Midtown East

Waldorf Astoria New York’s reopening delayed until spring

Rendering by Noë &Associates / The Boundary

October 15, 2024

Waldorf Astoria New York’s reopening delayed until spring

By Aaron Ginsburg

The reopening of the iconic Waldorf Astoria hotel has been postponed until next spring. The landmarked Midtown East hotel has been closed since 2017 for a major revamp, which includes turning its 1,400 guestrooms into 375 hotel rooms and 375 condo residences, according to Travel Weekly. The building, a New York City icon since it opened its doors in 1931, had most recently aimed to reopen in 2024.
details here

$65M Sutton Place penthouse is highest on East Side waterfront

South view. Photo credit: Kate Glicksberg

October 15, 2024

$65M Sutton Place penthouse is highest on East Side waterfront

By Devin Gannon

The penthouse in the tallest residential tower on the Manhattan East Side waterfront is now available. The first residential tower designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen, Sutton Tower rises 850 feet and contains 120 one- to five-bedroom condos with views stretching from the East River to the Atlantic Ocean. The residence with the best view, though, is Penthouse 80, which spans floors 80 and 81 and measures a whopping 9,100 square feet. The duplex just hit the market for $65,000,000.
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For $6.5M, this Sutton Place townhouse can be three apartments, one modernist mansion, or anything in between

Photo credit: Udi Almog and Anton Brookes/H5 photography

September 13, 2024

For $6.5M, this Sutton Place townhouse can be three apartments, one modernist mansion, or anything in between

By Michelle Cohen

Townhouse living is a unique urban blessing, often with many options for a multi-family dwelling, usually with covetable outdoor space. Asking $6,500,000, this five-story townhouse at 419 East 50th Street in elegant, understated Sutton Place is particularly special on both counts. Built around 1878, the building was completely renovated in 1958, and it has retained its stunning mid-century modern appeal since then. The multi-unit townhouse can be reconfigured as a single-family or live/work home, or set up with a large owner's triplex with two income-producing units. But its finest asset may be its 32-foot-deep back garden–one of the most beautiful private gardens in Manhattan.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

NYC seeks proposals for redesign of Park Avenue medians

Image by Fabio Fistarol on Unsplash

August 27, 2024

NYC seeks proposals for redesign of Park Avenue medians

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is moving forward with a plan to put the "park" back in Park Avenue. The Department of Transportation released a request for proposals (RFP) on Tuesday seeking designs to transform the traffic medians on Park Avenue between East 46th Street and East 57th Street with more green space and pedestrian-friendly areas.
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Architecture And Design

$120M project to close gap in Manhattan’s East River greenway moves forward

Image courtesy of the NYC Economic Development Corporation

August 26, 2024

$120M project to close gap in Manhattan’s East River greenway moves forward

By Aaron Ginsburg

A decade-old plan to fill in the gap in the East River greenway near the United Nations is finally moving forward. The city's Economic Development Corporation last week issued a request for proposals (RFP) from contractors to supervise the construction of the proposed esplanade, which will span less than a mile between East 41st and East 53rd Streets, as first reported by Gothamist. The project is the city's latest effort to reach its goal of creating a 32-mile cycling and pedestrian path along Manhattan's waterfront.
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Policy

Grand Central Terminal joins ‘Summer Streets’ for the first time

All photos courtesy of Grand Central Terminal/MTA

August 8, 2024

Grand Central Terminal joins ‘Summer Streets’ for the first time

By Aaron Ginsburg

Grand Central Terminal is participating in New York City's "Summer Streets" program for the first time ever. The annual event closes several miles of streets to cars to make space for outdoor recreation and activities. On August 10 and 17, the iconic train hall will host "The Grand Lawn," at 40th Street and Park Avenue, offering free outdoor lawn games and food and drink provided by Grand Central eateries.
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$1.2M colorful Sutton Place co-op has classic bones and dramatic bridge and river views

Photo credit: Carli Biryla for The Corcoran Group

July 5, 2024

$1.2M colorful Sutton Place co-op has classic bones and dramatic bridge and river views

By Michelle Cohen

This handsomely decorated two-bedroom apartment at 400 East 59th Street on the East Side's quietly elegant Sutton Place balances classic pre-war details with sweeping New York City views. The co-op's many charms include colorful and luxurious interiors, two renovated baths, herringbone-patterned floors, high ceilings, and original casement windows. Asking $1,200,000, the home boasts multiple exposures and outstanding views of the 59th Street Bridge, the East River, and the Manhattan skyline.
get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Katharine Hepburn’s longtime home in Turtle Bay Gardens asks $7.2M

