Turtle Bay

Photo credit: Hayley Day / DDReps for Sotheby’s International Realty

December 11, 2024

Bob Dylan’s former Turtle Bay home asks $7.25M

The Manhattan property at 242 East 49th Street has an elevator–and a backyard gate that leads to Turtle Bay Gardens, a private neighborhood park shared by just 20 homes. The renovated 19-foot-wide townhouse, asking $7,250,000, was Bob Dylan's New York City home for more than two decades, with neighbors like Katharine Hepburn, Stephen Sondheim, and E. B. White.
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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

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.
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Stephen Sondheim’s Turtle Bay townhouse is on the market for $7M

Photo credit: Compass

July 13, 2023

Stephen Sondheim’s Turtle Bay townhouse is on the market for $7M

By Michelle Cohen

The Turtle Bay townhouse at 246 East 49th Street that was home to late songwriter Stephen Sondheim is now on the market, asking $7,000,000. The celebrated songsmith, who received eight Tonys, eight Grammys, an Oscar, and a Pulitzer for the iconic words and melodies to Broadway hits like “West Side Story,” "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," and many more, bought the historic townhouse in 1960. Sondheim needed the privacy of a townhouse, according to Curbed, so he could finesse melodies on the piano without bothering the neighbors.
A home filled with Broadway history, this way

Rosie O’Donnell’s ritzy Midtown East penthouse hits the market for $8.3M

Photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 15, 2023

Rosie O’Donnell’s ritzy Midtown East penthouse hits the market for $8.3M

By Devin Gannon

Rosie O'Donnell is trading Manhattan for Malibu. The comedian put her Midtown East penthouse on the market last week for $8,300,000, following a move to the West Coast, as the New York Times first reported. The Long Island native and longtime New York City resident paid $8,000,000 for the apartment in 2017. The home, located atop 255 East 49th Street, measures nearly 3,600 square feet across three levels, including an impressive private rooftop.
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A mini version of NYC’s Hippo Ballerina sculpture is now in Turtle Bay

Photos courtesy of Cavalier Galleries

February 16, 2023

A mini version of NYC’s Hippo Ballerina sculpture is now in Turtle Bay

By Aaron Ginsburg

A smaller version of New York City's Hippo Ballerina sculpture debuted this week in Turtle Bay. Created by Danish artist Bjørn Okholm Skaarup, Hippo Ballerina is a 15-foot-tall sculpture that has been seen over the years in front of Grand Central Terminal, the Flatiron Building, and Lincoln Center. The new mini sculpture, along with Hippo Ballerina, pirouette and Rhino Harlequin, pirouette, can now be found in front of the skyscraper at 885 Second Avenue in Midtown through March 2024.
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Events & Things To Do

NYC sues illegal Airbnb operator who earned $2M and deceived thousands of guests since 2018

Photo Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 13, 2022

NYC sues illegal Airbnb operator who earned $2M and deceived thousands of guests since 2018

By Devin Gannon

New York City is suing an operator of an illegal short-term rental in Midtown East who officials say ran more than 78 Airbnb listings and "deceived more than 6,500 guests." According to the lawsuit, announced on Tuesday by Mayor Eric Adams, Arron Latimer, a licensed broker, Apex Management, and Esther Yip, used several limited liability corporations to run a short-term rental operation at 344 East 51st Street in Turtle Bay. The lawsuit is the first under a new city law that requires short-term rental platforms to regularly report data on listings and their hosts.
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Policy

Turtle Bay two-bedroom with pair of enclosed terraces asks $1.9M

All photos by Rise-Media

December 7, 2021

Turtle Bay two-bedroom with pair of enclosed terraces asks $1.9M

By Devin Gannon

Next to the East River and just blocks to the United Nations, a recently renovated two-bedroom condo at 345 East 50th Street is available for $1,895,000. The Turtle Bay digs has a comfortable layout, with the two largest rooms, the living area and the primary bedroom, each benefiting from unique glass-enclosed terraces that stretch into balconies. While the building was constructed in 1900, the home, outfitted with modern conveniences like a built-in espresso machine and central air conditioning, very much meets a 21st-century standard of living.
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Distinctive Homes

Olivier Sarkozy’s historic Turtle Bay townhouse comes back on the market for $11.5M

Listing photos by Spotless for Sotheby’s International Realty

August 27, 2021

Olivier Sarkozy’s historic Turtle Bay townhouse comes back on the market for $11.5M

