Upper East Side

In a public hearing on Tuesday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission reviewed and approved an application to open a Trader Joe’s in the city-owned space underneath the Queensboro Bridge on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The cavernous space, known as Bridgemarket, is regarded for its 5,000-square-foot Guastavino-tiled arcade as well as its unique location. Former tenant Food Emporium moved out in 2015. The bridge and the space beneath it were designated a city landmark in 1974. The LPC applauded the proposal's "sensitive approach" to the space.
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Policy

Photo (cropped) by Alex Proimos via Wikimedia Commons

February 26, 2020

The Met reveals new commissions for summer roof garden and facade niches

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced two new sculpture commissions to be installed in the museum's facade niches and the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden later this year. Mexican artist Héctor Zamora will create a site-specific intervention on the roof titled Lattice Detour that's set to open on April 21. On September 9, American artist Carol Bove will unveil new sculptures in the building's Fifth Avenue facade niches, becoming only the second artist to activate the building's exterior in this way. The works are still in progress but Sheena Wagstaff, the Met's Leonard A. Lauder Chairman of Modern and Contemporary Art, hinted that Zamora's piece will "invite us to reconsider the panoramic view of the city skyline" and Bove's installation will feature "colorful stylized abstractions."
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Events & Things To Do

Gracie Mansion’s largest art exhibition explores social justice and inclusion

All photos by Michael Appleton/NYC Mayor’s Office

February 25, 2020

Gracie Mansion’s largest art exhibition explores social justice and inclusion

A new art exhibition is open at Gracie Mansion, the fourth and final installation of Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray's tenure. Catalyst: Art and Social Justice, which will also be the largest ever hosted at the historic home in Yorkville, features more than 75 works created by over 50 artists since the 1960s. With a focus on inclusion, the exhibit explores the connection between art, justice, and the social change movements behind it all.
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Events & Things To Do

‘Versailles’ on the Upper East Side hits the market as a $55M townhouse with rental income

Photo credit: OLR and RARE Photography for Silvette Julian, Compass

February 25, 2020

‘Versailles’ on the Upper East Side hits the market as a $55M townhouse with rental income

By Dana Schulz

We bet your home doesn't have 24-carat gilded gold moldings... but if you feel like upgrading to such a regal residence, this $55 million Upper East Side townhouse is just the ticket. Located at 10 East 62nd Street, just off Central Park, the landmarked Beaux-Arts building is currently configured as a triplex, two duplexes, and a common penthouse, all of which are currently being rented out. The triplex has been on and off the rental market for years, going for as much as $60,000 a month. In addition to the gold details, it's dripping with marble, hand-painted murals, and wrought-iron staircases.
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Distinctive Homes

For $7.5M, George S. Kaufman’s one-time ‘European’ townhouse on the Upper East Side

Photos by Guillaume Gaudet, courtesy The Corcoran Group

February 21, 2020

For $7.5M, George S. Kaufman’s one-time ‘European’ townhouse on the Upper East Side

By Dana Schulz

Celebrated playwright George S. Kaufman lived at 158 East 63rd Street in the 1920s, when he was part of the Algonquin Round Table circle of New York artists. As such, a young Moss Hart visited him at his Upper East Side home and later described seeing the home for the first time as an "illuminating and expensive moment" in his autobiography "Act One." The townhouse is now on the market again for $7.5 million, and its show-stopping features--a deep garden, European-style architecture, and a handsome library--are all still intact.
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Distinctive Homes

Trader Joe’s looks to open UES store in former Food Emporium space under Queensboro Bridge

Photo by missvancamp on Flickr

February 18, 2020

Trader Joe’s looks to open UES store in former Food Emporium space under Queensboro Bridge

Trader Joe's footprint in New York City is growing again. The popular grocery chain will likely open a new store on the Upper East Side in a space beneath the Queensboro Bridge. Formerly occupied by Food Emporium, the space features a 5,000-square-foot Guastavino-tiled arcade and was landmarked by the city in 1974 as part of the bridge's designation. Last month, Trader Joe's opened a new location in the East Village, its 10th store in the city, with possible plans to move to a condo tower in Long Island City.
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City Living

