Neglected properties are littered among city’s priciest blocks

Even as the city’s economy rebounds, and the demand for lavish homes like those on classic Upper East Side blocks reaches a fever pitch, the New York Times noted that some curious cases of neglect are interspersed among the luxury addresses. For example, the five-story townhouse at 12 East 82nd Street, located just steps from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, features shattered and dusty windows, a faded facade, and worn, unaligned doors. In fact, the building has been vacant for years as the entire back wall is missing revealing exposed beams and a blue tarp.

The property is owned by Russian real estate developer Janna Bullock, who bought it for $14 million in 2006, but her plans to renovate it stalled during the downturn. Complaints to the Department of Buildigns have yielded no improvements.

Similarly, a townhouse at 890 Park Avenue, nestled among the city’s most coveted properties, has windows caked with dust, a facade streaked with dirt and a first floor that is crumbling. The building was bought by landlord Walter Schick about 15 years ago, and he has let it fall into disrepair waiting for the property to become vacant so he can rehabilitate it. But one tenant, an 84-year-old man who has lived there for 45 years, remains. [NYT]