Central Park South

The construction of Property Markets Group and JDS Development’s 1,421-foot-tall tower at 111 West 57th Street has been the subject of much anticipation and excitement, as it's slated to be among the tallest residential skyscrapers anywhere and the world's most slender with a height-to-width ratio of 24:1. But after rising only 20 stories, the SHoP Architects-designed Billionaires' Row addition has stalled, plagued with budget overruns and headed for foreclosure, the New York Post reports.
What could possibly have happened?

March 23, 2017

David Bowie’s former Central Park South condo lists for $6.5M with his personal piano included

Sure, a piano is always a nice touch, especially in a classic Central Park South condo like this. But when that piano belonged to none other than the late David Bowie, that certainly changes things. First spotted by the Post, the Essex House apartment that he and wife Iman lived in from 1992 to 2002 (before moving to Soho, where she still lives) has hit the market for $6,495,000, which includes Bowie's Yamaha.
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January 23, 2017

Central Park South co-op of the late Doris Roberts lists for $3.3M

Emmy-winning actress and animal-rights activist Doris Roberts (you probably know her best as Marie Barone from "Everybody Loves Raymond") passed away in April at the age of 90, and her estate has now put her classic duplex co-op on the market for $3,295,000 (h/t NY Post). The five-bedroom apartment at 200 Central Park South boasts a marble foyer, two terraces with partial park views, and oversized windows.
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November 11, 2016

432 Park Avenue will become a beacon of light beginning Monday

Just in case you had trouble spotting the Western Hemisphere's tallest residential tower, beginning Monday, 432 Park Avenue will debut a brand new lighting feature that will turn the 1,396-foot supertall into a glowing beacon. As LLNYC reports, 32 LEDs will fill the tower's five open-air "drum floors" where the building's mechanicals are situated. 432 Park's starchitect, Rafael Viñoly, worked with HDLC Architectural Lighting Design to develop the scheme.
more details here

Architecture And Design

November 8, 2016

Even more pricey condos are coming to Billionaires’ Row

Back in September, there were murmurs that the Feil Organization had plans to convert a 57th Street office building into residences. As it turns out, Billionaires' Row will indeed soon find itself with another 34 high-end condos in tow. As Yimby first reports, plans were filed last week to convert a 14-story, 1907 commercial tower at 140 West 57th Street into a mixed-use property that would keep an existing grocery story at its base, but transform the building's upper 12 floors into 70,885 square feet of upscale living space.
more details here

November 2, 2016

Tommy Hilfiger chops more than $20M off lavish Plaza penthouse

All-American fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger bought three separate condos in the Plaza in 2008 for a combined $25 million. He and his wife Dee Ocleppo then embarked on a very internationally influenced, $20 million renovation that combined the units into one opulent, 5,600-square-foot duplex, complete with marble-clad rooms, vintage limestone fireplaces from England, and a domed room inside one of the building's iconic turrets that features a custom-designed "Eloise" mural by the books' illustrator Hilary Knight. The couple listed the apartment in 2013 for $80 million, but despite its lavish interiors, it's been on and off the market since then, its price dropping to $75 million in March 2015 and to $69 million a few months ago. The Wall Street Journal now reports that it's reappeared with even sharper discount, dropping 26 percent to $58.9 million.
Take a tour of the incredible home

September 27, 2016

More luxury condos may head to Billionaire’s Row as office tenants are vacated across from One57

Recent reports that the luxury housing market is slowing down may soon be dismissing Billionaires' Row, where several sites are in question to add to the strip's uber-high end array of residential offerings. The latest is at 140 West 57th Street, the Feil Organization's office tower right across from One57. The Post tells us that leases are not being renewed for tenants in the 14-story, landmarked building, where the developer "is said to have already drawn up floor plans for apartments."
The full story ahead

New Developments

September 15, 2016

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber buys second condo at Trump International for $7.6M

Though we're not sure about composer Andrew Lloyd Webber's political leanings in this country (he's a Conservative in Britain), he sure does seem to love some Donald Trump real estate. The Observer reports that the British musical theater impresario has dropped $7.6 million on a two-bedroom 35th-floor unit at Trump International in an off-market deal. He and his wife Madeleine already own another adjacent unit on the same floor in the Central Park West tower, which they bought in 2012 for $5.8 million after selling a Trump Tower duplex for $16.5 million in 2010.
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August 18, 2016