All Barneys New York stores to close by end of the month

Photo by Jim.henderson on Wikimedia

February 14, 2020

All Barneys New York stores to close by end of the month

It's the end of an era. Once an icon in the luxury fashion world, Barneys New York is officially closing its doors this month. All stores will shutter on Feb. 23, the New York Post reported on Thursday, with 719 employees losing their jobs at the retailer's flagship location at 660 Madison Avenue, its store in Chelsea at 101 Seventh Avenue, an outlet in Central Valley, and its corporate offices at 575 Fifth Avenue. Barneys California stores in Beverly Hills and San Francisco will also close Feb. 23.
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Real Estate Trends

February 12, 2020

LPC approves Rafael Viñoly’s revamp of National Academy building, but without rooftop addition

The plan to restore a historic Upper East Side townhouse and transform it into a new art gallery was partially approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission Tuesday. The neo-Renaissance townhouse at 3 East 89th Street in the expanded Carnegie Hill Historic District, as well as two connecting buildings, was formerly home to the National Academy Museum. Salon 94 owner Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn purchased the property last summer with the intention of consolidating her three art galleries at the property. Led by Rafael Viñoly Architects, the revamp includes a facade rehabilitation, new central gallery space, and a restoration of the original porte-cochere from 1915. While there was overwhelming support for the new gallery space, the LPC rejected the project's proposed sixth-floor rooftop addition, with most commissioners having issues with its bulk and visibility.
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Architecture And Design

For $588K this Upper East Side co-op is chic, efficient and totally New York City

Photo credit: Al Siedman of VHT, courtesy of The Corcoran Group

February 5, 2020

For $588K this Upper East Side co-op is chic, efficient and totally New York City

It's easy to overcomplicate things when it comes to real estate, but this Upper East Side co-op at 333 East 66th Street keeps things simple. It's basically an alcove studio, but custom-designed built-in storage makes great use of every inch of space. A recent designer renovation makes it easy on the eyes, and a high floor means light and city views.
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Distinctive Homes

Preservationists suggest the Frick should buy Jeffrey Epstein’s Upper East Side mansion

Image via Google Maps

January 22, 2020

Preservationists suggest the Frick should buy Jeffrey Epstein’s Upper East Side mansion

Preservationists who have long fought against the Frick Collection's planned expansion are proposing a rather unique solution: the museum could take over Jeffrey Epstein's "cursed mansion" across the street instead. "The fact that it’s so convenient to the museum means that the Frick could potentially lay Jeffrey Epstein’s name to rest by purchasing it and changing the function," architect Theodore Grunewald, who runs preservationist group Save The Frick, told the Daily News. "It could essentially be cleansing the house."
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Luxurious Upper East Side mansion with a pool, movie theatre, and library is back for $79M

Listing images courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

January 9, 2020

Luxurious Upper East Side mansion with a pool, movie theatre, and library is back for $79M

The palatial Upper East Side home that almost became the most expensive townhouse ever sold in New York City two years ago is back on the market. The seven-bedroom mansion was first listed in 2013 for a whopping $114 million and then for $98 million in 2014. It was most recently available in 2018 for $88 million and just received another price cut to (a still very formidable) $79 million. The 40-foot wide property at 12 East 69th Street sprawls over 20,000 square feet on six levels and comes with a movie theatre, saltwater pool, double-height library, and a 2,650 square-foot roof terrace overlooking Central Park.
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Distinctive Homes

Image courtesy of Halstead.

