Updated 5 years ago
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163 East 78th Street
Upper East Side, Manhattan | Lexington Ave & Third Ave
12 Rooms5 Beds4.5 Baths6,157 Square FeetSingle Family
$14,950,000
floors / apts4 / 1
Lot Size36'x102'
Built Size36'x38'
ZoneR8B
Building TypeTownhouse
RE Taxes$84,541
Price Per SF
$2,428
This property was sold for $11,000,000 on 06/30/21.
Listing Features
- Beamed Ceilings
Outdoor space and views
- Garden [34'x37']
- Terrace [24'x15']
Building Amenities
- Voice Intercom
- Garden
Property Description for 163 East 78th Street
HIGH, WIDE AND HANDSOME
This house has it all: 36 feet in width, gated garden entry, a massive rear garden and six windows across the front facade. It has been an exemplary residence since its conception, created by a family of entrepreneurs.
BORN ELINOR STEINER
The daughter of Sadie and Samuel Steiner, the largest hop distributors in the United States at the turn of the last century, Elinor Gimbel was a politically active leader in women's rights during and after World War II. A graduate of the Calhoun School, she founded a powerful women's committee to support FDR's third term and the Committee for the Care of Children in Wartime which drew attention to the lack of government support for working mothers during wartime.
THE GIMBEL LEGACY
Bavarian-born Adam Gimbel immigrated to the United States in 1835, eventually settling in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he purchased a 4-story elevatored building on Wisconsin Avenue for his dry goods department store, the largest in the city with nearly 75 employees. Later he expanded to Philadelphia and formed The Gimbel Brothers Company. Adam and his wife, Fridolyn, would go on to have 11 children with 7 working in the family business, most notably Louis, Sr. whose son Louis, Jr., would go on to marry Elinor and make 163 East 78th Street their home for many years.
BUILT IN 1861, COMBINED IN 1911
Following the 1861 opening of East 78th Street, painter John Turner brought his vision to architecture and engaged builder Henry Armstrong to construct 11 rowhouses in the brick Italianate style, only five of which remain today. Fifty years after they were built, numbers 163 and 165 were combined into the 36-foot-wide townhouse which stands today. Combining two 18-foot-wide townhouses with three window bays each created a magnificent faade of six window bays, bringing light into every facet of this townhouse. 157 East 78th Street would later be owned by S. Stinor Gimbel, one of Elinor and Louis, Jr.'s three children.
THE RESIDENCE TODAY
Immediately the six window bays of this 36-foot-wide facade capture your attention before entering this magnificent single-family home. Currently built approximately 6,157sf above grade with an approximately 1,514sf basement and a total of over 2,200sf of outdoor space which includes the front garden, rear garden and parlor level terrace.
From the outer wrought-iron gate, this four-story single-family townhouse begins with a deep forecourt of terra cotta stone shaded by mature trees that create an etching of light against the faade when they are in full leaf. With a center door and eastern service door, the at-grade entry to this residence opens into a massive front hall with a coat closet and powder room. There is a guest bedroom with full bath facing the forecourt and East 78th Street. Past the main stair, enter the large dining room with fireplace which is open onto the living room with fireplace. On the eastern side of the garden level is the large chef's kitchen with center island which is open to both the living room and dining room.
There are two doors leading to the astounding north-facing garden which measures 34 x 37 feet at its deepest points. With a stair leading to the basement level, a full-size basketball hoop, mature plantings and walls of ivy, as well as two doors leading back into the garden floor, this garden is completely unique.
The parlor floor includes a 36-foot-wide living room facing south with six window bays and two fireplaces. There is a sitting room with access to the wide parlor floor terrace overlooking the garden, as well as a large library replete with built-in bookshelves. Each of the six windows measures 8'3" and ceilings are 10'3" on the parlor floor.
Floors three and four offer five to six bedrooms depending on how each floor is used. The third floor includes the master suite with a marble bath, fireplace, as well as a separate office and second bedroom with a second full bath off the hallway. The fourth floor includes three bedrooms with en-suite baths and a large "hang-out room" joining the bedrooms together.
