted atop the New York skyline. The rest, as they say, is history. Since then the 43-story Art-Deco skyscraper at 160 Central Park South has become one of Manhattan’s most distinguished landmarks -- and home to an impressive list of residents, including Angelina Jolie, Jude Law, and Samuel L. Jackson. Fortunately, you don’t have to be an A-lister to live there; all you need is about $14,000 a month in rent.  This 2BR/2BA rental unit features a private 260-square-foot outdoor terrace directly overlooking Central Park and offering starry views of a non-celebrity kind.
Right this way to see what lies beneath that big red sign