Ever since financier Sandy Weill’s apartment at 15 Central Park West hit the market — and quickly sold — for a record-breaking $88 million in December 2011, a $90 million New York City listing no longer comes as a shock.
In fact, some 16 New York City homes in the $90 million-plus range — including 10 penthouses at new construction condo 432 Park — are now on the market or in contract.
“What the 15 Central Park West sale did was catapult the market into uncharted territory,” said Nick Jabbour, a broker at Nest Seekers International. “[It’s] a market where anything is possible.”
Just what qualities does a NYC home need to justify a $90 million-plus price tag? For starters, brokers recommended proximity to Central Park, more than 10,000 square feet of space, and a prestigious address, such as Park Avenue or Central Park West.
We asked a panel of experts to weigh in on the city’s recent high eight-figure listings and tried to find out (when brokers were forthcoming) what they might sell for.
The Pierre Hotel
795 Fifth Avenue, PHE – PHW
Asking price: $125 million
Status: Listed in April with Elizabeth Sample, Brenda Powers and Serena Boardman of Sotheby’s International Realty
Square footage: Undisclosed
Current owner: The estate of financial expert Martin Zweig
Features: Co-op units at the Pierre offer residents a 24/7 on-call physician, twice-daily maid service and elevator attendants. This triplex penthouse, once the ballroom of the hotel, features 360-degree views of Manhattan.
Expert opinions: Part of the unit’s value is its “iconic” location inside an internationally recognized luxury hotel, said Stan Ponte, a luxury broker at Sotheby’s.
Plus, “anyone who looks at those pictures and looks at that space — if you could afford that, you would buy it,” he said.
But would-be buyers have to get past the stringent co-op board, and that shrinks the pool of potential purchasers, explained Max Dobens, a broker at Douglas Elliman. “It’s not [just] a matter of having the money,” he explained. “Co-ops are like country clubs. They’re exclusive and prestigious. Not everybody will get in.”
One Beacon Court
151 East 58th Street, PH51W
Asking price: $115 million
Status: Listed in April with Deborah Grubman of the Corcoran Group
Square footage: 9,000
Current owner: Hedge fund founder Steven Cohen
Features: This duplex penthouse features 24-foot ceilings, two walls of windows, Venetian plaster, maple floors and a security system, according to the listing. One Beacon Court, also known as the Bloomberg Tower, offers concierge services, a children’s playroom, and business and fitness centers.
Expert opinions: Several brokers told TRD that they are skeptical that this apartment will fetch its hefty asking price. “I would be very surprised if it sold for that price,” said Richard Steinberg, a broker at Warburg Realty, who estimated that the unit will eventually trade for $75 to $80 million. “Nothing in the building has even rivaled that [$115 million sum]. The location is not prime — it’s not on Fifth; it’s not on Park.”
CitySpire
150 West 56th Street, PH
Asking price: $100 million
Status: Listed July 2012 with Raphael De Niro of Douglas Elliman; taken off the market in January 2013; relisted in May with Colleen Brooks of Klar Realty.
Square footage: 8,000
Current owner: Real estate developer Steven Klar
Features: This triplex penthouse has the highest terrace in the U.S., some 73 to 75 stories up. The 3,000 feet of exterior space has 360-degree views of the city. The apartment also includes a private elevator, a wine cellar and separate maid’s quarters. The CitySpire condominium, built in 1987, has a 50-foot pool and a parking garage.
Expert opinions: This apartment “definitely is not worth” $100 million, said Frank Ragusa, an independent broker who has had listings in the building. Based on the unit’s 8,000 square feet and CitySpire’s amenities and age, he predicted the unit will sell for $30 to $40 million.
Klar told TRD: “I will admit it’s not a new building like One57, and it may not have the cachet of 15 Central Park [West], but what it has, which they don’t have, is the outdoor experience. I can walk outside and I can see every part of New York City.”
But he added: “Will I say it’s going to be $100 million or nothing? No.”
Two penthouses at One57
157 West 57th Street
Price: $90 million to $100 million each
Status: In contract
Square footage: 10,923 and 13,554
Features: When complete, Extell Development’s 1,000-foot-plus One57 condominium, above a Park Hyatt hotel, will include an indoor pool, a fitness center, a performance room, a private dining area and a library. These two duplex penthouses are each in contract for more than $90 million (although Extell declined to give the exact pricing). The 13,554-square-foot “Winter Garden” penthouse is on the 75th and 76th floors, while the 10,923-square-foot unit is on the 89th and 90th floors.
Expert opinions: The “worldwide renown that Extell was able to create [around One57] was very effective in making it a brag-worthy acquisition,” Nest Seeker’s Jabbour said.
Sources have said One57’s one-of-a-kind Central park views — due to its height — contribute to the building’s cachet. “When you’re in the building and you see the views, you get a sense of ownership of the city,” Sotheby’s Ponte said. “That’s what people are buying. And they’re also buying an asset to protect their wealth.”