By Dana Schulz

Olivier Sarkozy, banker and half-brother of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has listed his Turtle Bay Gardens townhouse for $11,500,000, as the New York Times first reported. Sarkozy's five-year marriage to Mary-Kate Olsen ended earlier this year, and according to Vanity Fair, the "sticking point" of the divorce was this house. That's not really surprising, considering the home at 226 East 49th Street is a whopping 8,700 square feet and has historic and opulent features such as a grand ballroom, 22-foot coffered ceilings, and backyard art studio. Sarkozy bought the house in 2014 for $13.5 million from painter David Deutsch.
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September 26, 2019

A-Rod takes another swing at NYC real estate, buys second apartment building

By Devin Gannon

As a rookie in the New York City real estate game, Alex Rodriguez is trying to hit it out of the park. The former New York Yankee has picked up a second apartment building, a 14-story residence in Turtle Bay, as first reported by the New York Post. In June, A-Rod bought his first major Big Apple purchase, a 21-unit rental in the East Village with Barbara Corcoran, who founded the eponymous real estate firm and is an investor on the television show Shark Tank.
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Celebrities

$825K Turtle Bay pad has a floating staircase and glass-bottom sleeping loft

Photo credit: Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty.

August 6, 2019

$825K Turtle Bay pad has a floating staircase and glass-bottom sleeping loft

By Michelle Cohen

This one-bedroom home in Turtle Bay Towers at 310 East 46th Street, asking $825,000, plays with creative design and dramatic custom construction to give it the feel of an industrial loft. Steel and tempered glass surround a floating staircase, and grand dimensions and open spaces make this condop stand out from the average full-service midtown Manhattan pack.
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Distinctive Homes

October 9, 2018

Where modernism meets tradition: Inside the Japan Society’s historic headquarters

By Devin Gannon

As a media sponsor of Archtober–NYC’s annual month-long architecture and design festival of tours, lectures, films, and exhibitions–6sqft has teamed up with the Center for Architecture to explore some of their 70+ partner organizations. For the last 111 years, the mission of the Japan Society has remained the same: to create a better understanding between the United States and Japan. While strengthening relations originally meant introducing Japanese art and culture to Americans, today in its second century, the nonprofit’s purpose, along with its programming, has expanded, with education and policy now a core part of its objective. The headquarters of the Japan Society is located in Turtle Bay at 333 East 47th Street, purposely constructed just blocks from the United Nations. In addition to being known for its extensive curriculum, the architecture of the society's building also stands out. Designed by architects Junzō Yoshimura and George G. Shimamoto, the building is the first designed by a Japanese citizen and the first of contemporary Japanese design in New York City. The structure, which first opened in 1971, combines a modern style with traditional materials of Japan. In 2011, the building was designated a city landmark, becoming one of the youngest buildings with this recognition. Ahead, learn about the Japan Society's evolving century-long history, its groundbreaking architecture, and its newest exhibition opening this week.
Take a look inside the landmarked building

August 22, 2018

Massive $39M Trump World Tower ‘sky mansion’ has 16 rooms, 24 hidden TVs, and 20+ closets

By Michelle Cohen

The listing for this 7,500-square-foot, 16 room, six-bedroom property in the Trump World Tower at 845 United Nations Plaza calls the massive home a "mansion in the sky," and that gives you an idea of just what to expect, though you might already guess what to expect from the (almost) entire 82nd floor of the modern-luxe-encrusted tower. There are, of course, the 360-degree views, which reach to the moon. And a peek at the floor plan affirms a dizzying magnitude of square footage in one single Turtle Bay condominium.
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Distinctive Homes

June 18, 2018

Michael Cohen’s inlaws list three condos at Trump World Tower amid legal battle

By Devin Gannon

Photo of Michael Cohen via Wikimedia; listing photo via Trump International Realty As President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, faces mounting legal fees, his family is looking to sell three condominium units at a 72-story Trump building in Manhattan. Bloomberg reported Friday that Cohen's father-in-law Fima Shusterman wants to sell three apartments he owns in Trump World Tower at 845 United Nations Plaza. Just two of the units are listed on the Trump International Realty website: a three-bedroom unit, 57B, for $6.7 million and a two-bedroom unit, 42A, for $4.5 million. Not listed but still for sale, the family's 43rd-floor apartment was purchased in 2003 for $1.85 million, but the current price is not yet known.
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Policy

My 600sqft: A nonprofit fundraiser decorates her Turtle Bay studio with funky, feminine finds

6sqft’s series “My sqft” checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the Turtle Bay studio of Erica Greenblatt, director of development for the Anti-Defamation League. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

