City’s Once-Priciest One-Bedroom Rental Gets a $225K Price Chop, Now Only $75K a Month

When 6sqft became aware last February of the most expensive one-bedroom rental listing in the city, a $300,000 a month 1,200-square-foot (nope, we didn’t forget a zero) penthouse atop the Surrey Hotel at 20 East 76th Street on the Upper East Side, we asked cheekily, “Why buy a $3.6 million dollar home when you can pay the same amount of money to live in a modest one-bedroom for a year?” Now that the unit–still on the market though with a fresh new broker–has gotten a hefty haircut of $225,000, it looks in comparison like a straight-up bargain at less than a million a year. So what are we getting for the still-significant monthly outlay?

In addition to a super-posh Upper East Side location a block from the park, in a landmarked 1926 hotel, you’re paying for 24-7 access to amenities like the hotel’s English rooftop garden, a day spa and a place to pamper your pet, peerless park views from everywhere, and privacy. It’s still one bedroom, two baths  (up a half from the former 1.5, apparently), and 1,200 square feet.

The new listing reminds us that from the moment we arrive at the original ornate brass and copper door of this penthouse suite, we’re in for a unique experience–which definitely covers the stunning park views from the massive wraparound terrace.

Interiors are tastefully decorated in muted tones of silver and gray “punctuated by eclectic artwork” and a “large flat screen television.” The dining area seats six guests, and a full modern kitchen includes a dishwasher and marble counters, with a powder room and a wet bar nearby.

There’s a king bed in the master suite, and the bathroom certainly does look spa-like. According to the listing, “the Surrey was recently rated the No. 1 hotel in New York by Condé Nast Traveler readers.” So there’s that. And a Yelper says the water pressure’s great.

On the Relais & Chateaux boutique hotel’s website, the emphasis is on discreet service and privacy, which is certainly something some would pay top dollar for, as “…discreet service allows guests to retreat from the public—and keep a low profile in an otherwise high profile lifestyle” where guests “access and revel in what makes New York City special—without compromising calm personal space. It’s a transcendent experience, where the high-energy Manhattan milieu meets cathartic uptown service and discretion. Privately New York.” We’re also told that the 1926 residence hotel “was home to many of New York’s most eccentric celebrities. JFK, Bette Davis, Claudette Colbert, and other famous faces.”

Just to note, a lower-floor two-bedroom unit in the building had previously been on the rental market for $450,000. The city’s most expensive rental unit not in an hotel was recently an eye-popping 4,483-square-footer on the 65th floor of Billionaires’ Row anchor One57 (which, for the record, also gets to make use of the amenities at the Park Hyatt below) seeking $150,000. Several pricier suites were at the Pierre and the Surrey.

[Listing: 20 East 76th Street, #PH Suite by Olivia Illouz for Town Residential]

[Via CityRealty]

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