Carnegie Hill Apartments

Long considered the epicenter of high society, Carnegie Hill is a neighborhood relatively unchanged over the years, with a large portion of the area between Fifth and Park Avenues and 79th and 94th streets designated as historic landmark districts.  

Settled by the great 19th-century business titans, Carnegie Hill is still distinguished by its great monuments -- mansions erected by the likes of Andrew Carnegie, Henry Cook and Isaac D. Fletcher. Today, many of these great turn-of-the-century estates have been converted into museums, schools and foreign consuls.

The Museum Mile district, which runs along Fifth Avenue from 79th Street north to 110th Street, features the city's most important art museums, anchored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art at Fifth Avenue between 80th and 84th streets. Other acclaimed institutions include the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the National Design Museum (housed in the former Andrew Carnegie mansion) and the Jewish Museum. 

Due to the close proximity of Central Park, Carnegie Hill is especially popular with young families, many of which are also attracted to the area's elite private schools, including Spence, St. David's, Nightingale-Bamford, Marymount and Dalton. Notable houses of worship include St. Ignatius Loyola Roman Catholic Church, the Park Avenue Synagogue, the Brick Presbyterian Church and the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest.

Carnegie Hill is famous for its high concentration of exquisite pre-war apartment buildings, including 998 Fifth Avenue, 1010 Fifth Avenue, 1185 Park Avenue, and 12 East 87th Street. The area north of 86th Street -- once considered less desirable, except along Fifth Avenue -- is now fully integrated into the overall character of the neighborhood. Important post-war buildings include 45 E. 89th Street, a large 40-story building erected in 1969; and Carnegie Hill Tower at 40 E. 94th Street, a 32-story building completed in 1983.

For dining, Madison Avenue is an ideal destination for pre- or post-museum lunches and dinners. And while the majority of the avenue's well-known designer boutiques are located further south, Madison Avenue in the 80s and 90s also features its share of exclusive shops, including high-end children's clothing store Jacadi and home design shop Jonathan Adler. Carnegie Hill and neighboring Yorkville share a commercial hub at 86th Street, providing residents easy access to a movie theater, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy and other chain brands.

The area is well served by the 4,5 and 6 subway lines running along Lexington Avenue, with express and local service available at the 86th Street subway station and local service at 77th and 96th streets.