May 8, 2018

My 600sqft: A nonprofit fundraiser decorates her Turtle Bay studio with funky, feminine finds

By Devin Gannon

Erica Greenblatt never seems to stay in one place for long. In addition to her love of travel (she has visited 30 countries across 6 continents so far), she has moved 12 times in the last 14 years all over New York City. Most recently, Erica landed on a surprisingly spacious Turtle Bay studio on 54th Street and 2nd Avenue, her first apartment without any roommates. As the director of development for the Anti-Defamation League, a civil rights organization tasked with fighting bigotry, Erica raises funds needed for the group’s education and advocacy programs. And because of her job, she’s on the move again, headed outside of the five boroughs for the first time in over a decade. Erica moved to Atlanta, Georgia at the end of April, pledging to bring her feminine, eclectic style with her to her new southern pad. Before she left NYC to start a new adventure in the ATL, 6sqft visited Erica and learned about how her love of travel influences her worldly aesthetic, what she describes as her "signature style."
See inside Erica's studio

Landmarked William Lescaze House, the first modern residence in NYC, asks $5M

Photos via Leslie J. Garfield

April 26, 2018

Landmarked William Lescaze House, the first modern residence in NYC, asks $5M

By Devin Gannon

New York City's first modern residence, designed by architect William Lescaze, has hit the market for $4.95 million. Swiss-born New Yorker, Lecaze is credited with pioneering the modernism movement in the United States, beginning with a townhome he designed for himself in 1934. Known as the William Lescaze House, the four-story home at 211 East 48th Street served as the architect's personal home and studio. The now-landmarked townhouse was totally restored by Sage Realty, who "painstakingly renovated" the street facade to match its original condition.
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Richard Meier’s East side master plan moving ahead with three condos and biotech offices

Rendering courtesy of Richard Meier & Partners / Solow / BloomImages

April 9, 2018

Richard Meier’s East side master plan moving ahead with three condos and biotech offices

By Annie Doge

Across the street from Richard Meier’s nearly-complete new black glassy-facaded condo/rental tower at 685 First Avenue (known as 685 First), between First Avenue and the East River, a boarded-up construction site has remained quiet for the better part of a decade. Now, Curbed reports, the site’s developer, Solow Building Company, headed by Sheldon H. Solow, 89, and son Stefan Soloviev, confirms the site's awakening and imminent transformation into three condominium buildings and a fourth building, to be a biotech office, using the 2012 master plan penned by Meier's architecture firm.
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How the Manhattan neighborhood of Turtle Bay got its name

Turtle Bay and Blackwell’s Island around 1840 at the foot of what now is 49th Street, courtesy the Turtle Bay Association

January 26, 2018

How the Manhattan neighborhood of Turtle Bay got its name

By Emily Nonko

The Manhattan neighborhood of Turtle Bay, a stretch of Midtown East that holds everything from skyscrapers to brownstones, has a history dating back to 1639. Modern-day New Yorkers might envision the area got its name from "hundreds of turtles sunning themselves on the rocks along the East River between 45th and 48th Streets," as Ephemeral New York puts it. Back then, that's where an actual bay was once located in Colonial-era Manhattan, surrounded by meadows, hills and a stream that emptied at the foot of today’s 47th Street. Some historians do think actual turtles lent to the neighborhood name, as they were plentiful in Manhattan at the time and were commonly dined on. But another reading of history suggests otherwise.
The name may have been a mistake

History

December 13, 2017

Soho style arrives at this dreamy Turtle Bay loft asking $999K

By Emily Nonko

You wouldn't necessarily expect an artist loft up for sale in Turtle Bay, but here's one asking just a hair under $1 million at the Turtle Bay Towers condop complex. The open floorplan was renovated in the style of a Soho loft, according to the listing, but you get all the conveniences of being in East Midtown. After its renovation the space saw a big price jump in just a few years--it was asking $689,000 in 2012 before selling for $649,000.
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Distinctive Homes

Photo courtesy of the UN

October 24, 2017

The history of the United Nations in NYC

By Devin Gannon

Every year on October 24th, 193 countries celebrate United Nations Day, the international holiday commemorating the anniversary of the ratification of the 1945 UN Charter. Beginning in 1948, the holiday is part of a broader United Nations Week, which runs from October 20th to 26th. While the day is a global holiday, the UN and UN Day continue to be unique to New York City, home to the peacekeeping organization’s headquarters since 1952.
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Richard Meier’s first NYC skyscraper tops out, clad in black glass