Photo credit: DDreps for Sotheby’s International Realty

June 3, 2024

Katharine Hepburn’s longtime home in Turtle Bay Gardens asks $7.2M

By Michelle Cohen

Set within the covetable enclave of Turtle Bay Gardens, the stately turn-of-the-19th-century townhouse at 244 East 49th Street has a historic cachet beyond its location and provenance. For many decades, the four-story, single-family property was the New York City home of actress Katharine Hepburn, whose elegant mirrored vanity still graces its primary bedroom suite. The 4,600-square-foot townhouse, asking $7,200,00, offers a mix of elegant interiors and architectural beauty in a private East Side enclave whose residents have included Bob Dylan, Stephen Sondheim, and E. B. White. The property includes a 1,000-square-foot rear garden for a true Manhattan oasis.
Have a look inside and outside

First look inside Thomas Juul-Hansen’s 850-foot-tall condo Sutton Tower

Exterior photos courtesy of Astra Studios. Interior Photos courtesy of Kate Glicksberg.

May 30, 2024

First look inside Thomas Juul-Hansen’s 850-foot-tall condo Sutton Tower

By Aaron Ginsburg

Skyline altering condo Sutton Tower is now complete. New images released this week provide a look inside the Thomas Juul-Hansen-designed 850-foot-tall tower, the tallest in the east-side enclave of Sutton Place. The first skyscraper designed by the Danish designer, Sutton Tower features striking Art Deco-inspired architecture and a facade of Bavarian limestone. For the first time, we're seeing inside the residences, with model units curated by three design teams, Vesta, Urban Casa, and Eichholtz, each to reflect the diversity of lifestyles possible at the building.
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For $2.25M, this Sutton Place classic seven has enough personal space for everyone

Photo credit: Anastazia Swerer-McNut, Studio Lublow photography.

May 6, 2024

For $2.25M, this Sutton Place classic seven has enough personal space for everyone

By Michelle Cohen

While a home in the classic Manhattan enclave of Sutton Place may be the epitome of New York City living, this three-bedroom (with room for more) co-op at 410 East 57th Street has space to spare and a layout that's anything but cramped. Asking $2,250,000, this pre-war co-op is renovated and move-in ready, with plenty of storage, office and closet space, and large, lovely rooms for living and entertaining.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Vornado reveals new renderings for 62-story office tower at 350 Park Avenue

350 Park Avenue © DBOX for Foster + Partners

April 16, 2024

Vornado reveals new renderings for 62-story office tower at 350 Park Avenue

By Aaron Ginsburg

A supertall office tower long planned for Midtown is finally moving forward. During a breakfast held by the Association for a Better New York, Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday revealed new details and renderings for 350 Park Avenue, a 62-story building developed by Vornado Realty Trust, Citadel, and Rudin Management. Designed by Foster + Partners, the tower, which will bring 1.8 million square feet of office space and a new public concourse to Midtown East, will enter the city's public review process early next year.
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Architecture And Design

Penn Station’s Tracks Bar to open in Grand Central Madison

Renderings courtesy of the MTA

March 25, 2024

Penn Station’s Tracks Bar to open in Grand Central Madison

By Aaron Ginsburg

A former Penn Station mainstay and favorite of Long Island Rail Road commuters will be the first restaurant to open in Grand Central Madison. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Friday revealed plans to make Tracks Raw Bar & Grill its first major commercial tenant at the new LIRR terminal--which opened in Grand Central last January--as first reported by the New York Post.
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Focus on 57th Street: Manhattan real estate insiders Leslie Hirsch and Howard Morrel chart the rise of Billionaires’ Row

Photo by Martti Salmi on Unsplash

March 13, 2024

Focus on 57th Street: Manhattan real estate insiders Leslie Hirsch and Howard Morrel chart the rise of Billionaires’ Row

By Michelle Cohen

New York City’s most successful real estate agents make it their business to know the city’s highlights, hot spots, secrets, and specialties; many are NYC natives or longtime residents whose love for the city’s streets and avenues adds indisputable value to their career of choice. We’ve asked a few top agents to tell us about their favorite neighborhoods and share their views on what the city's future may hold. Read on for insights from Leslie Hirsch, an insider with an enviable view from Billionaires' Row.
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Harlem comfort food spot Melba’s to open in Grand Central

Streetview of 300 West 114th Street © 2024 Google

February 28, 2024

Harlem comfort food spot Melba’s to open in Grand Central

By Aaron Ginsburg

Melba's, a beloved Harlem eatery that has been serving comfort food to New Yorkers for nearly two decades, is coming to Grand Central Terminal. The new outpost, expected to open in the transit hub's dining concourse in June, will feature some of the restaurant's most popular items, like chicken and waffles, fried catfish, and collards, according to Eater NY.
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Food & Dining

Bjarke Ingels unveils design for Freedom Plaza casino development next to the U.N.

