Finding a 4,000-square foot apartment in a well-established neighborhood like Carnegie Hill is about as tough as being good enough to play the violin onstage at Carnegie Hall.
With large spaces at a premium, and new construction a particularly difficult proposition, the labors of developer Cary Tamarkin look especially taxing.
Tamarkin, the force behind the new condo building at 47 East 91st Street, saw construction delayed for years in the face of opposition from prominent residents, such as filmmaker Woody Allen, who went so far as to make a film objecting to the high-rise project.
But after plans for a 17-story building were scaled back to a 10-story project, the building was finally completed this year.
That put eight unusually large apartments on the market in a highly sought-after neighborhood.
Each of the condos at 47 East 91st Street, which sits on the corner of 91st Street and Madison Avenue, takes up an entire floor – except for the penthouse, a duplex encompassing the entire 9th and 10th stories of the building.
“This doesn t exist anywhere else,” says Cathy Taub, a vice president at Stribling Marketing Associates, which has the exclusive on the building.
Of course, it doesn t come cheaply, either.
The condos start at $5.3 million, and prices rise with every floor. The asking price for the unit on the eighth floor is $10.3 million; for the penthouse, which is delivered raw, it is $14.5 million.
Three of eight are under contract, Taub says.
Each of the seven non-penthouse apartments offer five bedrooms and five-and-a-half baths, attractive for young families and empty-nesters who want space enough for children and grandchildren to visit, she says.
Aside from space, views and location, the building is a blend of prewar charm with contemporary amenities, Taub says.
The apartments themselves are modeled on prewar floor plans, in which sleeping quarters are very distinct and set apart from public entertainment areas. Other features reminiscent of pre-war buildings include plaster moldings, hand-laid wood floors and wood-burning fireplaces.
But the apartments also include contemporary elements, such as large open kitchens that reflect the way people live today.
“We have found that most people spend a significant amount of time in the kitchen,” Taub says. The kitchens offer full southern exposures with window seats. The developer did not shirk on culinary amenities, either: kitchens feature standalone, Sub-zero refrigerators and freezers, as well as 148-bottle wine refrigerators.
The building itself offers 24-hour doorman service and a live-in superintendent, unusual for a building with only eight apartments. And residents who need more room for staff quarters or guest areas can also purchase additional space in an adjacent townhouse, which is reserved for residents, Taub says.
Taub even says the controversy that shrouded the building s construction is not all negative. For one, a compromise was reached that she says preserves the character of the neighborhood. “And it shows you have people in the neighborhood who really care about their neighborhood.”