Rendering courtesy of Richard Meier & Partners / Solow / BloomImages

September 19, 2017

Richard Meier’s first NYC skyscraper tops out, clad in black glass

By Devin Gannon

Along the East River just south of the United Nations, Pritzker Prize-winner Richard Meier’s 42-story, 460-foot-tall tower has officially topped out, CityRealty learned. Developed by Sheldon Solow’s East River Realty Development, the skyscraper at 685 First Avenue has an all-black, glassy facade to offer residents privacy and create a uniform appearance on the outside. Upon completion in 2018, the Turtle Bay residential tower will feature 556 rental and condominium apartments, with incredible panoramic waterfront views.
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April 13, 2017

For $375K, this Tudor City studio is old-world elegance with amenities

By Michelle Cohen

On the eastern fringe of bustling Midtown, the (mostly) pre-war Tudor City complex was built as rentals by Fred French in the 1920s to give office workers easy access to their jobs while enjoying efficient and elegant living conditions. The buildings were converted to co-ops in the 1980s, and they've retained their elegance and compact efficiency. Woodstock Tower at 320 East 42nd Street is one of the most charming buildings among them, and this cheerful studio with city views, asking a pied-a-terre-friendly $375,000, is a fine example.
Lots of photos, this way

Distinctive Homes

Philip Johnson’s Rockefeller Guest House, a ‘secret’ modernist gem on Manhattan’s east side

Screen cap via NYT

March 23, 2017

Philip Johnson’s Rockefeller Guest House, a ‘secret’ modernist gem on Manhattan’s east side

By Michelle Cohen

Just down the street from the now-closed modernist treasure trove and icon that was the Four Seasons in Manhattan's east 50s is a lesser-known architectural treasure. Philip Johnson’s 1950 Rockefeller Guest House is one of a handful of private residences the architect designed for New York City clients. The house is a designated historic and architectural landmark, but a subtle one that's easily missed on the quiet street–as the New York Times puts it, "the house doesn’t give up its secrets easily." Once you spot the home's brick-and-glass facade, though, it's hard not to be enthralled.
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Architecture And Design

December 2, 2016

Richard Meier’s first NYC skyscraper starts its climb above street level in Turtle Bay

By Dana Schulz

Richard Meier's 685 First Avenue--the starchitect's largest and tallest building in the city to date--has begun its above-ground ascent, reports CityRealty. The 42-story, 460-foot-tall slab tower is located along the East River at 40th Street, just south of the United Nations, and has gained attention for its dark glass facade, a noticeable shift from Meier's signature beige aesthetic. Its 408 rentals and 148 condominiums are expected to be completed by early 2019, and now that construction is "craned and above street level," the project is well on its way.
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November 21, 2016

This $649K co-op has pre-war charm, East Midtown convenience and room to grow

By Michelle Cohen

How much you love the location of this surprisingly-spacious-for-six-figures co-op at 155 East 49th Street just north of Turtle Bay in East Midtown might just depend on how much you like skyscrapers. Because though the spot is convenient to everything from MoMA and shopping to Grand Central Station and the subway, there are tall towers in every direction and many more, even taller, on the way. But this 10-story co-op does a pretty good job making the case for classic brick amid towers of glass and steel.
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Distinctive Homes

November 7, 2016

Interior renderings, more details revealed for Richard Meier’s Turtle Bay tower

By Dana Schulz

The largest and tallest building in NYC from Pritzker Prize-winning architect Richard Meier is rising at 685 First Avenue, just south of the United Nations at 39th Street and First Avenue along the East River. Though developer Sheldon Solow bought the 30,000-square-foot site as part of his Turtle Bay South master plan 16 years ago, construction only kicked off in March. A couple months later, renderings were revealed of the 42-story slab tower's dark glass facade--a departure from Meier's typical beige designs and his first ever black building--and now the Times has shared the first interior renderings, along with new details about the residential breakdown (there will be 408 rentals and 148 condominiums) architectural specifics, and amenities.
More details and renderings this way

November 1, 2016

Brownstone rental on Katharine Hepburn’s old block asks $4,000/month in Turtle Bay

By Emily Nonko

This charming top floor apartment is located in the townhouse at 247 East 49th Street, in Turtle Bay. It's just a few doors down from Katharine Hepburn's longtime New York home--she lived more than 60 years at 244 East 49th Street. If you're willing to endure the fourth floor walkup you can also call the block your home, as well as this $4,000/month rental apartment loaded with prewar details.
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