The five most-expensive apartment buildings of 2013

That the Zeckendorfs’ lavish 15 Central Park West topped the list of 2013’s priciest buildings per square foot will surprise few, but several of the runners up may raise an eyebrow.

The double-towered condominium complex at 15 Central Park West had eight sales over the last year that averaged out to $5,636 per square foot, followed closely by the Time Warner Center residences at 25 Columbus Circle, where five home sales in the south tower averaged out to $4,166 per square foot. Third on the pricey end were the Residences at the Mandarin Oriental, where four 80 Columbus Circle sales worked out to roughly $4,044 per square foot.

The fourth-priciest building moves us away from Columbus Circle to Gramercy Park, where a former Salvation Army housing depot-turned 16-unit luxury condominium complex at 18 Gramercy Park South logged the year’s biggest sale. The penthouse unit sold for the full $42 million ask to Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander in October, but the sale closed in early 2013. Overall, the Irving Place building had 10 sales averaging $4,042 per square foot.

Rounding out the top five was the Robert A.M. Stern-designed Superior Ink at 400 West 12th Street, which bagged seven sales at an average of $3,901 per square foot. [Curbed] — Julie Strickland