The High and Low: Two Classic Central Park West Co-ops in the Celeb-Filled El Dorado

Inspired by all the talk of Demi Moore listing her San Remo penthouse for a potentially record-breaking $75 million, we found some even more fabulously grand Central Park West, Emery-Roth-designed, graciously pre-war detailed listings at the San Remo’s equally fabulous and celebrity-favored cousin, the El Dorado at 300 Central Park West. The “high” listing is exactly that: Not only a penthouse, but a rare offering that spans two floors of one of the iconic building’s skyline-defining twin towers. And of course there’s the view from your double-decker tower perch, which is the one that really counts.

But before you lunge for your wallet (or if you’re thinking you don’t really need the square footage of a small walled city), the “low” listing is in the same famous and fabulous iconic building, and it’s even on a high floor. While it’s technically a one-bedroom, it has that classic pre-war co-op’s gracious layout. And it’s asking $1.4 million, which, a few caveats aside, sounds astonishingly reasonable. And you still get to be neighbors with Meredith Viera and the lingering spirit of Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Moby, Bono and many more past residents.

THE HIGH: First, the big ticket. This almost-unfathomably large penthouse 29/30G comprises the 29th and 30th floors of one of the El Dorado’s fabled twin towers. The space is the result of several apartments being combined, so you may want to even more seamlessly meld it to your liking. Otherwise, there’s nothing you could possibly want for.

Starting with panoramic views of everything from Central Park to Midtown‘s ever-changing cityscape to New Jersey across the Hudson River, the Times listing recommends the palatial tower home “for entertaining grandly.” It’s an obvious option, since there’s a private elevator landing and a separate large, updated one-bedroom unit on the 29th floor, plus four en-suite bedrooms, and we’ve still got another floor to ascend.

The interiors retain many original Art Deco details and subsequently installed custom additions including oak herringbone floors, decorative bathroom tiles and a seven-head shower in the corner master bedroom suite.

The solarium (l) and one of four terraces (r).

On the 30th floor is an entertaining space that is indeed grand, fronting on the park and featuring loft-like living and dining spaces surrounded by massive casement windows with a front-row view to the Central Park Reservoir. There are four corner terraces, one of which is enclosed with solarium windows.

This level also includes a large kitchen and was once used as a communal club by the early tenants of the El Dorado. It retains the oversize fireplace and 1920s terra-cotta floor tiles. And for understated celebrity cachet, the apartment supposedly used to belong to Nobel Prize-winning author Sinclair Lewis.

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THE LOW: On the other end of the price spectrum (but totally in the same building!), apartment 14E just arrived on the market for the far less daunting price of $1.399 million. It’s on a high floor, and looks to have enough windows for the prerequisite views (though probably not of Central Park–but the shared landscaped roof deck offers all residents the very same amazing 360 degree park and city views).

This maids’ room, currently used as a dining room, could easily be a second bedroom/guest room/office.

It’s a one-bedroom, but in the usual gracious pre-war co-op style, there’s plenty of room to spread out and reconfigure. There’s a nice little maids’ room behind the kitchen that could be a perfectly serviceable kids’ room or guest room, though it’s currently set up as a formal dining room. The kitchen is spacious and the apartment’s bones are great. There’s a bath and a half, which works for that guest bedroom setup.

Floorplan for apartment 14E2.

You’ll probably want to do some renovations, but at that price you might just have some leftover cash to work a total transformation. The building offers top white-glove perks like a doorman, gym, laundry, parking and a roof deck with postcard views–plus the bragging rights to a gaggle of celebrity neighbors present and past. And, of course, you’re on Central Park West.

[Listing: 300 Central Park West penthouse 29/30G, Warburg Realty by Linda Reiner and Lisa Tarnopol Deslauriers.] [via CityRealty]

[Listing: 300 Central Park West #14E2, Brown Harris Stevens by Nadine Adamson and Kelsey Hall.] [via CityRealty]

RELATED:

• Demi Moore Puts Famed San Remo Penthouse on the Market for $75M
• Meredith Vieira Buys an $8.55M Penthouse at the El Dorado
• Joan Rivers’ Legendary Upper East Side Penthouse Is on the Market for $28M

29/30G images courtesy of Warburg Realty; 14E2 images courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens.