Upper West Side

Here's a six-story single-family home at 337 West 87th Street with space galore: 8,000 square feet, to be exact, plus another 1,700 square feet outdoors. The whole place has been renovated with luxurious modern finishes, including a marble powder room, skylights, custom cabinetry, walk-in closets and more. In case you're wondering how you'd be able to climb six stories of your home everyday without breaking a sweat, it is outfitted with an elevator that goes from the cellar up to the penthouse level. Of course, all this doesn't come cheap, especially considering that the property is located on a tree-lined block off of Riverside Drive. The asking price is $12.995 million.
Tour the inside

Distinctive Homes

July 22, 2015

Lauren Bacall’s $23.5M Dakota Apartment Finds a Buyer

By Dana Schulz

Ever since Lauren Bacall passed away last summer, it's been all eyes on her longtime Dakota apartment. First, in November, we learned that the actress's Central Park West home would list for a jaw-dropping $26 million. Then, less than two weeks later, the listing hit, a bit disappointing to many as the photos were the newly-staged versions. But this past March, interior photos of how the place looked when the movie star resided there for more than 50 years were dug up, revealing a treasure trove of antiques and artwork and showcasing beautifully intact original details like fireplaces with carved mantles, huge mahogany doors, and crown molding. In April, the price was reduced by $2.5 million, but now, the Daily News reports that Bacall's wood-paneled apartment has been purchased by a mystery buyer.
See inside the legendary apartment here

July 8, 2015

Over-the-Top Upper West Side Townhome Wants $30K/Month

You know how there are some things that are ahead of their time? Well this five-bedroom residence at 48 West 85th Street is not one of them. If anything, it's straight from Liberace's vision board. The 6,000-square-foot home was listed for $13.8 million a year ago, but, alas, it must not have found a buyer. Now, for $30,000 a month you can travel back in time and enjoy over-the-top furnishings like "Baccarat crystal chandeliers" and "Tiffany dishes."
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

July 1, 2015

Newly Listed $3.6M Residence at the Dakota Appears Untouched by Time

By Diane Pham

If Lauren Bacall and Roberta Flack's Dakota homes are out of your budget, fix your eyes on this splendid apartment that has just been placed on the market for $3.6 million. This understated beauty is one that seems to have withstood the test of time, maintaining all the stunning details unique to its storied address. And with two bedrooms, incredible 14-foot ceilings (yes, they're taller than both Flack's and Bacall's) and south-facing windows flooding the home with light, even though it might not carry the same star cachet as the others, we're sure you wouldn't turn down a chance to sashay across its immaculate wood floors.
More photos inside the historic apartment here

June 19, 2015

Live in Singer Roberta Flack’s Dakota Apartment for $9.5M

By Dana Schulz

The glory days of the Dakota definitely seem to be coming to an end...legendary singer Roberta Flack has listed her apartment in the famed Upper West Side building for $9.5 million, according to the Daily News. The residence was a celebrity playground at its height–Flack counted as her neighbors John Lennon, Yoko Ono (her next-door neighbor), Leonard Bernstein, and Lauren Bacall, whose apartment also recently hit the market for $26 million. Flack, the Grammy winner who produced such songs as "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Killing Me Softly with His Song," has lived in the Dakota for almost 40 years. So as the listing states, this is "a rare chance to acquire a historic residence, in a legendary building, from an Iconic Star."
More ahead

June 9, 2015

You’ll Spend All Your Time on the Terrace of This $775K West End Avenue Penthouse

Something about this West End penthouse feels like a Florida vacation home. It's surrounded by a fully planted wraparound terrace on three sides, and there's plenty of light from large windows and oversized glass doors. Plus, it has some high-end finishes that make this $775,000 unit (yup, a penthouse for well under $1 million) really stand out.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

June 5, 2015

Historic Riverside Mansion Designed by Notable Architect Asks $14 Million

Within the Riverside Drive-West 80th-81st Street Historic District on the Upper West Side, there's a row of eight stunning townhouses built in the Elizabethan Renaissance Revival style. The row was designed by the prominent architect Clarence True, who contributed greatly to the development surrounding Riverside Park. Elegant properties like this one at 320 West 80th Street attracted the New York City elite around the turn of the century, and not much has changed today. Now the mansion is on the market for $14 million.
See the beautiful interior

June 4, 2015

Ben Affleck Spotted Checking Out a $25M Time Warner Center Condo

Amidst rumors that Ben Affleck and wife Jennifer Garner are heading to splitsville, the Post now reports that Affleck is on the hunt for a NYC pad. The actor was spotted scoping out a duplex condo at the Time Warner Center at 25 Columbus Circle, currently priced at $24.995 million. The home was originally listed at $50 million last year, the Post writes, then popping back on the market early in January at almost half the price at $28 million. With 3,582 square feet at his disposal, this sprawling unit most definitely offers more than enough room for the actor and family to stretch out in, plus or minus Garner.
Let's have a look inside

June 3, 2015

Isabella Rossellini Buys a Lincoln Square One-Bedroom for $1.3M

While the Lincoln Square location of Isabella Rossellini's new condo matches up with her larger-than-life theatrical personality, we're hard pressed to see what exactly about this simple one-bedroom at the Element drew her in. According to city records filed yesterday afternoon, the famed actress has scooped up the apartment with private terrace for $1.275 million, which, based on our best guess, will serve as a pied-a-terre of sorts for Rossellini, who spends most of her days on her farm in Bellport, Long Island.
inside isabella's new condo here

June 1, 2015

UWS Co-op of the Late Andy Rooney Lists for $2.4M

By Dana Schulz

We had some celebrity action at 522 West End Avenue just a couple weeks ago when we discovered that "Girls" star Zosia Mamet bought a rather unimpressive apartment in the building. And we've now learned from the Journal that the former home of the late Andy Rooney, legendary "60 Minutes" anchor, has hit the market for $2.385 million. The two-bedroom, ninth-floor co-op is quite lovely, but what's really going to attract potential buyers is the collection of Mr. Rooney's wood art pieces–like the dining room table and headboards–on display throughout the home. He was an avid woodworker in his free time, and the staging and brokerage teams decided to utilize his creations. They've also included photos of Rooney and his typewriter. Unfortunately, none of these mementos come with the apartment.
Take a look around

May 21, 2015

‘Girls’ Star Zosia Mamet Buys Unimpressive Upper West Side Co-op for $1.2M

When we took a look at the real estate of the stars of "Girls," we said the characters "live in Greenpoint, not the Upper West Side." The same cannot be said for their real-life digs, as evidenced by Zosia Mamet's (she plays Shoshanna on the hit show) purchase of a pretty bland Upper West Side co-op. According to city records released today, she paid $1,225,000 for the two-bedroom apartment at 522 West End Avenue. We knew she was looking to relocate–she and her boyfriend listed their Bushwick house back in October, and it recently sold–but we can't deny that we're a little surprised by her choice.
See Zosia's new home here

May 19, 2015

Adorable Two-Bedroom in Hudson View Gardens Offers Partial River Views

Here's a look at a nice convertible two-bedroom apartment in the coveted Hudson View Gardens co-op in Washington Heights. The flexible floor plan allows for a second bedroom in this four-room home, with enough room left over for a cozy den. Combine that with northern light and partial views of the Hudson, and you have yourself a nice hideaway from the bustling city for $575k.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

May 14, 2015

Own a Three-Unit Wing in the Historic Ansonia for $12M

Here's your chance to nab an apartment in the famous Ansonia for $12 million. The 4,500-square-foot pad is the place to entertain all your friends, boasting the tallest ceilings in the entire building, and stunning Upper West Side views from east, south, and west exposures. The space is actually a combination of three units that used to form their own wing of the building, representing the largest original layout ever designed by the building's architect, Duboy of Graves and Duboy. Its current owner, Michel Madie, spent nine years collecting all of the units to bring the space back to its former glory.
More pics inside

May 5, 2015

New York Times Columnist Frank Bruni Nabs a Broadway Corridor Pad for $1.65M

The Times may be struggling to make ends meet, but it looks like their Op-Ed contributor and former chief restaurant critic Frank A. Bruni is doing just fine. City records show that the NYC tastemaker has just closed on a classic six in a brick-clad prewar at 123 West 74th Street for $1.65 million. Although the apartment is in need of quite a bit of work, Bruni has the perfect canvas to create his dream home. The apartment comes with high ceilings, well-kept hardwood floors, and is soaked in light thanks to three large south-facing windows in the living room and two bedrooms.
Have a closer look inside

May 5, 2015

The Former Upper West Side Mansion of Charles Schwab Is Asking $20 Million

It doesn't get any grander than this 11,500-square-foot, six-story mansion on the Upper West Side. Located at 323 West 74th Street, this home has an interesting history, to say the least: It was designed by the famous architect C. P. H. Gilbert as part of a larger row of residences off Riverside Drive to rival the mansions of Fifth Avenue. The infamous moneyman and steel magnate Charles Schwab lived here from 1914 to 1917, then, according to Daytonian in Manhttan, it was used as the "scandalous love nest" for the mistress of industrialist George Gould. Today, it's been configured as an owner's triplex with an apartment below. The asking price comes in at $19.995 million.
See more interior photos here

April 27, 2015

The High and Low: Two Classic Central Park West Co-ops in the Celeb-Filled El Dorado

By Michelle Cohen

Inspired by all the talk of Demi Moore listing her San Remo penthouse for a potentially record-breaking $75 million, we found some even more fabulously grand Central Park West, Emery-Roth-designed, graciously pre-war detailed listings at the San Remo’s equally fabulous and celebrity-favored cousin, the El Dorado at 300 Central Park West. The "high" listing is exactly that: Not only a penthouse, but a rare offering that spans two floors of one of the iconic building's skyline-defining twin towers. And of course there's the view from your double-decker tower perch, which is the one that really counts. But before you lunge for your wallet (or if you're thinking you don't really need the square footage of a small walled city), the “low” listing is in the same famous and fabulous iconic building, and it’s even on a high floor. While it’s technically a one-bedroom, it has that classic pre-war co-op's gracious layout. And it’s asking $1.4 million, which, a few caveats aside, sounds astonishingly reasonable. And you still get to be neighbors with Meredith Viera and the lingering spirit of Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Moby, Bono and many more past residents.
The El Dorado for $29 million and $1.4 million, this way...

Distinctive Homes

April 24, 2015

Imagine the Possibilities in This $2.5M Central Park West Triplex with Verdant Garden

It's build-your-own-dream-home time! Here's a look at a completely gutted brownstone triplex right off Central Park. This 2,100-square-foot pad provides the perfect excuse to grab your interior designer and unleash your imagination. The space includes the parlor, garden level, and basement of a prewar co-op, with a 750-square-foot backyard. And it can be yours for $2.495 million.
More pics inside

Distinctive Homes

April 21, 2015

Extell’s ‘Poor Door’ Building Receives a Staggering 88,000 Applicants

By Diane Pham

Poor doors be damned. It looks like the anger and public outcry swirling around Extell's new 50 Riverside Boulevard condo didn't do much to deter New Yorkers from vying for a low-income unit at the building. The Times reports that the development company received a whopping 88,000 applications for the building's 55 affordable apartments after they opened up the lines back in February. The overwhelming demand is most certainly a win for developer Gary Barnett, who found himself in the hot seat for creating a separate entrance for low-income tenants, away from the market-rate residents. When speaking to the paper, Barnett called the whole poor door ordeal a “made-up controversy” adding to that “I guess people like it. It shows that there’s a tremendous demand for high-quality affordable housing in beautiful neighborhoods."
So do poor doors really matter?

April 20, 2015

Interior Pictures Revealed for Demi Moore’s $75M San Remo Penthouse

We learned on Friday that Demi Moore's triplex penthouse at the San Remo would be hitting the market for $75 million, and now the listing has finally gone live, reports Curbed. While last week's exclusive story in the Times revealed many details about the 7,000-square-foot Central Park West residence which Moore bought in 1990 with ex-husband Bruce Willis, we only had black-and-white photos of the apartment from 1937. There aren't a ton of new pictures, but they show how the couple updated the Emory Roth-designed home in a "Southwestern Mission motif dominated by cherry wood" and give us a look at the unparalleled views.
See all the pics ahead

April 20, 2015

Famed Author Peter Straub’s UWS Townhouse on the Market for First Time in Thirty Years

By Stephanie Hoina

With accolades like the Bram Stoker Award, the World Fantasy Award, and the International Horror Guild Award to his name, one might proceed with caution when entering the home of American author and poet Peter Straub. But we can assure you that his literary penchant for things dark and mysterious doesn’t extend to the distinguished Queen Anne-style townhouse that he’s lived in for thirty years. The single-family residence at 53 West 85th Street on the Upper West Side is one of a series of three similar brick townhouses built in the late 1880s along 85th between Central Park West and Columbus, and it's now available for $8.2 million.
See inside the author's home

April 17, 2015

Demi Moore Puts Famed San Remo Penthouse on the Market for $75M

It's been nearly a year since word got out that Demi Moore would be listing her triplex penthouse at the landmarked San Remo on Central Park West. Now, the Times is reporting that the co-op will be entering the market for the first time in 25 years, priced at a hefty $75 million. Included in the price is the crowning unit, PH26C, as well as a lobby-level maisonette, 1H. Moore bought the 7,000-square-foot residence in 1990 with ex-husband Bruce Willis (who's also been making the real estate headlines), and the couple then renovated the interiors "in a Southwestern Mission motif dominated by cherry wood" before splitting up in 2000. Adam Modlin of the Modlin Group will be handling the listing, and, though it has not been made public yet, we have some old 1937 black-and-white photos from the Museum of the City of New York to give you an idea of the bones of this one-of-a-kind home.
Check out all the photos here

April 10, 2015

UWS Brownstone Duplex with Private Terrace Asks $1.8 Million

If you can't afford the multi-millions it takes to buy a townhouse off Central Park West, this duplex at 132 West 78th Street may do the trick. Of course, the price is still significant with an ask of $1,795,000. But it's a smaller sum for a lovely, historic pad–the co-op takes up two floors of a brownstone, which is located on a block of even more gorgeous brownstones. And did we mention it's located less than a block away from the Museum of Natural History, and one block from Central Park?
Take a look around here

Distinctive Homes

April 7, 2015

Architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien Buy $1M Co-op at Hotel des Artistes

If you've been following the controversy surrounding the American Folk Art Museum and its demolition by MoMA, you know of Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the husband-and-wife firm who designed the now-razed, but much-loved structure. In some less disparaging news, city records released today show that the couple has scooped up a $1,075,000 million co-op at the iconic Hotel des Artistes in Lincoln Square. Unit 415 is a one-bedroom duplex, and they already own unit 414, which they bought in 2008 for $1.6 million, so we can only assume they plan to work their architectural magic and combine the two adjacent apartments.
More here

Real Estate Trends

April 6, 2015

Petite UWS Pad Features Big-and-Tall Storage for $449,000

Here's an adorable apartment at 327 West 85th Street that makes the most of its space. Nestled in the area between West End Avenue and Riverside Drive on the Upper West Side, this apartment boasts original details like exposed brick, a working fireplace, 10-foot ceilings, and maple hardwood floors. And while it may not be of loft proportions, the home offers enough storage to make even the most jaded New Yorker swoon.
Check it out here

Distinctive Homes

Rent Stabilization Demystified: Know the Rules, Your Rights, and if You’re Getting Cheated

Image by Jorbasa Fotografie / Flickr

March 24, 2015

Rent Stabilization Demystified: Know the Rules, Your Rights, and if You’re Getting Cheated

By Michelle Cohen

In New York City there are currently about one million rent stabilized apartments–about 47 percent of the city’s rental units. So why is it so hard to snag one? What are the benefits of having one (other than affordable rent, of course)? According to the New York City Rent Guidelines Board nearly 250,000 rental units have lost the protections of rent regulation since 1994. Why are we "losing" so many of them?
Find out the facts and how they could affect you

March 24, 2015

Enjoy 50 Shades of Grey Brick in This Lovely Upper West Side Pad Asking $715K