929 Park Avenue

Overview of 929 Park Avenue

While Park Avenue is often associated with limestone palaces, 929 Park Avenue, located between 80th and 81st Streets, offers a distinctive exception with its non-limestone façade. Erected in 1913 and converted to a co-operative in 1959, this mid-block, pre-war building boasts an impressive masonry façade designed by architects George and Edward Blum. Their other notable works include 555, 830, 840, and 875 Park Avenue, among others.

929 Park Avenue features elaborate and detailed terra-cotta decoration on its beige-brick exterior. The building’s entrance is marked by a canopied doorway with an attractive surround and light sconces. Decorative balconies adorn the 10th and 12th floors, and a large bandcourse sits above the third floor, replacing what was once a long balustraded balcony. The building originally had a grand cornice that has since been replaced with a less prominent one. Initially, each floor housed a single apartment with 12 rooms and four baths.

The building has a rich history. A 1932 New York Times article reported that four banks acquired various properties from Benjamin Winter, including 929 Park Avenue. In 1934, the Mutual Life Insurance Company sold the building to Louis Cowan, who subdivided the apartments and eventually sold it to the Straight Improvement Company. Notably, Caroline Kennedy transferred an apartment here to Marta Sgubin, the longtime cook and companion of her mother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Today, 929 Park Avenue is a well-managed, full-service building with 36 apartments. It offers amenities such as a 24-hour doorman, live-in superintendent, laundry facilities, and personal basement storage for each unit. Located just two blocks from Central Park on a picturesque, tree-lined stretch of Park Avenue, residents enjoy convenient access to top-tier museums, shopping, and dining in New York City. The building allows pied-à-terre but prohibits subletting and in-unit washers/dryers.