Big Ticket: Upper East Side Penthouse for $20.69 Million
A second penthouse combination at the Charles, a 32-story glass-and-limestone condominium designed by Ismael Leyva on the far Upper East Side, has sold — just days after the closing of an assembled quadruplex directly above it — and at $20,695,000 was the most expensive sale of the week, according to city records.
The 7,198-square-foot apartment, PH2, which has monthly carrying costs totaling $8,942.50, is made up of full-floor units on the 27th and 28th floors of the newly opened building at 1355 First Avenue, between 72nd and 73rd Streets. And like the 11,740-square-foot PH1 on the top four floors, which sold for $37.94 million and closed on Aug. 21, it will be delivered to the unidentified buyer as a “white box,” without interior walls or finishes.
The penthouses “are going to be customized very specifically to the buyers’ needs,” said Ginger Brokaw of Town New Development, who is handling sales at the Charles with Jason Karadus, also of Town. “A lot of people are customizing to put their touches on their homes,” she added, noting that 10 to 15 households have so far moved in or are currently working on finishing their apartments. Only five of the 27 units remain.
The finished floor-through condos at the Charles, each with up to four bedrooms and four baths, have eat-in kitchens with Sub-Zero and Miele appliances, along with master bedroom suites featuring dressing areas, walk-in closets and marble soaking tubs. The amenities and the interior finishes, which include white oak and marble floors, were designed by David Collins Studio of London. There are also substantial soundproofing components, like under-floor padding.
The buyer of PH2, whose identity was shielded by the limited liability company Charles NCP, was brought by Beth Benalloul of the Corcoran Group; she also represented the purchaser of PH1, and has declined to comment on the transactions.
R. Ramin Kamfar, the chief executive of Bluerock Real Estate, which is developing the condominium with the Victor Group, said a confidentiality agreement prevented him from disclosing much information, though he did say that the buyer was from the New York area and will likely use the apartment as a primary residence. The buyers of both penthouses “knew each other and came in together to buy — they are related parties,” Mr. Kamfar said.
The PH1 owners have a “larger family,” while the PH2 owners “just wanted a grand-scale apartment,” he added. “They came to us early on in the process when we had enough flexibility to design the units. My guess is they’re going to have a grand floor for entertaining and then another one for living.”
Perhaps Mr. Kamfar might even be invited to one of their future soirees: He and his family recently moved into an apartment on the 26th floor of the Charles. “I was supposed to be on the 29th floor,” he said, “but they kept moving me down.”
The runner-up last week, at $18,100,000, according to city records, was a late 1830s Greek Revival townhouse at 39 West 10th Street that was sold by the composer and conductor Jonathan Sheffer. This, too, was in white-box-like condition: According to the listing on StreetEasy.com, “the home has been gutted in preparation for renovation, allowing a purchaser to fast-track construction and select all finishes and interior details.”
Steve Dawson and Joshua Wesoky of Compass were the listing brokers. The buyer was identified as 39 W. 10th L.L.C.
Copyright © 2015 The New York Times Company. Reprinted with Permission. Sam Hodgson/The New York Times.
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