Rendering of Freedom Plaza courtesy of Negativ

February 14, 2024

Bjarke Ingels unveils design for Freedom Plaza casino development next to the U.N.

By Devin Gannon

As the state's process for choosing a site for a New York City gaming facility continues to slowly move forward, new renderings released this week offer a closer look at one proposed casino in Manhattan. Renowned architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) on Monday unveiled new images of Freedom Plaza, a mixed-use development with apartments, a hotel, a museum, a 4.77-acre public park, and an underground casino just south of the United Nations.
see the proposal

East Midtown Greenway opens, with nearly 3 acres of public open space on the waterfront

Image courtesy of Skanska

December 20, 2023

East Midtown Greenway opens, with nearly 3 acres of public open space on the waterfront

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has taken a major step forward in its effort to expand the greenway network. The city's Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and NYC Parks on Tuesday officially opened the East Midtown Greenway and the second phase of the Andrew Haswell Green Park, delivering nearly three acres of public open space, a new pedestrian walkway, a pedestrian bridge, landscaping, and a separated bike lane stretching from East 53rd Street to East 60th Street along the East River. The $197.6 million investment fills a significant gap in the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway.
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Paul Rudolph’s Modulightor Building is now an NYC landmark

The Modulightor Building. Photo credit: Joe Polowczuk

December 19, 2023

Paul Rudolph’s Modulightor Building is now an NYC landmark

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to landmark the Modulightor Building, an iconic building in Midtown East designed by renowned modernist architect Paul Rudolph. Located at 246 East 58th Street, the building was built between 1989 and 1993 to house the Modulightor lighting company founded by Rudolph with German physicist Ernst Wagner. According to the commission, the building stands out for its special character and its historical and aesthetic significance in New York City.
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Free six-acre light installation ‘Field of Light’ opens in Midtown East

Field of Light © 2023 Bruce Munro. All rights reserved. All photography by Serena Munro

December 15, 2023

Free six-acre light installation ‘Field of Light’ opens in Midtown East

By Aaron Ginsburg

A massive installation made of thousands of twinkling lights opened this week in Midtown East. Designed by Bruce Munro, Field of Light at Freedom Plaza includes 18,750 low-light, fiber-optic stemmed spheres that change colors and create a mesmerizing landscape across more than six acres next to the United Nations headquarters. The installation is free to visit thanks to the Soloviev Group, the developer who is proposing building a casino on the vacant site. The 12-month Field of Light is open on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
how to visit

Office-to-residential conversions could significantly lower NYC’s carbon emissions: report

Image courtesy of Carl Solder on Unsplash

December 12, 2023

Office-to-residential conversions could significantly lower NYC’s carbon emissions: report

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City could drastically decrease its carbon footprint if the eligibility for office-to-residential conversions is expanded, according to a new report. In the study "Office to Residential Conversions: The Carbon Story," sustainable development consultant Arup found updating zoning rules to allow for more office buildings to become apartments could cut carbon emissions by 54 percent by 2050.
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Fifth Avenue’s sparkling snowflake is brighter than ever

Image courtesy of the Fifth Avenue Association

December 6, 2023

Fifth Avenue’s sparkling snowflake is brighter than ever

By Aaron Ginsburg

Fifth Avenue's famous snowflake, a cherished New York City holiday fixture for 40 years, is back and brighter than ever. The Fifth Avenue Association and the Stonbely Family Foundation on Sunday celebrated the lighting of the refurbished snowflake, which features 16,500 sparkling crystals and new high-intensity full-color LED lights. The twinkling 30-foot-wide snowflake is suspended 50 feet above Fifth Avenue and 57th Street from four buildings: the Aman Hotel, Bergdorf Goodman, Bulgari, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany & Co.
see more here

Events & Things To Do

Stephen Sondheim’s Turtle Bay townhouse sells for $7M

All photos courtesy of Compass

November 29, 2023

Stephen Sondheim’s Turtle Bay townhouse sells for $7M

By Devin Gannon

Late songsmith Stephen Sondheim's Turtle Bay townhouse has sold for the asking price of $7,000,000. As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the unnamed buyer of 246 East 49th Street lives in New York and is a fan of the Broadway legend. The seven-bedroom home hit the market in July and entered contract the following month.
details this way

JPMorgan’s all-electric supertall at 270 Park Avenue tops out in Midtown East

Photos courtesy of Max Touhey for JPMorgan Chase unless otherwise noted.