December 23, 2019

This Yorkville studio gets top-floor light for a bargain basement $325K

Asking $325,000, this cozy co-op's Yorkville location at 321 East 89th Street between Central Park and Carl Schurz park means you've got a choice between the two green spaces–and the new Q line stops three blocks away. The tucked-away top-floor studio is served by an elevator, so getting home doesn't have to be a workout.
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Distinctive Homes

Artist Kent Monkman’s new murals at The Met reexamine Manhattan’s colonial past

Photos by Anna-Marie Kellen

December 19, 2019

Artist Kent Monkman’s new murals at The Met reexamine Manhattan’s colonial past

Two new paintings by Canadian Cree artist Kent Monkman are now on view in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Great Hall. As part of a new series in which the museum invites contemporary artists to make work in response to the Met collection, Monkman reappropriated motifs from Western artists such as Emanuel Leutze and Eugéne Delacroix to tell a different narrative that foregrounds themes of arrival, migration, displacement, and the Indigenous experience.
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Events & Things To Do

For $10M, an Upper East Side townhouse with downtown loft style

Listing images courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

December 3, 2019

For $10M, an Upper East Side townhouse with downtown loft style

Located on the corner of Third Avenue, this five-story townhouse at 182 East 94th Street brings downtown loft living to the Upper East Side. With over 5,800 square feet of interior space, the residence comes with a roof terrace, separate studio apartment on the ground floor, private parking, and nearly 4,500 square feet of unused development rights. The sprawling pad was constructed in 2012 and has yet to change ownership. The property listed last week for $9.975 million and is also available on the rental market for $30,000/month.
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Distinctive Homes

East Midtown Greenway, $100M link in a connected Manhattan waterfront loop, breaks ground

Rendering courtesy of Stantec

November 25, 2019

East Midtown Greenway, $100M link in a connected Manhattan waterfront loop, breaks ground

The creation of the East Midtown Greenway (EMG), a 1.5-acre public space stretching from East 53rd to 61st Streets along the waterfront, got underway Friday. The project, to be completed by 2022, is part of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway initiative to wrap the entire perimeter of Manhattan with accessible public spaces and safe bicycle paths. The midtown space will close one of the largest remaining gaps in the $250 million city initiative, announced by Mayor de Blasio in 2018, to connect 32 miles of Manhattan waterfront esplanade.
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Architecture And Design

Live on two glorious floors of an Upper East Side French Gothic mansion for $4M

Photo credit: Donna Dotan, courtesy of Compass.

November 13, 2019

Live on two glorious floors of an Upper East Side French Gothic mansion for $4M

This rare condo conversion in a Gilded Age mansion on the Upper East Side sits just across from Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Designed by C.P.H. Gilbert, 3 East 78th Street was built in 1899 as a six-story, 35-foot-wide private residence and converted to condominiums in 1964, keeping its ornate French Gothic limestone looks intact. The lush apartment within, asking $3,995,000, is a grande dame of a duplex spanning the mansion's fourth and fifth floors, with an elevator to get you there.
Tour this elegant Upper East Side home

Distinctive Homes

Barneys’ Madison Avenue flagship to stay open as a temporary pop-up

Photo by Jim.henderson on Wikimedia

November 4, 2019

Barneys’ Madison Avenue flagship to stay open as a temporary pop-up

Barneys New York was officially sold for roughly $270 million on Friday after filing for bankruptcy just three months prior. The new owners of the luxury retailer, Authentic Brands Group and B. Riley Financial Inc., will license the Barneys name to other companies and likely close most of its locations across the country. But the store's beloved flagship location at 660 Madison Avenue will stay open for at least the next year, according to the Real Deal.
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Real Estate Trends

Upper East Side duplex with an enchanting, Greek-inspired garden seeks $1.9M

Listing images by Alan Barry; courtesy of Compass

October 23, 2019

Upper East Side duplex with an enchanting, Greek-inspired garden seeks $1.9M

Around the corner from Madison Avenue at 42 East 73rd Street, this stylish Upper East Side duplex features a romantic, Greek-inspired garden complete with ionic columns and a variety of plantings. Inside, bronze columns frame an elegant living area on the first level, while the second floor provides a flexible guest suite or home office. The two-bedroom is seeking $1.895 million.
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Distinctive Homes

William Lescaze’s modernist Upper East Side townhouse is back for a slightly reduced $19.5M

Listing images courtesy of Warburg Realty

October 18, 2019

William Lescaze’s modernist Upper East Side townhouse is back for a slightly reduced $19.5M

