All images of Parker West via The Corcoran Group
"What fresh hell is this?" Dorothy Parker's standard telephone greeting would come to serve as the general outcry of local preservationists and fans of her work when it was revealed that her childhood home on the Upper West Side would be demolished to make way for a luxury condominium. But as sales begin at the condo dubbed Parker West, the launch takes place at a new building that pays respectful tribute to its former inhabitant.
The 21 apartments include full-floor units, a rarity in new construction. PRicesstart at $1.325 million for one-bedrooms, $2.95 million for two-bedrooms, and $2.825 million for three-bedrooms. At an average price of $2,015 per square foot, it is above the average neighborhood price of $1,512 per square foot (figures per CityRealty data). Interestingly enough, Ms. Parker's father, Jacob Henry Rothschild, purchased the original Queen Anne-style townhouse for $60,000, or about $1.8 million today.
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A development team of SK Development, CB Developers, and Brooklyn Standard Properties was mindful of the site’s historic significance, and incorporated natural materials into the new building. GRADE New York designed it from the ground up with the intention of airy spaces, and all apartments enjoy incredible natural light.
The 18 units also feature direct elevator access, ceiling heights up to 10'4", oversized insulated casement windows, and custom stained 7” European oak floors. The kitchens are outfitted with custom Italian oak cabinetry, honed marble slab countertops and backsplash, and fully built-in premium appliances. Primary bedroom suites boast generous closet space and four-fixture baths.
The 18 units also feature direct elevator access, ceiling heights up to 10'4", oversized insulated casement windows, and custom stained 7” European oak floors. The kitchens are outfitted with custom Italian oak cabinetry, honed marble slab countertops and backsplash, and fully built-in premium appliances. Primary bedroom suites boast generous closet space and four-fixture baths.
Amenities at the Parker West include a gym, bike room, children’s playroom, and landscaped roof terrace with views of the Hudson River. It is well situated next door to Trader Joe’s, between Central and Riverside Parks, and close to popular Upper West Side restaurants and the 72nd Street 1/2/3 subway stop.
“London is satisfied, Paris is resigned, but New York is always hopeful” - Dorothy Parker
Notably, the building also contains a plaque reading “This was Dorothy Parker’s childhood home” and a photo of the writer in the lobby. The New York Post announced this news and notes that there will also be images of her original home in the amenity space. The Dorothy Parker Society had long lamented the demolition of the townhouse, but are happy to see the building’s name and plaque. Dorothy Parker Society President Kevin Fitzpatrick said in a statement, “The mission of the Dorothy Parker Society is to keep people talking about her, so in that way, Parker West fits right into what we’re trying to do.”
While Ms. Parker rose to fame at the Algonquin Hotel in Midtown, the writer was an Upper West Sider from infancy to her early twenties. She lived in the Upper West Side townhouse from 1895 to around 1899, just after her mother died. As she would have been five years old at the time of her departure, Community Board 7 astutely noted that she was too young to have written any of her famous reviews, poems, or stories while living there. Moreover, the townhouse sustained serious damage during the construction of 212 West 72nd Street.
Indeed, both Parker West and 212 West 72nd Street are part of an exciting wave of new development on the Upper West Side. 212 West 72nd Street is in the midst of a conversion from rentals to luxury condos with interiors and amenities by CetraRuddy. Up the street, closings at The Marbury average $1,958 per square foot, and its availabilities start at $2.5 million. Elsewhere on the Upper West Side, Waterline Square and The Park Loggia have been among the top-performing new buildings during the coronavirus pandemic.
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