This $22.5M maisonette offers townhouse privacy with classic Upper East Side co-op luxury
All photos courtesy of Donna Dotan Photography
Known for their privacy and old-world Manhattan cachet, maisonettes often sound better in theory than in reality. But this massive 5,000-square-foot home at 2 East 70th Street on the Upper East Side, asking $22,500,000, delivers a reality that includes a private four-bedroom Fifth Avenue address, two floors of townhouse-style living, Central Park views, and all the perks that come with one of the city’s most coveted Rosario Candela co-ops.



Divided over two floors, each with its own private entrance, the first peerless attribute you may notice is the Central Park vista that’s framed by every western-facing window. A Fifth Avenue entrance to the home itself sits beside an entrance to the co-op building’s discreet, quiet lobby.
Within, interiors by Peter Pennoyer Architects represent a painstaking renovation that spared no expense on design perfection and contemporary comfort. On the ground floor, 11-foot ceilings rise above a grand gallery and elegant dining room with views of Central Park and the stunning Frick Collection gardens.


Warmth from walls clad in Fiddleback Sycamore complements Calacatta marble in the magazine-cover-ready kitchen. In the dining room, a crystal chandelier suspended from a domed ceiling highlights walls done in sage Gracie chinoiserie wall coverings.

Arched doorways create a graceful flow between the dining room, kitchen, and wood-paneled living room beyond, where you’ll find the intimacy of a private library lined with bookshelves. A dramatic powder room completes the lower floor.


Upstairs, the walls of a 30-foot great room rise to meet a lacquered ceiling, with a fireplace adding warmth. French casement doors open onto Central Park views. Other highlights include a wet bar and an executive-ready home office.



Four bedrooms remind us of the home’s impressive size; each has an ensuite bath. The primary suite has a coffered ceiling, a capacious walk-in closet, and those endless unobstructed views of Central Park.


Design details that complement the home’s pre-war charm include carefully-sourced antiques, a custom bronze railing and balustrade staircase, ebony quarter-sawn oak floors, and wall treatments of French silk, Venetian plaster, leather, and suede.
Function is as important as fashion: Seven-zone HVAC with automatic humidity control, radiant heat, a Lutron lighting system, custom closets, and a sophisticated AV system with professional-grade humidification have been integrated behind the scenes.

The full-service white-glove cooperative building offers a doorman, a private gym, and windowed storage on the building’s service level. Infrastructure is in place for a private elevator.
[Listing details: 2 East 70th Street #MAISONETTE at CityRealty]
[At Brown Harris Stevens by Louise Phillips Forbes, Madeleine McGregor, and Elisabeth Slaten]
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