In 2013, the New York Times described the William Lescaze townhouse at 32 East 74th Street—one of the first modernist residences built in NYC—as being “just at the edge of passing from worn to shabby, waiting for a new owner to bring it back to flawlessness.” After years of being on and off the market, a new owner came into the picture in 2015, when he bought the property for $14.5 million and transformed it into a three-unit investment property. Lescaze designed the house for Raymond C. and Mildred Kramer in 1934, one year after completing a modernist home for himself at 211 East 48th Street. Both feature his characteristic use of white stucco and glass bricks. The landmarked exteriors have remained intact, but as 6sqft previously noted, the interiors have long shed any trace of Lescaze’s interior design. The transformed property was most recently on the market in 2017 with a $20 million ask and is now back for a slightly reduced $19.5 million.
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The hopping history of German breweries in Yorkville

Jacob Ruppert’s Knickerbocker Beer, 1912, via Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division

October 10, 2019

The hopping history of German breweries in Yorkville

By Lucie Levine

If you spent the first weekend of October hoisting lager and Oomph-ing it up for Oktoberfest, then you joined a long and proud tradition of German beer production and consumption in New York City. In fact, New York’s German-owned breweries were once the largest beer-making operations in the country, and the brewers themselves grew into regional and national power-players, transforming Major League Baseball, holding elected office, and, perhaps most importantly, sponsoring goat beauty pageants in Central Park. While brewing flourished in both Manhattan and Brooklyn throughout the 19th century, the city’s largest breweries were clustered in Yorkville. In fact, much of the neighborhood’s storied German cultural history can be traced to the rise of brewing in the area, and the German-language shops, cultural institutions and social halls that sprang up to cater to the brewery workers.
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History

For $12.5M, this Upper East Side townhouse comes with a 40-foot pool and a two-car garage

Listing images by Travis Mark for Sotheby’s International Realty

October 2, 2019

For $12.5M, this Upper East Side townhouse comes with a 40-foot pool and a two-car garage

Just off Park Avenue, this townhouse at 107 East 61st Street spans over 10,100 square feet and comes with two rare amenities for the Upper East Side: a two-car garage and a 40-foot pool. Originally built in 1899, the residence has a modern feel with sleek finishes and dramatic skylights. The property has been on and off the market several times since 2015 (including as a rental), with asking prices reaching up to $29 million. It was recently listed again for a significantly reduced $12.5 million.
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Distinctive Homes

$1.7M Upper East Side duplex offers classic uptown elegance

Listing images by VHT; courtesy of The Corcoran Group

September 24, 2019

$1.7M Upper East Side duplex offers classic uptown elegance

Right in the middle of the block between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue, this two-bedroom duplex at 12 East 64th Street boasts an impressive address on the Upper East Side's posh Gold Coast, just steps away from Central Park and surrounded by the area's grand limestone mansions. Inside, original architectural details like elaborate molding, woodwork, and mantels bring charm to every room. The classic residence is now on the market, seeking $1.7 million.
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Distinctive Homes

September 16, 2019

This cozy, quirky $425K Upper East Side studio has an astroturf-clad dream of a backyard

This Yorkville studio at 340 East 83rd Street may not be spacious inside, but the private backyard paradise just outside of the living room window is a study in hidden charm in the city. Asking $425,000, the cozy co-op spans 400 square feet of quiet, back-of-the-building efficiency.
More of that fabulous patio, this way

Distinctive Homes

September 9, 2019

Bette Midler lists her 14-room Upper East Side triplex penthouse for $50M

The 14-room penthouse occupying the top three floors of one of Fifth Avenue's finest prewar co-op buildings is simply divine. This should come as no surprise–the 7,000-square-foot triplex with 3,000 square feet of landscaped terrace and Central Park and skyline views at 1125 Fifth Avenue belongs to Bette Midler. As the New York Times reports, the over-the-top entertainer and her husband, performance artist Martin von Haselberg, are selling the Upper East Side family home they purchased in 1996, asking a diva-worthy $50 million.
A penthouse fit for a diva, this way

High-floor views come with a low ask of $395K in this refreshing Upper East Side studio

Photo credit: Allyson Lubow, courtesy of The Corcoran Group

September 5, 2019

High-floor views come with a low ask of $395K in this refreshing Upper East Side studio