351 E 51st St

The Beekman Regent

Midtown East neighborhood Turtle Bay is known for being a quieter area with prewar and postwar lower-rise residential buildings mixed in with a peppering of commercial stretches. This “diplomatic” pocket of Manhattan is home to the United Nations Headquarters and various micro districts like East River-adjacent Beekman Place. Though a relatively new development when considering the age of the structures in its vicinity, the Beekman Regent is a newer development but one that still reflects these surrounding buildings’ scale and proportioning. Rising from a landmarked 1893 Romanesque Revival-style pedestal that once housed a public school, the 2002-construction, 20 story tower incorporates the wedding cake-like setbacks required of buildings that went up at the turn of the twentieth century. It’s an architectural feature that accommodates an ample amount of private terraces and slightly smaller balconies as much as the desired effect of better natural light and air flow. Prolific New York architect Costas Kondylis and his team modeled the design off of the iconic The Dakota. “It’s a boutique condo with a reputation for elevated luxury,” says Melissa Hernandez, an agent with Douglas Elliman. “Beekman Regent is not a cookie-cutter building. There are a lot of different layouts including penthouses, duplexes, and more standard units.” The Beekman Regent’s varied offering of just 63 units also includes lofts with 14-foot-high ceilings located in the original five-story podium. Across the board, however, residences incorporate large en suite bedrooms, mostly unobstructed views, high-end finishes and in-unit washer/dryers. As a nod to the past and the classic sixes and sevens that once defined Upper Manhattan, kitchens tend to occupy their own rooms rather than be part of open plan concepts as is more common today. This helps with containing odors and maintaining a grander atmosphere within the Beekman Regent’s sizeable entertainment spaces. As with any luxury condominium and especially one that’s more than two decades old, the level of renovation varies widely across the building. That said, its bones are quite solid and the original sponsor finishes remain apparent in different ways. On the market with Hernandez for $2.6 Million in Summer 2024, Unit 10A still features original mahogany doors and trim; as well as herringbone-pattern floors and stainless-steel appliances. In 2016, renowned chef Emeril Lagasse sold his 4,000 square-foot, four bedroom and six-bathroom unit for just under $7 Million with celebrity agent Ryan Serhant. The residence’s kitchen was outfitted with a Sub Zero fridge, Viking range, a Miele dishwasher, custom cabinetry and granite countertops. This sprawling home also features a separate library and a vaulted gallery. As previously mentioned, several units feature expansive terraces. A handful have balconies. With this eclectic offering, prices more closely reflect size, condition and position in the building than number of bedrooms. That said, one bedrooms have sold for around $1.3 Million on average. Two bedrooms have gone for $1.9 Million to $3.5 Million and three bedrooms have gone for upwards of $4.5 million. Penthouses have fetched between $7 Million and $12 million. Residents and guests are greeted by 24/7 door attendants and concierges offering both dry cleaning and shoeshining services. There’s valet parking available at the entrance which makes good use of the sizeable third party-operated garage right next door. “I don’t know of many co-ops or condos in New York that have this luxury,” Hernandez notes. The grand lobby is finished in a rich palette of mahogany wood paneled walls, back-lit classic style coffered ceilings, and in-laid marble floors. This same old world charm design vocabulary carries through to an adjacent library, business center and residents lounge, where a continental breakfast is served most days. The basement level features an updated health club-style fitness center, replete with saunas, steam rooms, and treatment annexes. In keeping with the Beekman Regent’s classy character, this level also includes a wine cellar and bike storage. “Residents really like the surrounding area; a pocket of Midtown East that might be a little too far east for some to venture but one that has a lot of quality restaurants like staple American haunt The Smith and popular French bistro Deux Amis,” Hernandez says. Both First and Second avenues are lined with a plethora of Italian restaurants, Irish bars, karaoke joints and coffee shops. The nearest grocery stores are D’Agostino’s on East 53rd Street and Morton Williams on Second Avenue between East 49th and East 48th streets. The Beekman Regent is just a few blocks north of the United Nations Headquarters and the entrance to the Midtown Tunnel, which serves as a quick road link out of town and toward New York airports LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International. Commuters utilize the Lexington Avenue/ 53rd Street subway station, served by both the E and M lines. Midtown and much of Lower Manhattan are easily accessible. Grand Central Terminal is only a few blocks west. Though Bryant Park is the closest official green space, The paved plaza at Peter Detmold Park at the end of East 51st Street is a great East River overlook, which also includes a well-maintained dog run.