15 Central Prk W

15 Central W

15 Central Park West is a high-status condominium emblematic of New York City’s shifting luxury real estate landscape — as well as the surrounding Lincoln Square neighborhood’s remarkable transformation from mid-century squalor to today’s affluent haven. The 202-unit complex was meticulously designed by famed architect Robert A.M. Stern in his defining New Classical style and was opened by prominent New York developer William Zeckendorf Jr. in 2007. 15 Central Park West has since hosted a slew of high-profile homeowners, including Sting, Mark Wahlberg and Jeff Gordon. They’ve lived in the building’s well-appointed residences for various periods of time before flipping them and making significant returns. Many of the units have been viewed as prime investment opportunities. Today, a variety of residences are on offer, many of which have been combined or updated with bespoke features. “While the units are all different, 12,000 square feet of shared amenity space remains reflective of Stern’s original stylistic vision and is currently being restored,” says Deborah Kern, a realtor with Corcoran who specializes in the building. 15 Central Park West is famed for the copious use of gray Indiana Limestone in its facade. Occupying the entire block between Central Park West and Broadway, West 61st and West 62nd streets, the complex comprises two structures: the 19-story House facing the park and the 35-story Tower toward the rear. In between, a cobblestone motor court abuts an elliptical entrance pavilion that resembles the Sanssouci palace in Potsdam, Germany. Adjoining lobbies on either side nod to Art Deco architecture with wide Sarrancolin marble columns bolstering spherically recessed ceilings. English Oak panels, carved Linenfold reliefs and delicately articulated white marble archways abound throughout. Large fireplaces with elegantly detailed mantels anchor serene seating areas. There are always four lobby attendants and six building engineers on duty. This ornate yet restrained design language carries through much of the building’s shared spaces and plays off its site-responsive setbacks, structural components that were central to the architect’s overall concept. Guided by New Classical style principles–the contemporary, pared-back interpretation of Neoclassical architecture–15 Central Park West is imbued with divine proportion and expressive detail but not in an overtly extravagant fashion. It’s a nuanced balancing act. The careful distribution of forms, historically suggestive adornments and specific materials demonstrate the architect’s goal of ensuring that 15 Central Park West would blend into its surroundings. Yet, the precision-engineered stone used in its construction allows for large floor-to-ceiling windows, which is not common in the equally iconic San Remo or Eldorado condo buildings just up the street. Stern drew inspiration from legendary architect Rosario Candela, who designed similar turn-of-the-20th-century residential mid-rises. In his 2014 book about the building “House of Outrageous Fortune,” cultural critic Michael Gross identifies the stream of high-profile actors, legendary musicians, celebrity athletes and financiers that had lived or owned in the building up until then. In the 16 years since it first opened, 15 Central Park West has been home to Denzel Washington, Citigroup chairperson Sanford Weill and Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev’s daughter Ekaterina Rybolovleva, who purchased her double penthouse in 2011 for a record-breaking $88 million. In that time, the complex has stood fast against the shifting tides of an especially volatile New York luxury market, especially in the post-Great Recession era and in the face of competition from the more recent development of super-talls on nearby Billionaire’s Row. The building still fetches a premium even if prices are slightly less than when they hit their peak in the mid-2010s. The Real Deal reported that hedge fund manager Dan Och’s 4,700-square-foot penthouse sold for $57 million in 2019. Today, one bedroom residences range from $3.5 million to $7 million, depending on size and location in the complex. Views of Central Park are a major draw and so units on higher levels sell for significantly more. While a 2,000-square-foot two bedroom on the third floor sells for $6.9 million, a 2,500-square-foot two bedroom on the 15th floor goes for $14.9 million. An expansive duplex penthouse with palatial features can sell for $39 million. As most high- and ultra-high net-worth homeowners in New York tend to gut-renovate kitchens and bathrooms to their specific tastes, no two units at 15 Central Park West are quite the same. “Anything that comes on the market is bespoke and incorporates the previous owner’s alterations,” Kern explains. Some have retained a semblance of the original New Classical aesthetic, while others have been redesigned with a contemporary organic-modern look. However, original features like double and triple-height ceilings remain intact throughout. Gross also described that the building’s extensive set of amenities: “a walnut-lined library, a lavish screening room, a private sixty-seat restaurant offering residents room service and a health club complete with a seventy-foot swimming pool.” Located in the basement, this facility is adorned with a large continuous skylight filtering in natural light from the courtyard above. It also incorporates a jacuzzi and treatment rooms. This suite of spaces also includes a children's play area, a top-line fitness center, a sixth-floor shared terrace and a fully equipped conference room. 15 Central Park West is in the heart of the Lincoln Square section of Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Incorporating the Metropolitan Opera House, the New York Philharmonic, the New York City Ballet and the prestigious Juilliard School, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a prestigious cultural hub. The building's ground-level podium cuts along the area’s main commercial artery, Broadway, and houses luxury retailers like West Elm furniture. It also contains a Quik Park subterranean garage, which is utilized by most residents. Columbus Circle is a stone’s throw away and includes a multi-level mall that contains a large Whole Foods grocery store, 40 premium brand boutiques and 10 exclusive restaurants. Though most residents presumably have drivers or use car services, they can also take the 1, B, and C local or A and D express Subway lines at Columbus Circle.