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Prime Park Avenue in the 70s Prime Park Avenue in the 70s
To look at Park Avenue's elegant prewar architecture and landscaped medians today, it is easy to imagine that it has always been part of New York City. However, a history presented by Friends of the Upper East Side details how it was originally laid out as Fourth Avenue on the city planning grid in 1811, and became the route of the New York and Harlem commuter railroad in 1831; the introduction of steam locomotives caused it to be substantially widened a few years later. In the mid-1870s, in response to concerns about public safety, the train tracks were sunken below street level and covered. The medians we see today were originally constructed and landscaped to disguise ventilation openings, and the Park Avenue name was adopted in 1888.

In 1903, steam locomotives were banned in Manhattan, and Park Avenue emerged as a destination for residential development. Prominent architects like J.E.R. Carpenter and Rosario Candela designed high-rise buildings to lure New York’s wealthiest out of their mansions and into apartments, and such homes remain in demand today – the only two co-op contracts among Manhattan’s ten most expensive last week took place on Park Avenue.
Living room with beamed ceiling

In this article:

Waldorf Astoria Residences, 305 Park Avenue
Waldorf Astoria Residences, 305 Park Avenue Midtown East
Ritz Tower, 465 Park Avenue
Ritz Tower, 465 Park Avenue Midtown East
The Yosemite, 550 Park Avenue
The Yosemite, 550 Park Avenue Park/Fifth Ave. to 79th St.
The Mayfair, 610 Park Avenue
The Mayfair, 610 Park Avenue Park/Fifth Ave. to 79th St.
The Parkville, 823 Park Avenue
The Parkville, 823 Park Avenue Park/Fifth Ave. to 79th St.
Park Avenue north of 60th Street largely has its pre-war residential streetscape intact
In addition to the prestigious residential buildings, Park Avenue’s iconic buildings include the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, which has emerged as one of New York’s most famous hotels since it opened its doors in 1931. In 2017, the hotel closed for a renovation that included the addition of Waldorf Astoria Residences, a condo component above the expanded hotel rooms.

Waldorf Astoria Residences, #2910 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)

Waldorf Astoria While in Midtown, enormous commercial buildigns have replaced most apartment houses (View south of Waldorf-Astoria, summer 2024; CityRealty)
Residents and guests alike will enjoy access to the Peacock Alley lounge, a two-story American brasserie restaurant overseen by James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Anthony, a cutting-edge fitness center, and a luxury spa spanning over 30,000 square feet. Current condo availabilities range from $1.875 million for a studio to $18.75 million for a four-bedroom, and the building's much-anticipated opening is estimated for spring 2025 (per Boutique Hotelier).
Moreover, another transformation is on the horizon for Park Avenue. The below-ground Grand Central Terminal Train Shed is currently being rebuilt by the city and the Metropolitan Transit Authority, and the New York City Department of Transportation issued a request for proposals seeking designs to make Park Avenue from East 46th to 57th Streets more pedestrian-friendly. It also seeks to reclaim space turned over to cars nearly 100 years ago by widening the medians dividing Park Avenue.
Rendering of a more pedestrian-oriented Park Avenue Concept for a reimagined Park Avenue (NYC Department of Transportation)

"This project will transform this iconic stretch of Manhattan’s Park Avenue by adding greenery and making important safety improvements" – Ydanis Rodriguez, Commissioner, NYC Department of Transportation

In the meantime, as Park Avenue above 57th Street mostly comprises residential buildings, it makes for a peaceful section of the Upper East Side. However, it still offers convenient access to Central Park, museums, popular restaurants and shops, and public transportation. Below, we look at the most influential buildings on Park Avenue as well as a selection of luxurious listings on the avenue.
 
