168 East 93rd Street

19TH CENTURY ENTREPRENEURS
Only one block south of Hellgate Hill, which runs from 94th to 95th Streets between Lexington and Third Avenues, lies another remarkable block of Carnegie Hill brownstones. Built in the 1860s, when Lexington Avenue did not yet reach the area, these blocks were known in the late 1800s for the Ehret Mansion built by the founder of the Ehret Brewery from which Hellgate Hill derives its name.


While many of the rowhouses of East 93rd Street between Lexington and Third were built for or later purchased by brewery executives, census records indicate a more eclectic group of owners ranging from lime dealers, artisans, lawyers, steamboat captains, and most well-known: the Marx Brothers.

THE BLOCK
While the faade of 179 East 93rd Street has been altered significantly from the original, in his 1961 biography Harpo Marx recalls "learning to tell time by looking at the Ehret Brewery clock" on East 93rd Street. The family would later move to Chicago in 1910.

Built in three groups, the rows of 158-166, 168-176, and 178-182 on the southern side of the block vary slightly in style - 168 and several of its neighbors are among the few to retain their front stoop and three-window configuration whereas 158-166 feature a two-window configuration.

An exceptional group was developed by George Beale, a wool merchant responsible for 158-166 East 93; Beale lived one block south. The Ehret and Ruppert breweries were no more than a block away. This block, much like Hellgate Hill, is a unique example of townhouses built for or later owned by those with a close connection to local business or were already living in the blocks nearby.

THE TOWNHOUSE TODAY
Located outside of all historic districts, 20 feet in width, 168 East 93rd Street is currently arranged as a single-family townhouse built approximately 48.5 feet on the garden floor with a 40-foot-deep south facing garden. Without the restriction of Landmarks and the 20-foot width, the potential exists to create a much larger home while modernizing the systems of this townhouse for 21st century living.

Built four levels with approximately 3700sf in total, and room enough to create five or more bedrooms, the ground floor kitchen and living room open directly onto the southern garden while the parlor floor with 10'9" ceilings is a superb entertaining floor. Floors three and four are currently arranged with bedrooms and an additional kitchen on the top floor.

The rear garden contains mature magnolia and dogwood trees.

CARNEGIE HILL
Feeling more like a village nestled amid the busy city, the Carnegie Hill neighborhood provides every convenience of everyday living; the finest schools, shops, museums and parks all amid some of the most beautiful tree-lined blocks in the city. Multiple neighborhood and block associations work tirelessly to preserve the beauty and safety of this treasured neighborhood.