November 21, 2023

JPMorgan’s all-electric supertall at 270 Park Avenue tops out in Midtown East

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's largest all-electric skyscraper has topped out in Midtown East. JPMorgan Chase on Monday announced the placement of the final steel beam at 270 Park Avenue, a nearly 1,400-foot-tall building that will serve as the company's global headquarters. Designed by Foster + Partners, the 60-story tower will house 14,000 employees across 2.5 million square feet of flexible space. The net-zero building features a striking "fan-column" structure that rises roughly 80 feet above street level and outdoor space on Park and Madison Avenues.
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Architecture And Design

SOM completes $100M restoration of Midtown’s Lever House

All photos courtesy of Lucas Blair Simpson © SOM

November 17, 2023

SOM completes $100M restoration of Midtown’s Lever House

By Aaron Ginsburg

The $100 million restoration of Park Avenue's famous Lever House tower by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the iconic building's original architects, has been completed. The project revitalized the tower for the 21st century while preserving the distinct architectural aesthetic the building has expressed since it was first completed in 1952. Lever House features a reimagined lobby, ground-level public plaza, modernized building systems, and a new indoor and outdoor hospitality suite called the Lever Club.
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Architecture And Design

Fifth Avenue to transform into car-free holiday wonderland

Photo by Josh Wilburne on Unsplash

November 15, 2023

Fifth Avenue to transform into car-free holiday wonderland

By Aaron Ginsburg

Attention revelers: the streets of Midtown will soon be filled with fun, pedestrian-friendly cheer. As part of a special holiday open street, Fifth Avenue will close to cars and transform into a winter wonderland on three Sundays in December. The Fifth Avenue Association on Tuesday revealed the "Gift of Fifth" campaign that will turn the historic corridor from 49th Street to 59th Street into a holiday destination, with jolly decor, festive food and beverages, photo-ops, store giveaways, and more.
DETAILS HERE

Events & Things To Do

Empire State Building receives ‘Elf’ takeover for movie’s 20th anniversary

All photos by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust unless noted otherwise

November 9, 2023

Empire State Building receives ‘Elf’ takeover for movie’s 20th anniversary

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Empire State Building is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the holiday classic "Elf" with new festive decorations and screenings of the movie in the skyscraper's 80th-floor observatory. Visitors will be able to snap photos with a life-sized cutout of Buddy the Elf, view ground-floor window displays featuring Elf-themed merchandise for purchase, and more.
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Events & Things To Do

6-acre light installation at proposed Midtown East casino site to open in December

All renderings courtesy of the Soloviev Foundation

November 2, 2023

6-acre light installation at proposed Midtown East casino site to open in December

By Aaron Ginsburg

A sprawling light installation coming to the site of a proposed casino in Midtown East is opening next month. Designed by Bruce Munro, Field of Light at Freedom Plaza includes 17,000 low-light, fiber-optic stemmed spheres that change hues and create a dreamlike landscape across six acres near the United Nations headquarters. Free tickets are now available to book to visit the installation, which officially debuts December 15. The display is financed by the Soloviev Group, which owns the vacant land and is looking to build a mixed-use development called Freedom Plaza, anchored by a casino.
learn more about the installation

Midtown East casino proposal adds Bjarke Ingels and 500 affordable apartments

Rendering of Freedom Tower by Negativ

October 23, 2023

Midtown East casino proposal adds Bjarke Ingels and 500 affordable apartments

By Devin Gannon

A developer hoping to build a casino near the United Nations is adding two components to its plan to appeal to New Yorkers: a famous architect and hundreds of affordable apartments. Soloviev Group last week announced its proposed mixed-use development in Midtown East dubbed Freedom Plaza will include 1,325 apartments with more than 500 of them permanently affordable. Plus, as the New York Times first reported, starchitect Bjarke Ingels will design the project, which includes a hotel, museum, public green space, and an underground casino.
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