Carter's Review

One of the first apartment houses to be erected on Park Avenue after World War II, this 20-story building at 710 Park Avenue on the southwest corner at 70^th Street was developed by Sam Minskoff & Sons, which was founded in 1908 and whose other apartment buildings include 1 East 66^th Street, 120 East 79^th Street, 20 East 74^th Street, and the Brevoort on Lower Fifth Avenue and the Brevoort East on University Place as well as the office buildings at 1 Astor Plaza in Times Square and the MGM building on Sixth Avenue and 55^th Street.

Bottom Line

A very prime location on the avenue, close to boutiques, The Frick Collection and transportation.

Description

This red-brick building has a two-story limestone base with a canopied entrance with a polished gray granite surround above which are several inset balconies, some of which have been glassed.

The asymmetric façade has a couple of other balconies and the one of the 15^th floor extends northward and wraps around the corner and is a very dominant design feature.

The building has discrete air-conditioners and an attractive enclosed rooftop watertank enclosure. It also has a couple of corner bay windows near the top and sidewalk landscaping.

Amenities

It has a doorman and concierge and storage and allows pets.

Apartments

Penthouse A is a one-bedroom unit that has a small entry foyer that leads to a 14-foot-long dining from next to a 13-foot-long kitchen and a 23-foot-long living room and a 13-foot-long library.  The dining room and bedroom have access to a very large wrap-around terrace.

Apartment 17C is a two-bedroom unit that has a 20-foot-wide entry foyer that leads to a 26-foot-long living room with a 20-foot-wide, corner solarium.  The apartment also has a 14-foot-long dining room and a 14-foot-wide kitchen.

Apartment 18B is a two-bedroom unit that has a 16-foot-long entry foyer that opens onto a 23-floot-long living room that opens onto a large wraparound terrace and a 16-foot-long dining room.

Apartment 7E is a two-bedroom unit that has a 13-foot-wide entry foyer that opens onto a 23-foot-long living room with a 10-foot-long dining alcove next to an enclosed, windowed, 10-foot-long kitchen.

Apartment 15A is a two-bedroom unit that has an entry foyer that leads to a 12-foot-long gallery that opens onto a 24-foot-long living room and a 13-foot-long dining room next to a windowed 12-foot-long kitchen and a 7-foot-long pantry.

Apartment 11C is a two-bedroom unit that has an entry foyer that leads to a 17-foot-long gallery with an open bar that opens onto a 23-foot-long living room and an 11-foot-long dining room next to an 11-foot-long kitchen.

History

The site was formerly occupied by the Union Theological Seminary and then by a mansion owned by George Blumenthal.

The famous, large patio interior of the former Blumenthal mansion is now on prominent exhibit next to the grand staircase at the Metropolitan Museum.

According to a November 2, 1947 article in The New York Times, the building was “the first post-war deluxe rental apartment house for Park Avenue.

It is located in the most prestigious part of Park Avenue, close to some of the most elegant and exclusive residential buildings in the city. Many people consider East 70th Street to be one of the most attractive side-streets in the city.