With its comfort and privacy, this is the kind of townhouse you can wait decades for. And here it is
This house has it all: 36 feet in width, gated garden entry, a massive rear garden and six windows across the front facade. It has been an exemplary residence since its conception, created by a family of entrepreneurs.
BORN ELINOR STEINER
The daughter of Sadie and Samuel Steiner, the largest hop distributors in the United States at the turn of the last century, Elinor Gimbel was a politically active leader in women's rights during and after World War II. A graduate of the Calhoun School, she founded a powerful women's committee to support FDR's third term and the Committee for the Care of Children in Wartime which drew attention to the lack of government support for working mothers during wartime.
THE GIMBEL LEGACY
Bavarian-born Adam Gimbel immigrated to the United States in 1835, eventually settling in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he purchased a 4-story elevatored building on Wisconsin Avenue for his dry goods department store, the largest in the city with nearly 75 employees. Later he expanded to Philadelphia and formed The Gimbel Brothers Company. Adam and his wife, Fridolyn, would go on to have 11 children with 7 working in the family business, most notably Louis, Sr. whose son Louis, Jr., would go on to marry Elinor and make 163 East 78th Street their home for many years.
BUILT IN 1861, COMBINED IN 1911
Following the 1861 opening of East 78th Street, painter John Turner brought his vision to architecture and engaged builder Henry Armstrong to construct 11 rowhouses in the brick Italianate style, only five of which remain today. Fifty years after they were built, numbers 163 and 165 were combined into the 36-foot-wide townhouse which stands today. Combining two 18-foot-wide townhouses with three window bays each created a magnificent faade of six window bays, bringing light into every facet of this townhouse. 157 East 78th Street would later be owned by S. Stinor Gimbel, one of Elinor and Louis, Jr.'s three children.
THE RESIDENCE TODAY
Immediately the six window bays of this 36-foot-wide facade capture your attention before entering this magnificent single-family home. Currently built approximately 6,157sf above grade with an approximately 1,514sf basement and a total of over 2,200sf of outdoor space which includes the front garden, rear garden and parlor level terrace.
From the outer wrought-iron gate, this four-story single-family townhouse begins with a deep forecourt of terra cotta stone shaded by mature trees that create an etching of light against the faade when they are in full leaf. With a center door and eastern service door, the at-grade entry to this residence opens into a massive front hall with a coat closet and powder room. There is a guest bedroom with full bath facing the forecourt and East 78th Street. Past the main stair, enter the large dining room with fireplace which is open onto the living room with fireplace. On the eastern side of the garden level is the large chef's kitchen with center island which is open to both the living room and dining room.
There are two doors leading to the astounding north-facing garden which measures 34 x 37 feet at its deepest points. With a stair leading to the basement level, a full-size basketball hoop, mature plantings and walls of ivy, as well as two doors leading back into the garden floor, this garden is completely unique.
The parlor floor includes a 36-foot-wide living room facing south with six window bays and two fireplaces. There is a sitting room with access to the wide parlor floor terrace overlooking the garden, as well as a large library replete with built-in bookshelves. Each of the six windows measures 8'3" and ceilings are 10'3" on the parlor floor.
Floors three and four offer five to six bedrooms depending on how each floor is used. The third floor includes the master suite with a marble bath, fireplace, as well as a separate office and second bedroom with a second full bath off the hallway. The fourth floor includes three bedrooms with en-suite baths and a large "hang-out room" joining the bedrooms together.
With its comfort and privacy, this is the kind of townhouse you can wait decades for. And here it is
Building Details for 163 East 78th Street
OwnershipSingle Family
Building TypeTownhouse
Service LevelVoice Intercom
AgePre-War
AccessWalk-up
Year Built1899
Floors/Apts4/1
Transit and Citi Bike
Subway
77 St
0.07 miles
72 St
0.37 miles
86 St
0.4 miles
86 St
0.45 miles
68 St-Hunter College
0.5 miles
Citi Bike
E 77 St & 3 Ave
0.07 miles
3 Ave & E 82 St
0.17 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: 72177TH
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