Why Live on the Upper East Side?

The Upper East Side is known for its neighborhood feel and expensive Park Avenue apartments, steeped in rich history dating back to America’s most prominent families. The Carnegies, 

Rockefellers, and Kennedys have all called the Upper East Side Home. Today, the neighborhood attracts a variety of different demographics and has housing options that span many price ranges.

People are attracted to the Upper East Side and call it home for a myriad of reasons ranging from selection of schools to restaurants, shopping, and culture. It is a great neighborhood for first-time city dwellers as well as established families because of the diversity of properties available in the area. The neighborhood feel of the Upper East Side extends a welcoming hand to all.

Some felt that the Upper East Side was somewhat out of reach because the 4/5/6 was the main artery in and out of the neighborhood, leaving people on the east side of the area having to walk to Lexington Avenue to get downtown. With the opening of the Second Avenue Subway, the neighborhood and all of its perks have become even more accessible, and properties on the far east side of felt a positive impact.

Whether you are looking for home close to great close, coffee shops, museums, or shopping, the Upper East Side offers it all! Download our Upper East Side neighborhood guide to learn more about the neighborhood and why we love it.

Some of our neighborhood favorites include:

Restaurants:

• Mr Chow
• Flex Mussels
• Haru
• Philippe
• Elio's
• Campagnola
• Sushi by Gari
• Jo Jo's
• Cafe Boulud
• Morini
• The Mark Restaurant
• La Goloue
• Jade Sixty

Coffee:

• Nespresso boutique on 74th and Madison
• Joe's Coffee
• Birch Coffee
• Sant Ambroeus

Workouts:

• Equinox
• Soulcycle
• Flywheel
• Rumble
• Hot Yoga
• Ripped

Gourmet Grocery:

• Citarella
• Whole Foods
• Fairway
• Dean & Deluca

Salons:

• Warren Tricomi
• Drybar

Museums:

• Metropolitan
• Jewish Museum
• Frick Collection
• Met Breuer
• Neue Galerie
• Guggenheim

Schools:

• Chapin
• Brearley
• Buckley
• Spence
• Dalton
• Garden House School
• Town
• Lycee Francais

Parks:

• Central Park
• John Jay Park
• Carl Schultz Park

Featured Upper East Side Listings:

 408 East 79th Street, 17AB

Convertible 5 Bed | 5 Bath | $7,395,000

Apartment 17AB is a convertible five bedroom, five bathroom home with a private elevator landing in one of the Upper East Side's best condominium buildings. Meticulously designed by Weitzman Halpern, this 3,836 square foot home with 10 foot ceilings offers soaring views in every direction. Generously proportioned living and entertainment rooms make this home ideal for gatherings and entertainment. The Arcadia was designed by famed architectural firm Costas Kondylis and includes a private gym with beautiful skylight, stretching room and massage room, children's playroom, newly developed teen game room, bike room, storage, library and 24 hour doorman and concierge. 

SEE FULL LISTING

1355 First Avenue, 6th Floor

4 Bed | 4.5 Bath | $6,995,000

The 6th Floor at The Charles Condominium is a spectacular full-floor home with four bedrooms, four and half bathrooms, and complete luxury design work from Interior Design Aman Meeks. At 3,637 square feet, this is truly a special opportunity to own a gracious and pristine condo unit on the Upper East Side.

SEE FULL LISTING

Valentine's Day: Fall in Love with New York City

We love New York City for many reasons. It is the place we call home and live our passion - real estate. It is also full of so many cultures and experiences. Falling in love with New York City is easy, although everyone loves it for a different reason. Perhaps it is your neighborhood, the restaurants, the array of different types of people you meet, museums, or shopping.

Below are some ideas of ways to celebrate the day that is all about love - Valentine's Day. If you are single this year, that doesn't mean you can't have some fun. Grab a friend and take one of our suggestions to fall in love with New York City!

Romantic Things to Do:

Ice Skate in Wollman Rink - Wollman Rink is one of the most iconic skating rinks in the city. Set just inside Central Park off of Central Park South, therink is positioned to take in beautiful skyline views of the 57th Street corridor. Wollman is hosting a Valentine's Day special which includes admission for 2 adults and 2 skate rentals for $35.

The Love Of Chocolate Class - The L'Ecole Valrhona in DUMBO will be hosting a "Love of Chocolate Class" which will teach attendees how to make treats such as macarons and bonbons. The class will be led by an expert chef who will guide attendees as they enjoy chocolatey cocktails, share hors d'oeuvres, and make a Valentine's dessert. For $119 the class includes champagne, a recipe book, apron, and 20% off the Valrhona website.

Romance Under the Stars- This swanky soiree will be held at the American Museum of Natural History’s Rose Center for Earth and Space. It will feature an open bar with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres with a jazz quartet before the show. After mingling, guests will move to the planetarium while Astronomers tell love stories based on the methodology of the cosmos.

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon: Mr. Robuchon was anointed “Chef of the Century” in 1989 and has become the most awarded chef alive. After his Atelier closed in New York City in 2012, he is back in the Meatpacking District! Those who have gone have described the experience at Atelier like none other, finding themselves smiling the entire time throughout the dinner. There are tables that offer views of the kitchen so you can see how the magic happens. Additionally, the interiors are outfitted with a red and black geometric design, perfect for the occasion. A special 4-course Valentine’s Day menu with optional wine pairing is available for $275 per person.

