300 E 64th St

SixtyFour

SixtyFour is camouflaged into its Lenox Hill surroundings, from its stone facade to its 27-story red brick tower that is of comparable height to its neighbors. “It's a neighborhood where the more things change, the more things basically stay the same,” says broker Ian Katz of Compass who specializes in Lenox Hill, and this idea can also be applied to newer buildings here. SLCE Architects built the structure in 1996 with Stonehill Taylor turning it into condos in 2015. With 99 well-appointed units right off bustling Second Avenue, SixtyFour hits the Goldilocks note for location, modern features and amenities. Although the amenities might be the most impressive aspect, from the elevated laundry room that doubles as a lounge to the landscaped rooftop overlooking the skyline, East River and 59th Street Bridge. Designers Meg Sharpe and Vince Stroop chose high-end options throughout units, starting with uniform kitchens kitted out with white cabinets, black granite counters, Liebherr refrigerators and Bosch appliances. Hospitality design informed bathrooms, like Calacatta marble vanities, Grohe fixtures and porcelain tile floors. Windows range from generous to floor-to-ceiling, and select penthouses offer spacious terraces. Stacked Bosch washers and dryers, oak floors, roomy closets and PTAC units also fulfill modern luxury expectations. Most apartments are one-bedrooms, rounded out by a small representation of studios and two- and three-bedroom spaces. Studios start at 469 square feet; the last recorded studio sale fetched $637,000 in 2020. A more recent 633-square-foot one bedroom sold for $895,000, while the largest units max out around 1,800 square feet and are rarely listed. However, a recent 1,400-square-foot three bedroom commanded $2.5 million. It’s not often that a laundry room deserves a shoutout, but in this case the laundry/lounge would be inviting even without the industrial stainless-steel washers and dryers, a design statement on their own. The rare attention paid to this space includes comfy couches, small tables for laptops and striking contemporary artwork. The laundry room is glass partitioned from the well-lit, well-equipped gym, another thoughtful design choice that factors in the real-world realities of how residents use a space. (There’s also a Barry’s gym at street level, but it’s not associated with the condo.) An additional lounge area with leather sofas resides next to the gym and laundry lounge. The library is another attractive space, where built-in bookshelves reach the ceiling and cozy seating is conducive for remote work. It’s also equipped with a kitchen and a separate media room for watching movies. Residents head to the sizable rooftop in warmer weather to grill, prep food on the marble counter, lounge on couches and chairs and admire the city scenery. Not least, as a full-service building residents benefit from a dedicated staff that includes a 24-hour door person and live-in super. This established, residential enclave isn’t lacking for things to do. SixtyFour is located at the intersection of Second Avenue in the 60s, a stretch filled with essentials including drug stores, cleaners, a health food shop and Housing Works thrift shop, a popular chain that prefers higher-end donations. There’s also an emergency veterinarian across the street, a convenient option since SixtyFour is pet friendly. Meanwhile, there’s a daycare across the way on 64th Street, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is at the end of the block by First Avenue (itself packed with casual bars and restaurants). Lenox Hill is known for its large concentration of hospitals and medical practices, with the main campus of New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center located just a 10-minute walk from SixtyFour. Other worthy mentions nearby include JoJo by Jean-Georges for organic fine dining in a refined townhome, French restaurant Daniel for even finer dining; Bloomingdale’s flagship department store and the southern portion of Central Park, which contains the Central Park Zoo, Wollman Rink and more. For groceries, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are due south around 59th Street. This part of the Upper East Side offers more subway options than further uptown, with the F and Q trains around the corner at the Lexington/63rd Street stop and the 4, 5, 6 lines at 59th Street. The Roosevelt Island Tram to Roosevelt Island is about five blocks south at 59th Street, although locals only use it for the occasional excursion to quiet Roosevelt Island, if at all. Buses endlessly head downtown along Second Avenue with a stop outside of the building. And drivers are a few blocks away from FDR Drive and the Queensboro Bridge to Queens.