Go for baroque in this $18M Upper East Side townhouse with a three-tiered garden, two kitchens and gym

For anyone who can’t decide between an Italian palazzo and a townhouse on the Upper East Side, this 6,800-square-foot “slice of Manhattan” might be just the answer. Rising six stories (five plus a gym/laundry/storage enhanced-cellar) at 115 East 79th Street just off Park Avenue and two blocks from Central Park, this beyond-opulent single-family home was built in 1903 but was far more recently renovated with just about every move-in ready modern upgrade you can think of. There are two kitchens, four outdoor spaces and seven wood-burning fireplaces–all accessible by an elevator or stairs.

The home’s two kitchens represent formal and informal dining: The expensively rustic first floor kitchen and casual dining area provide easy access to an enchanting garden.

The second-floor kitchen features custom cabinetry and top-quality appliances. It opens onto a well-upholstered formal dining room.

The first of four outdoor spaces, a completely stunning three-tiered Italianate garden, lies just outside French doors on the home’s entry level. This enchanted grotto, featured in the City Gardens Club of New York spring tour, offers a fountain with an antique water-sprouting stone lion’s head, a wishing well and lush plantings for a quiet and peaceful atmosphere day or night.

There are two private terraces on the third and fourth floors and a private gated entry courtyard for enough outdoor space to escape city life; you might even get lost trying to find your way back.

The aforementioned casual dining area off the downstairs kitchen is the perfect spot for three-tiered Italianate garden-gazing.

Upstairs in the private quarters you’ll find five bedrooms and a library (or sixth bedroom).

The home offers four full baths and a powder room, all with high-end finishes and fixtures including lots of luxurious tile and marble.

Though not pictured, the basement is complete with a gym area, two washers, two dryers and plenty of storage. And this is no drafty old palazzo: Throughout the house you’ll find two-zone central air, radiator heating, a humidification system and a security system–and don’t forget that elevator, perfect for when you’ve put in a little too much time downstairs in the gym.

[Listing: 115 East 79th Street by Karen Conolly Advocate for Douglas Elliman]

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Images courtesy of Douglas Elliman.