Gift Ideas:

Landeau - Landeau has made 25 the new dozen when it comes to giving a "dozen" roses. The delivery will arrive in a Parisian-style hatbox that makes quite the statement. Roses are available in 8 different colors and varieties. The box is also perfect for reusing as storage or a chic addition to a room's decor.

Vosges Chocolates - Haut Chocolate house led by founder Katrina Markoff who, while studying at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, became inspired by Truffle Beignets at Place Des Vosges. This, in addition to her travels throughout Europe, inspired her company here in the States and her Travel the World Through Chocolate collections. She has won numerous awards, and Vosges Chocolates is now best known for its use of exotic ingredients such as spices, flowers, roots, and herbs.

Fragrance: Treat your loved one to a new fragrance. Perhaps is your favorite on them or their favorite. We love Creed Aventus for Men with notes of Bergamot and Blackcurrant Leaves and apple. For her, we pick Kilian Straight to Heaven. This sensual fragrance features base notes of Amber Gris and Cedar. It comes in a lockable display case.

Creed Aventus: Creed

Kilian Straight to Heaven: Saks

Fall In Love with New York at The Arcadia

408 East 79th Street, 17AB - 4 Bed (convertible 5) | 5 bath | $7,395,000

Fall in love with New York City with our beautiful listing at the Arcadia on the Upper East Side. Enjoy the exquisite interior design from Weitzman Halpern set against the backdrop of floor-to-ceiling windows with skyline views throughout.

Views from apartment 17AB

Ready to Fall in Love with New York? Arrange a confidential appointment with us to find your perfect home.

What to Expect When Buying a Property for Investment Purposes

Recent stock market volatility have you concerned about your portfolio? Real estate is one of the largest sectors of investment, both public and private. In times of volatility and uncertainty, we are reminded about the safety of a real estate holding. While it could never be guaranteed that something will definitely appreciate in price, the long-term trend suggests that real estate does appreciate in value over the long-run while not being subjective to wild price swings that you might see in an equity.

Many financial planners would argue that real estate should be a holding in any well-balanced portfolio. Additionally, real estate has the potential to create substantial yield while you hold the asset thanks to the ability of renting the property. Thinking about investing in real estate and planning to rent it out? We assist many clients with buying, whether resale or preconstruction, as an investment vehicle to rent out. It is always recommended that you speak to your financial planner and tax advisor to understand the role of real estate in your portfolio and tax situation.

We can help you hone in on an apartment that meets your needs for an investment, and additionally, can help you successfully rent it as we understand what prospective tenants are looking for and what they value.

So, you made your investment purchase and want to rent your apartment, what are prospective tenants looking for? What can you do to extract more value out of your investment?

What Prospective Tenants are Looking For:

Value- The state of the rental market will dictate just how much value a prospective tenant may seek, but value is always something a renter will be looking for. Hire a broker to help position your apartment on the market to remain competitive with other listings in the building and within a similar price range.

• How much are the application fees? Should you consider paying them as a concession to remain competitive?
• Will you pay the broker’s fee?
• What are the building amenities? Is access to them an additional fee?

Aesthetics- While this is something more personal, we do see, however, that the majority of renters are looking for a unit that offers light and some views as well as an overall clean condition. If you bought preconstruction, your unit should be in brand new condition for the first tenant. On the other hand, if you bought a resale unit, be sure to make sure the unit has a clean appearance to attract as many prospective tenants as possible.  They will be paying attention to things such as:

• Condition of bathrooms, kitchen, and flooring – are edges of doors, counters, etc. clean? Do the appliances function properly? Is the flooring cracked?
• Does the apartment need a fresh coat of paint?

While some of these may seem like small items, they ultimately influence a prospective renter’s decision to pick one apartment over another, especially if they are deciding between units within the same building.

Ways to Extract Additional Value out of Your Investment:

There are additional ways to squeeze a bit more rent out of your unit and also have an increased likelihood to win over a prospective tenant as they are shopping around. While some of them are an expense upfront, they are some of the most common requests we see from prospective renters. Thus, you will most likely recoup the cost of these investments into your property.

• Consider building out the closets to maximize storage with systems such as California Closets
• Install Electric Shades/Window Treatments
• Ensure the washer/dryer are good machines. It may be worth it to upgrade the machines from the base units that came with the apartment

Hiring a broker will be crucial to maximize the rent received. They are able to position your apartment on the market to appeal to the right audience and spend the time to understand the intricacies of the board package and fees.

• Price correctly! Rely on your broker’s expertise to price correctly so you can rent sooner rather than later.
• Get the condo leasing application to review the fees. That way, your broker can speak to prospective tenants about all fees associated with the unit. Additionally, this is important to understand in case you need to offer concessions to remain competitive
• Good photos matter!
• Get a floorplan of the unit to place online with the listing

We currently have a wonderful selection of apartments on the market for rent:

50 Riverside Boulevard, 11L

4 Bed | 4.5 Bath | $24,995/MO - View Listing

One West End Avenue, 28C

3 Bed | 3.5 Bath | $14,995/MO - View Listing

188 East 64th Street, 2603

1 Bed | 1 Bath | $3,995/MO - View Listing

Additionally, we have successfully executed leases for our clients around the city including:

• One Beacon Court - 32C, 39D, and 34B
• 255 East 74th Street, 5B
• 20 Pine Street, 1007
• One57

Questions about investment in property with the goal of renting the unit for income? Contact us to arrange an appointment to discuss your goals and we can tailor a collection of units to meet your needs.