 
 
 
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Architect: Frank Williams Associates | Built in 2000
Neighborhood: Upper East Side Gold Coast
38 Units | 43 Floors

"The limestone, cast stone and beige-brick tower is a Post-Modern design that seeks to carry on the avenue's predominantly Italian Renaissance-palazzo tradition, albeit here exploded to a huge scale" – Carter Horsley

515 Park Avenue 515 Park Avenue (Frank Williams Architects)
Up the street from Billionaires' Row, and at the nexus of Midtown and the Upper East Side, 515 Park Avenue is a slender skyscraper with nods to its prewar neighbors. Many of the full-floor and duplex apartments feature direct elevator entry, high ceilings, expansive proportions, working fireplaces, and private terraces. Amenities and services include full-time concierge, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and dedicated wine storage.

515 Park Avenue, #19FL (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)

Architect: Mott B. Schmidt | Built in 1927
Neighborhood: Carnegie Hill
84 Units | 15 Floors

“With its double-height entrance and large, arched window providing glimpses of its large, landscaped garden courtyard, 1088 Park Avenue is one of the boulevard's few apartment houses with a grand canopied entry” — Carter Horsley

1088 Park Avenue, grand Upper East Side cooperative 1088 Park Avenue (Sotheby's International Realty)
Upon arriving at 1088 Park Avenue, one is struck by the building's palazzo-inspired design and arched entrance. Inside, the apartments boast traditional layouts and expansive square footage. It is home to one of the city's most beautiful residential lobbies, and additional amenities include a private courtyard garden and two recently renovated gyms.

1088 Park Avenue, #PHE (Sothebys International Realty)

Architect: J.E.R. Carpenter | Built in 1924
Neighborhood: Upper East Side Gold Coast
50 Units | 11 Floors

"This very elegant apartment building is not only shorter than most of its era on Park Avenue, but it is also decidedly different in its plan with two low-rise bays extended to the street line framing a large and very handsomely fenced court" – Carter Horsley

655 Park Avenue 655 Park Avenue (Sotheby's International Realty)
655 Park Avenue was designed by J.E.R. Carpenter in partnership with Mott B. Schmidt. The result is an elegant design with a beautifully landscaped street court. Residents arrive to an attended lobby with a doorman and elevator operator on staff, and another wonderful perk is its close proximity to Central Park, Madison Avenue designer flagship boutiques, and fine restaurants.

655 Park Avenue, #7B (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)

Architect: Rosario Candela | Built in 1930
Neighborhood: Upper East Side Gold Coast
41 Units | 19 Floors

“One of the city's finest apartment buildings” — Carter Horsley

770 Park Avenue The Sonora
A short distance from Central Park and Museum Mile, The Sonora's Georgian-style design stands as an example of the best of Rosario Candela's Upper East Side portfolio. The original duplex apartments inside feature grand proportions, herringbone floors, exquisite molding, soaring ceilings, Palladian arches, sweeping staircases, long entry halls, spacious rooms, and wood-burning fireplaces.

The Sonora, #2C (Corcoran Group)

“The combination of an elegant but older exterior with lavish new interiors was a strong selling point” — Carter Horsley

Architects: J.E.R. Carpenter | Built in 1925
Neighborhood: Upper East Side Gold Coast
68 Units | 15 Floors

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610 Park Avenue The Mayfair (Trump Organization)
The building at 610 Park Avenue was constructed as the Mayfair Regent Hotel in 1925 and converted to condominiums more than 70 years later, though not at the expense of the building's handsome prewar design. Residents of this white-glove building enjoy access to valet parking, optional housekeeping service, and room service from Daniel, the Michelin star restaurant in the base of the building.

The Mayfair, #2BC (Keller Williams NYC)

Architects: Rosario Candela and Cross & Cross | Built in 1928
Neighborhood: Upper East Side Gold Coast
29 Units | 18 Floors

720 Park Avenue 720 Park Avenue (CityRealty)
For nearly 100 years, this full-block, Neo-Georgian building has served as one of the city's most exclusive co-ops. The interiors have been renovated to accommodate modern needs, but details like high ceilings, fireplaces, beautiful moldings, spacious rooms, and winding staircases remain intact.

