Great NYC Apartment Buildings: Brisbane House vs. 1200 Fifth Avenue

Brisbane House vs. 1200 Fifth Avenue: Two gracious East Harlem residences at the northern end of Manhattan’s Museum Mile–one a classic pre-war co-op, one an Emery Roth-built 1928 building that was converted to condos in 2007.

Brisbane House, 1215 Fifth Avenue

With its four-story limestone base and canopied avenue entrance, the enduring style of this pre-war co-op shares its origins with some of Manhattan’s most celebrated residences. Built in 1929 by Arthur Brisbane, a successful journalist who developed the Ritz Tower at Park Avenue and 57th Street, the neo-Romanesque 62-unit Brisbane House was designed by Schultze & Weaver, the architects of the Sherry-Netherland Hotel. With Central Park proximity–and the attendant magnificent views–and a prime spot on Museum Mile, the building’s apartments have unspoiled, gracious pre-war layouts and details, though many have been updated with modern custom finishes, top-of-the-line appliances and other conveniences.

An upper Manhattan location on the southern edge of East Harlem puts this full-service building near several subway lines and makes it convenient to Madison and Fifth Avenue shopping and dining in addition to the aforementioned access to museums and the park. As with most co-ops, you’re part of a community as an owner, and most units are owner-occupied. Co-op prices tend to be slightly below those of condos, attracting buyers seeking a home rather than a short-term investment or future rental income. Co-op maintenance charges include property taxes and insurance (and sometimes utilities), and up to 50 percent of these charges is tax deductible.

Available apartments at Brisbane House include a pair of units that can be purchased separately or as a pair. #11CD (the combo) occupies the entire floor and offers four bedrooms plus an office/staff room, a wood burning fireplace, a renovated kitchen and three exposures with full park views. The current price of this combined unit is $4,000,000. #11D is also for sale separately at $725,000, offering two bedrooms, prewar details, a gracious layout and large rooms.

Live at Brisbane House if you:
• have always dreamed of a classic Uptown full-service apartment near the city’s world-class museums with Central Park as your front yard.
• love pre-war details like oversized rooms and high ceilings in a classic historic apartment building.
• are seeking a co-op community and familiar neighbors.
• are thrilled by the idea of full-floor luxury in a sprawling home with a wood-burning fireplace and killer views in every direction.

1200 Fifth Avenue

This 16-story Upper Manhattan apartment building was completed in 1928, designed by Emery Roth–architect of major residential icons like the San Remo and the Beresford–and converted to condominiums after its sale in 2004. Containing 59 apartments, the building has a two-story rusticated limestone base and a large lobby with stained glass windows and a fireplace. Its location is ideal: Just across 101st Street from the angled, I. M. Pei-designed Guggenheim Pavilion of Mt. Sinai Hospital and situated on the northern end of the city’s treasured Museum Mile, with the Central Park’s entire 800 acres as its front yard.

Apartment interiors combine classic pre-war design, modern convenience and luxury. Gracious layouts, large rooms and details like high ceilings, fireplaces and original molding have been painstakingly preserved, while oversized soundproof picture windows allow stunning park and city views; the building offers central A/C and is wired for high-speed internet. Kitchens feature appliances by Wolf, Miele and Sub-Zero, master bathrooms have heated limestone floors and there are laundry rooms in each unit.

Amenities at this full-service condominium residence include a private fitness center and refrigerated storage. Condominiums allow for easier purchase, alteration and sale and use as pied-a-terres as well as properties for children, and, unlike co-ops, no meeting with board members is required for purchase.

Among the available apartments at 1200 Fifth Avenue is #2C, a two-bedroom-plus-office corner unit with three exposures, espresso stained herringbone floors and original plaster crown moldings as well as a windowed kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances, on the market for $2,375,000. Also on the market: #PHB, listed for $10,995,000, is a 4,215 square-foot duplex penthouse with 3 bedrooms and a library (all with park views), and a large private terrace with the same stunning park views.

Live at 1200 Fifth Avenue if you:
• dream of an elegant Upper Manhattan address near the city’s best museums and shopping with Central Park as your front yard.
• love classic pre-war design and detail with pristine renovations and high-end modern appliances, finishes, A/C and heat.
• want the convenience and flexibility of a condo.
• are looking for a spectacular penthouse with panoramic views and private outdoor space.