Robert A.M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South now two-thirds erected

Robert A.M. Stern's latest Billionaires' Row blockbuster continues its rapid ascent into the sky. As CityRealty.com reports, 220 Central Park South (220 CPS) is now two-thirds of the way up, construction having knocked out about 600 feet of the tower's eventual 950-foot height. Application of the limestone cladding started in April and has thus far been installed across over one-third of the building. When finished in 2017, the two-winged skyscraper with its rare and direct Central Park South frontage will host 118 luxurious homes across 66 stories—and it will be one of the city's most expensive residences. Jump ahead to see more photos of all the work that's been completed.
More photos of the tower under construction here

August 11, 2016

Sting and Trudie Styler Buying 220 Central Park South Triplex

The NY Post reports that Sting and Trudie Styler are in negotiations to purchase a condo in the Robert A.M. Stern-designed 220 Central Park South. The tantric twosome aren't new to the parkside circuit; they're currently among the significant celebrity contingent at the also-Stern-designed 15 Central Park West, where the pop star purchased a 5,413- square-foot penthouse for $26.5 million in 2008.
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Celebrities

July 28, 2016

Time Lapse Video Shows How Midtown’s Tall Towers Will Cast Dark Shadows on the Park

A dozen supertalls (1,000 feet or higher) in the construction or planning stages in Manhattan include a significant number on the rise along the Billionaires’ Row strip just south of Central Park. This trend has been causing concern due to the shadows the looming towers will cast on the park. Now, a slightly ominous time-lapse video from Cube Cities shows how Billionaires' Row will have a sundial effect on the park (h/t Gothamist). The length and duration of the shadows will vary as the sun's angle changes with the seasons; fall and winter days are looking dark, with the tall towers' long shadows reaching as much as a mile into the park.
Watch the tall towers darken the park on a fall day in the future

New Developments

July 27, 2016

In the 1980s a Group of Feisty Tenants Blocked Evictions by Donald Trump

It's no secret that Donald Trump has engaged in some shady real estate dealings over the years, from his fraught attempt to own the Empire State Building, to the "public" gardens at Trump Tower that allowed him to build taller, to a lost battle with China over two major office buildings (not to mention his many bankruptcies). But there was at least one snafu that he wasn't able to weasel himself out of, and it was all thanks to a group of feisty residential tenants. In the early 1980s, Trump planned to evict rent-controlled and rent-stabilized tenants from 100 Central Park South (now known as Trump Parc East) and build a larger tower on this site and that of the adjacent Barbizon Plaza Hotel. He hired a management firm that specialized in emptying buildings, and they began eviction proceedings. After claiming reduced services, a lack of repairs, and overall harassment, the tenants decided to fight back, and in the end 80 percent of them remained, leading to this revelation by the Donald: "What I've learned is that the better the location and the lower the rent, the harder people fight. If I were a tenant, I'd probably be a leader too."
Get the full story here

History

July 12, 2016

Why Are the Supertall Gurus at Extell Planning a Stubby 18-Story Condo on Billionaires’ Row?

Gary Barnett's Extell Development has become synonymous with sky-high towers, especially those along Billionaires' Row -- the 1,005-foot-tall One57 and the 1,550-foot-tall Central Park Tower -- where it appeared that they were readying to construct a third behemoth that would rise more than 700 feet. However, Crain's reports that Extell has filed plans for the site at 134 West 58th Street (the same block as One57), and they call for a stubby, 18-story, 41-unit condo building that's less than 200 feet tall.
What's the deal?