720 Park Avenue, #PH13A (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)

Architect: Rosario Candela | Built in 1931
Neighborhood: Upper East Side Gold Coast
18 Units | 18 Floors

“One of the most distinctive and desirable pre-war buildings on Park Avenue, this building has few apartments but they are palatial and grand” — Carter Horsley

778 Park Avenue, Upper East Side cooperative 778 Park Avenue (CityRealty)
Down the street from Central Park's Pilgrim Hill and Conservatory Water, 778 Park Avenue climbs 18 stories to a Renaissance-style lantern at the pinnacle, an unusually high one for Park Avenue buildings of this time. Many units span an entire floor or more, and all interiors boast regal gallery halls, 11-foot ceilings, wood-burning fireplaces, and other prewar design trademarks.

Architects: Rosario Candela and Arthur Loomis Harmon | Built in 1930
Neighborhood: Upper East Side Gold Coast
31 Units | 19 Floors

“One of the city’s most celebrated addresses, this building is refined and restrained and rather regal and about as close to an impregnable treasure chest as possible in the city” — Carter Horsley

740 Park Avenue, Upper East Side cooperative 740 Park Avenue
740 Park Avenue has been dubbed New York's "tower of power" for both its esteemed residents (John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Stephen Schwarzman, and Vera Wang) as for its impressive height and commanding limestone facade. All residents enjoy impressive square footage, a full-service staff, and close proximity to Central Park, the Frick Museum, Park Avenue Armory, and acclaimed restaurants and boutiques.

740 Park Avenue, #6/7C (Serhant LLC)

Architect: Robert A.M. Stern Architects | Built in 2018
Neighborhood: Upper East Side Gold Coast
35 Units | 54 Floors

520 Park Avenue building and entrance 520 Park Avenue (CityRealty)

“The Upper East Side’s answer to 15 Central Park West...but taller and with significantly fewer apartments” — Carter Horsley

At 54 stories and 781 feet high, 520 Park Avenue is the tallest building in its Upper East Side neighborhood. Acclaimed architect Robert A.M. Stern engaged his unparalleled knowledge of pre-war architecture to design this building that combines modern height with a limestone facade and Gilded Age influences. The 35 units comprise simplex and duplex apartments, and all residents have access to amenities that include an attended lobby, a double-height indoor pool, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and a vaulted salon with access to a lushly planted garden.

520 Park Avenue, #22 (Serhant LLC)

Architect: Rafael Vinoly | Built in 2015
Neighborhood: Billionaires' Row/Midtown East
104 Units | 96 Floors

“It’s not a razzle-dazzle, convoluted supertall, but an awesome sheer tower of rather majestic simplicity” — Carter Horsley

432 Park Avenue, Billionaires' Row condo 432 Park Avenue (Douglas Elliman)
When 432 Park Avenue was completed, it was the tallest residential building in the world. It has since been overshadowed by taller buildings, but nothing has come along to compare to its crisp, minimalist design. Ten by ten-foot windows look out on dramatic views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline, and residents enjoy unparalleled services and amenities.

432 Park Avenue, #68W (Sothebys International Realty)

Park Avenue Apartments

The Niagara, #13G (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)

1150 Park Avenue, #3F (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)

The Ramondo, #17A (Sothebys International Realty)

Ritz Tower, #23EW (Corcoran Group)

1045 Park Avenue, #10AB (Corcoran Group)

895 Park Avenue, #15C (Sothebys International Realty)

860 Park Avenue, #15FL (Nest Seekers LLC)

The Yosemite, #12E (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)

800 Park Avenue, #5 (Corcoran Group)

The Parkside, #11AB (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)

730 Park Avenue, #7C (Corcoran Group)

The Parkville, #5 (Compass)

1220 Park Avenue, #PHB (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)

737 Park Avenue, #15E (Arvik Group Real Estate)

812 Park Avenue, #PHA (Corcoran Group)
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Would you like to tour any of these properties?