Updated 5 years ago
Sold
45 East 68th Street
Upper East Side, Manhattan | Madison Ave & Park Ave
14 Rooms9 Beds10 Baths10,839 Square FeetMulti-Family
$16,999,000
floors / apts5 / 5
Lot Size25'x100'
Built Size25' wide
ZoneR6B
Building TypeTownhouse
RE Taxes$240,648
Price Per SF
$1,568
This property was sold for $15,491,250 on 09/23/21.
Listing Features
- WBFP
Outdoor space and views
- Balcony
- Garden
- City Views
- Garden Views
Building Amenities
- Voice Intercom
- Roof Deck
Property Description for 45 East 68th Street
This grand neo-Federal townhome is perfectly located on one of the most beautiful tree-lined blocks, home to numerous impressive mansions, just a block from Central Park, at the heart of the Upper East Side Historic District. With a highly coveted 25 feet in width and five stories above the cellar, this townhouse offers a rare opportunity to create a single family home, restoring the grandeur and scale with which it was originally built. Currently configured as five floor-thru units, it will be delivered vacant and is also a great investment opportunity or could be appropriate for institutional, foundation or government use.
The house’s desirable width and its impressive depth (built with a partial extension almost full on the 100’ lot) both enable a buyer a multitude of options in laying out a grandly scaled home that can easily accommodate 5 or 6 bedrooms, all with baths en-suite; two floors dedicated to entertaining, including a huge eat-in chef’s kitchen with separate breakfast room; a luxuriously scaled, full floor master suite with two dressing rooms, a sitting room/study, and an enormous master bath. All of this could be crowned by a planted and furnished roof deck with spectacular city views. The house is approximately 13,000+/- square feet inclusive of the full height cellar. All ceilings were dropped 8-12+ inches for recessed lighting in the 1980s, and currently measure 9 ft. on the 1st floor, 12.5 ft. on the parlor floor, 10.5 ft. on the 3rd floor, and 10 ft. on the 4th and 5th floors.
Designed by the renowned C.P.H. Gilbert, architect of many of Fifth Avenue’s storied early 20th century mansions, the house’s handsome classical facade features: a rusticated stone base with Flemish bond brick with yellow headers at the upper floors; a heavy stone lintel on brackets over central entrance; a wrought-iron balcony across the second floor; and a modillioned Renaissance-style roof cornice.
45 East 68th Street was constructed in 1911-12 by Gilbert for Emily Brewster Frelinghuysen. The Frelinghuysen family were prominent and successful in business and politics, with an illustrious past extending to pre-Revolutionary War America. In 1953, the house was purchased by actors and journalists Richard Kollmar and Dorothy Kilgallen. They broadcast their popular 1950s "Dorothy and Dick” breakfast show on the radio from the fourth floor studio of the house. Kilgallen was most famous as the star of the iconic American television series "What's My Line?" This is truly an extraordinary opportunity to create a grandly proportioned home in a prime Upper East Side location. 45 East 68th Street is an exceptional townhouse offering – one not to be missed.
Listing History for 45 East 68th Street
Now
09/23/2021
$15,491,250
Sold and Closed by Joshua Wesoky
Compass
07/20/2021
Contract Signed by Joshua Wesoky
Compass
Building Details for 45 East 68th Street
OwnershipMulti-Family
Building TypeTownhouse
Service LevelVoice Intercom
AgePre-War
AccessWalk-up
Year Built1920
Floors/Apts5/5
Transit and Citi Bike
Subway
68 St-Hunter College
0.17 miles
Lexington Av/63 St
0.32 miles
72 St
0.44 miles
Lexington Av/59 St
0.45 miles
5 Av/59 St
0.46 miles
Citi Bike
E 70 St & Madison Ave
0.1 miles
E 67 St & Park Ave
0.11 miles
Upper East Side | Manhattan
Quick Profile
Exuding a cosmopolitan, refined air that is reminiscent of Paris or other European cities, the Upper East Side (the UES, to local cognoscenti) has a reputation as being a bastion of wealth and privilege. Even though it was built by American “royalty” families like the Vanderbilts, Roosevelts, Kennedys, Carnegies and Rockefellers, whose elaborate mansions once anchored Fifth Avenue, there are affordable housing options throughout the neighborhood. The further east you move, away from Central Park and the more commercial avenues, the more likely you are to find quiet, tree-lined streets with historic townhouses and brownstones. Keep your eye out for reasonably priced apartments in pre-war low-rise and even a few high-rise buildings.
With abundant, beautifully landscaped green spaces, including the oasis of Central Park acting like a backyard, the area is quiet and lushly green. You can relax and unwind in John Jay Park, Carl Schurz Park or take a stroll along the East River Promenade. The whole neighborhood seems isolated from the workaday chaos of the city at large. Add to that the history of the neighborhood and the abundance of cultural institutions, and you have a uniquely welcoming neighborhood.
Known for its abundance of high-end retail shopping, especially on Madison Avenue, the Upper East Side is host to the Barneys New York flagship department store. Here you can find upscale goods, fashion and home decor items. You will also find the edgy runway-inspired Alexander McQueen collections. If you are dying to treat your feet to red-soled opulence, be sure to visit the Christian Louboutin boutique. These are only a small sampling of this high-end shopper’s paradise that features everything from designer boutiques that offer the ultimate in haute couture to resale shops where you can find last season’s best on sale at hefty discounts .
There are many unique dining experiences, from fine dining to the casual bite-on-the-go, awaiting you in the UES. Sushi is going through a renaissance in the city, and the best omakase-style sushi can be found at Sasabune on E 73rd Street. Omakase sushi means that you leave the choice of ingredients, preparation method and presentation to the chef. Elegant French cuisine can be experienced at JoJo, E 64th Street, housed in gorgeous townhouse. Just for fun, visit the Lexington Candy Shop on Lexington Avenue, to get a taste of an old-fashioned soda fountain.
All information furnished regarding property for sale, rental or financing is from sources deemed reliable, but no warranty or representation is made as to the accuracy thereof and same is submitted subject to errors, omissions, change of price, rental or other conditions, prior sale, lease or financing or withdrawal without notice. All dimensions are approximate. For exact dimensions, you must hire your own architect or engineer.
OLR ID: 70909TH
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