June 16, 2016

New Renderings of Extell’s Central Park Tower Emphasize Design and Record Height

A new set of images of the world's upcoming tallest residential tower have been uncovered, these better revealing the cantilevering silhouette of the 1,550-foot supertall and how it will relate to the skyline of Central Park South. The images of the Central Park Tower (née Nordstrom Tower) were first spotted by NY Yimby and are part of official EB-5 Immigrant Investor program materials posted online and provided by developer Extell. As such, they confirm that the supertall will indeed no longer have the spire, a feature which would have brought the tower to 1,775 feet and just a foot shy of One World Trade. The materials also reveal that the tower is being marketed with a height of 133 floors (the actual count is just 95, though some units like the 17,000-square-foot three-story penthouse have ceilings that stretch well beyond the standard) and 179 luxury residential units.
more here

June 7, 2016

Another Luxury Development May Rise on Billionaires’ Row

Crain's reports that another prime piece of property will soon be changing hands, putting 126,000 square feet of development rights in play. The Steinberg family last month made an agreement with commercial developers Thor Equities and General Growth Properties to sell neighborhood fixture Lee's Art Shop's four-story structure at 220 West 57th Street for $85 million, a deal that is expected to close this month. It is not yet clear what the developers plan to do with the landmarked building, but what is known is that the property comes with the right to build atop the historic structure—itself boasting 21,837 square feet on a sizable 8,400-square-foot lot.
find out more here

New Developments

May 12, 2016

Interview: RAMSA’s Paul Whalen Reflects on the Unique Design of 15 Central Park West

For good reason, hundreds if not thousands of articles and books have been published on 15 Central Park West, the “Limestone Jesus” designed by famed architect Robert A.M. Stern. This modern icon is credited with not only elevating the New York City luxury market to a level no one before dreamed it could reach, but […]

May 10, 2016

Forgotten Four Acres of Central Park Reopens to Visitors After Almost 90 Years

After being closed off to the public since the 1930s, The Hallet Nature Sanctuary on the lower east side of Central Park is once again open to all, writes The Times. The lush four-acre peninsula has for the last decades been used as a bird sanctuary, reclaimed and then tended to by the Central Park Conservancy in 2001 as part of their Woodlands Initiative. Under the project, $45 million was directed towards revitalizing and restoring the wooded areas of Central Park to their original glory.
More on how to visit here

May 5, 2016

$250M Penthouse at 220 Central Park South Will Officially Be NYC’s Most Expensive Apartment

For over a year, it's been a guessing game with just how expensive 220 Central Park South's penthouse will actually be. Initial murmurings put the price at $175 million, but later reports that claimed hedge fund tycoon Ken Griffin was the buyer upped it to $200 million. The guessing is over, though, as The Real Deal has obtained an amended offering plan filed with the New York Attorney General, which shows that the 23,000-square-foot, four-floor "billionaire's bunker" will cost a mind-boggling $250 million (or $11,000 per square foot), making it by far the city's most expensive apartment.
Check out the insane floorplans

Uncategorized

April 18, 2016

Robert A.M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South Gets Stoned; New Renderings and Construction Shots

By Ondel Hylton

At the forefront of Midtown's high-rise sierra, a new peak is emerging. Simply addressed 220 Central Park South, the two-winged development is being designed by celebrated historian and poet of the city's skyline Robert A.M. Stern and developed by commercial and retail heavyweights Vornado Realty Trust. The tower portion of the complex has already ascended some 300 feet above street level and is noticeable from many parts of Central Park. Ultimately, it will stand 66 stories, 950 feet high, making it among the tallest residential buildings in the city. The exclusive, Central Park South-fronting wing, dubbed "The Villas" is up to the third of 17 stories and will be topped by a palatial quadplex penthouse. Earlier this month, the tower's warm limestone cladding was being applied to the lower mechanical floors, which will have 18- to 24-foot-high ceilings, boosting the building's height by more than 100 feet and allowing nearly all its residences to possess Central Park views. To coincide with the construction work, Vornado recently published a collection of new renderings in a property portfolio, showing us for the first time several new looks at the project, including three full-scale views from Central Park and close-up looks at the base, porte-cochere, and an upper-level interior.
Check out the renderings and construction shots right here

April 12, 2016

Luciano Pavarotti’s $10.5M Pied-à-Terre and Next Door Unit Listed as $20M Combo

The 2,000-square-foot co-op at the Hampshire House at 150 Central Park South that was for three decades the favorite Manhattan pied-à-terre of the late operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti, is for sale for $10.5M–or as part of a two-unit, $20.5 million option to create a 3,300 square-foot three-bedroom dream home with two balconies and iconic Central Park views. The neighboring two-bedroom apartment–listed in February for $10 million–is about half the size of Pavarotti's place, but has a 40-foot terrace with park views from every room. The resulting three-bedroom combo has 72 feet of park frontage and the kind of stunning views Central Park South is known for. The opera star, who passed away in 2007, had several apartments in the city but was particularly fond of this one, in part because of its proximity to the Met. The other two members of the "Three Tenors" opera supergroup, Plácido Domingo and José Carreras have lived at this building as well at various times.
Take in the view, this way

