Central Park South Penthouse Aerie This quintessential penthouse, available for the first time in 20 years, offers panoramic protected Central Park and city views through 150 linear feet of oversized windows. Perched at the top of the iconic Essex House, this duplex apartment underwent a multi-year renovation and makes a bold, minimalist statement. Upon arriving on the 40th floor, a tastefully appointed semi-private elevator vestibule opens into the penthouse’s welcoming entrance gallery. Past a striking architectural staircase and an elegant adjacent powder room, one is led directly into a baronially scaled living and entertaining floor.

This loft-like space, exceedingly rare in prewar penthouses, is at once grand and intimate, and is accentuated by mesmerizing park and city views from every window. At the heart of this floor is a great room with formal living and dining areas boasting 45 feet of direct park frontage as well as approximately 20 feet of western vistas over the landmarked New York Athletic Club and other history-rich art deco towers. A perfectly placed wet bar with a pair of Gaggenau wine coolers anticipates guests’ every need and seamlessly flows into a more casual living area and adjacent light-filled open kitchen. The sleek Poggenpohl kitchen is outfitted with a full coterie of Miele appliances including an induction cooktop, double wall ovens, integrated refrigerator and dishwasher and a Gaggenau wine refrigerator. Flanking the Western end of the kitchen is a magical glass-enclosed breakfast room with seating for four, offering wonderful city and river views to the west as well as views north onto the park.

Rounding out the kitchen wing are a large pantry and laundry area accessed via a dedicated service entrance. Ascending a graciously proportioned modernist staircase, three generously proportioned bedrooms with en suite bathrooms await. The generously scaled corner primary suite is a showstopper, offering views of Central Park all the way to the George Washington Bridge, which shines majestically in the distance, as well as unobstructed city and river views to the West. This suite is complemented by a spa-like bathroom which boasts that rarest of attributes: a luxuriously appointed bathtub with direct views of Central Park.

A commodious walk-in closet with custom millwork completes the primary bedroom wing. Both of the other bedrooms feature expansive views, one of which features a windowed desk nook with views of the park. Penthouse 4001 is, without question, the crown jewel of Essex House, the imposing art deco tower which anchors Central Park South in a most sought-after mid-block location, nearly at the latitudinal center of the park, and equidistant from Fifth Avenue and Columbus Circle. Constructed at the height of the Art Deco period in 1931, Essex House has a long and storied history.

Previous residents have included David Bowie, Igor Stravinsky, Alain Ducasse and countless other luminaries in the worlds of media, fashion and finance. Hotel services are provided by the internationally acclaimed five-star J.W. Marriott and range from bespoke concierge services to attentive door staff and porters; also available (upon request) are in-room dining from the hotel’s well rated restaurant and housekeeping and linen services. All of the major utilities are included in the common charges (heat, water and electricity). In an age in which many present-day architects and designers turn to the past for inspiration, Essex House is a true original.

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