A few years ago, the city landscape was blessed with a big harvest of new luxury residential buildings. Seizing on the fact that more and more young families were opting to stay in the city rather than move to the ‘burbs, developers met their needs with buildings loaded with special amenities—from movie rooms to swimming pools—to help enhance family living. Reflecting the downturn in the economy, the rate of new amenity-rich buildings appearing on the market slowed to a trickle, but when we surveyed the city for this article, we found more new (or new-ish) and exciting residential properties than we had anticipated. And to give you a better sense of your local options, we threw in a few classics as well.
West River House: 424 West End Avenue
Located in the heart of the Upper West Side, at 81st Street and West End Avenue, West River House is one of Manhattan Skyline’s properties that families love: a rental building with family-sized luxury-appointed apartments up to convertible three-bedrooms. A very pet-friendly building, its amenities include a staffed penthouse fitness center, a fully furnished and landscaped roof deck with river and skyline views, a 24-hour doorman, laundry rooms on every floor, a 24-hour attended parking garage, and “Sky’s the Limit” concierge. Of course, the building is also a brief walk away from Riverside Park, the Museum of Natural History, and the Children’s Museum—not to mention the West Side’s great food shopping. manhattanskyline.com; 347.728.0367; info@westriverhousenyc.com
The Story House: 36 East 22nd Street
A boutique, nine-story condominium located in the middle of the Flatiron district (an up and coming area for families), The Story House offers full-floor fantasy condos filled with light, space, and wonderful amenities. Developed by Manhattan Skyline, the luxury building boasts eight full-floor loft residences, all with privately keyed elevator access directly into each home. The remaining homes on the top two floors of the building offer expansive, three-bedroom and three-bathroom layouts as well as outdoor terraces. To complete the story, all of the apartments have gourmet chef open kitchens and remote controlled gas fireplaces, not to mention access to a VIP concierge service. thestoryhousenyc.com; 212.697.8679; info@thestoryhousenyc.com
Philip House: 141 East 88th Street
Ranging in size from 702-square-foot one-bedrooms to 3,795-square-foot five-bedrooms, all of the 79 units in this completely renovated pre-war condo on the Upper East Side feature distinctive crown moldings, wide plank oak flooring, coffered ceilings, and wood-burning fireplaces. Building amenities include a landscaped rooftop terrace with a resident-only club room furnished with comfortable lounge areas, 60” LED HD televisions, surround sound, Wi-Fi, and wet bar. Residents will also have access to a separate gaming room equipped with game systems and foosball table, a music practice room, a Technogym fitness center, and on-site storage. In addition, a full-time staff of doormen and porters, as well as a resident superintendent, will be available on-site. philiphousenyc.com; 212.860.4188
Barclay Tower: 10 Barclay Street
One of the newer buildings to join Glenwood’s roster of luxury rental properties, the 58-story, 396-unit Barclay Tower offers an intimate living environment and amenities that are well-suited to families. The building’s one-, two-, and convertible three-bedroom apartments are spacious and cleverly designed, featuring nine-foot ceilings, oversized windows, eat-in kitchens with granite countertops, and lots of closet space, plus a washer and dryer in each unit. Building amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness center with yoga room, a fully furnished party room, kitchen, and dining area equipped with an indoor/outdoor terrace and serving bar, a nautical-themed children’s playroom with hand-painted murals, and a swimming pool with special times set aside for kids. glenwoodnyc.com; 212.430.5900
Reade57: 57 Reade Street
A luxury condominium located in Tribeca, Reade57 offers three-bedroom residences up to 1,863 square feet. And in a neighborhood where the average price of a home is over $4 million, Reade57 gives families the chance to live in Tribeca at a lower cost. Developed by the John Buck Company, the team took a radical departure from traditional lofts to offer a diversified unit mix, with starting prices of the three-bedroom units at under $3.25 million. Homes feature sleek, contemporary finishes including teak floors, floor-to-ceiling glass windows, solid core doors, and some ceiling heights of up to 9’10”. Additionally, every home features central air with digital thermostats and in-residence washers and dryers. Building amenities include a landscaped common terrace, fitness center, lounge, a 24-hour doorman, and bicycle units. reade57.com; 212.396.5801; Shlomi Reuveni at sreuveni@bhs-select.com
Azure: 333 East 91st Street
Azure has great appeal to families who want to be on the Upper East Side, and are seeking family-sized residences at great values (compared to other parts of the area). Located at 333 East 91st Street—just a few strides away from Carl Schurz Park—the 34-story residential building offers floor-to-ceiling windows with stunning views of the East River and Manhattan, along with top kitchen appliances and Bosch washers and dryers. The building also provides 6,300 square feet of amenity space including a children’s playroom, a teen lounge with pool and foosball tables and Internet access, a fully equipped athletic facility, and a 24-hour concierge and valet service. Azure has also become known for customizing units to best fit the needs of its families; often, larger spaces are created by combining units. azureny.com; 888.509.8539; info@azureny.com
1214 Fifth Avenue
Recently opened, 1214 Fifth Avenue is the tallest rental building on the Upper East Side’s Fifth Avenue, offering amazing views of Central Park and proximity to the area’s great schools and cultural institutions. The rental property, managed by Related, is smoke free and pet friendly, and features a children’s playroom, a media room with theater-style seating, and 185 apartments including convertible two-bedrooms, corner two-bedrooms, and three-bedrooms, all perfect for families. There’s also a fitness lounge, an indoor pool, and—something you rarely see in Manhattan these days—a drive-through courtyard! 1214fifthavenue.com; 212.268.1214
200 East 79th Street
A few years ago, developer Orin Wilf raised the lifestyle bar on family living in the city with 170 East End. His next residential enterprise, 200 East 79th Street, will open its sales office in early October—and it’s looking like an easy sell, especially for families. The intimate 19-story development will house 39 residences, combining a modernist aesthetic with materials and details that evoke prewar luxury residential architecture in its Upper East Side neighborhood. Imagine grand entertainment spaces, eat-in kitchens, family rooms, laundry rooms, and generous closet space—not to mention a gymnasium with a children’s basketball court, ping pong, a ballet bar, and yoga area. 200e79.com; 212.729.4355
225 Rector Place
What family doesn’t need some relaxing feng shui in their daily lives? A new 24-story luxury condo in Battery Park City, 225 Rector Place has been re-envisioned by internationally acclaimed hospitality designer Clodagh, thanks to the magic she works with color, lighting, and material selection. The building’s 181 contemporary residences, including 12 exquisite penthouses, are designed with one of two distinct palettes: the first being open, modern, and decidedly downtown; the other inspired by the textures and colors of nature. Residents also get to enjoy building amenities like a swimming pool with oversized skylights, a fitness center, yoga studio, children’s playroom, and a landscaped rooftop retreat with views of the harbor and Statue of Liberty. rectorplace225.com; 212.779.0225
One Museum Mile: 1280 Fifth Avenue
Art aficionados—and the rest of us—have found the perfect home at the 21-story tower known as One Museum Mile. It houses 116 luxury condominiums at the northeast corner of Central Park’s lush landscape and is the future home to the much anticipated Museum for African Art. The building offers studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes and penthouses as large as 2,118 square feet. Interiors are complete with white oak flooring, teak cabinetry, deep brown granite kitchen countertops, stainless steel appliances from Thermador, GE, and Bosch, and polished Dolomitti marble in the bathroom. Some residences take advantage of the verdant views with outdoor terrace space, and all families will find a multitude of amenities at their fingertips, including a children’s room, a teen game room, a rooftop pool with barbecue area, and a catering kitchen. onemuseummile.com; 212.996.1280