‘Eloise From Hell’ Spent 35 Years in the Plaza for $500/Month, Until Donald Trump Came Along

Illustration by Hilary Knight, courtesy of Simon and Schuster

March 28, 2016

‘Eloise From Hell’ Spent 35 Years in the Plaza for $500/Month, Until Donald Trump Came Along

Remember the story of Herbert J. Sukenik, the famous Central Park West "hermit holdout?" Developers paid the rent-controlled curmudgeon $17 million and gave him a free massive pad overlooking the park in a legendary buyout. His female counterpart might be one Fannie Lowenstein, whom none other than Donald Trump is said to have ended up bestowing a sprawling suite in the venerable Plaza Hotel at 1 Central Park South, complete with a Steinway grand piano and maid service. For zero dollars a month. For life. Here’s how the story of the woman the hotel staff referred to as “the Eloise from Hell” became yet another Manhattan rent regulation legend, as told by Vice.
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March 23, 2016

Breathalyzer Entrepreneur Lists Iconic Plaza Condo for $2.39M

A gracious layout, unique pre-war details–including the signature bathroom finishes–and amenities unmatched in any Manhattan building make this one-bedroom condominium in the legendary Plaza Hotel and Residences at 1 Central Park South as enviable now as ever. Currently asking $2.389 million, this perfectly maintained apartment offers all the cachet of Plaza living and every modern convenience. The home's floorplan–offering a spacious entry foyer and a huge living/dining space–could even handle the addition of another bedroom or any number of alternative configurations. The unit faces the garden, and oversized windows allow warm light to infiltrate every corner.
Tour this classic Central Park South home

Distinctive Homes

March 17, 2016

The Plaza Reportedly Headed to Foreclosure Auction Next Month

The Plaza, New York City's iconic 109-year-old hotel and residence (formerly known as the Plaza Hotel) at 1 Central Park South will head for the auction block next month, says Bloomberg Business. An unnamed source claims the storied hotel will be offered in a foreclosure auction on April 26 along with the Dream Downtown hotel in Chelsea. The two mortgages total about $500 million, according to the report.
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Events & Things To Do

March 16, 2016

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Former Plaza Suite Gets a Price Cut to $26M

The 4,000-square-foot Plaza suite that Frank Lloyd Wright once briefly called home just got a price reduction (and a broker change) from $39.5 million to $26 million (h/t Curbed). As 6sqft discovered last year, Wright lived in the corner apartment from 1954 to 1959 while he was working on the Guggenheim Museum. Though the architect's past residency certainly adds interest, the impressive pad at 1 Central Park South does a fine job impressing us on its own—and we're not alone, clearly, since the home was featured in Architectural Digest in 2014. Current owners James and Lisa Cohen (chairman of Hudson Media and home editor at DuJour magazine, respectively) bought the sprawling condo for $13 million in 2009 to use as a Manhattan pied-a-terre (their main residence is in New Jersey). Then they proceeded to gut-renovate and redesign the home with help from Louis Lisboa of VL Architects and interior designer Susanna Maggard. The apartment headed back to the market last year for a renovation-reflecting $39.5 million. Now the colorful, luxurious and impossibly large four-bedroom pad is asking a significantly slimmer but still sizeable $26 million.
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March 10, 2016

Property Markets Group Shares New Eye Candy of 111 West 57th Street

By Ondel Hylton

Here's a new set of images of Property Markets Group's and JDS Development's 111 West 57th Street. In case you haven't been paying attention, the highly-anticipated tower will be among the tallest residential skyscrapers in the world, climbing some 1,421 feet high to its tip. Designed by SHoP Architects, the feathery spire is sheathed in terra cotta, bronze and a glass curtain wall. The tower will be the most slender skyscraper in the world with a height to width ratio of 24:1.
More renderings ahead

February 16, 2016

My 1,640sqft: Inside Chef Devin Gaffney’s Rent-Stabilized Classic Six on Billionaires’ Row