340 Riverside Drive, 12-A

The finest classic 6 on Riverside Drive with wondrous aerial views from every window. Non-pareil sunsets paint the sky. Admiring the outlook, Jasper Johns chose to live in the penthouse of 340 Riverside Drive. A large foyer opens into a spectacular 25 foot living room. From a brilliant 20 foot formal dining room, one can see down the river for miles. In a separate wing, a splendid primary bedroom wraps the high southwest corner of the building. There is a 2nd generous river view bedroom, three full baths, a large staff suite/3rd bedroom and a large, sunlit, eat in kitchen. High ceilings, original oak floors, oversized windows, grand scale rooms, washer/dryer and a welcoming luminosity add to the ambiance of this dramatic residence. The long bluff over the river where 340 Riverside stands was once a lookout for the indigenous Lenape people. Centuries later, Duke Ellington, the block now named after him, owned a Beaux Arts mansion across the street. On November 10, 1956, Billie Holliday performed at a sold-out Carnegie Hall. Eight days later, she appeared in the living room of the apartment below, singing "Good Morning Heartache," "Lady Sings the Blues" and "You Go to My Head." Built in 1926, 340 Riverside Drive has full 24-hour doorman service, a bike room, bin storage and laundry. It anchors a landmark block, one of three in a row, featuring an array of splendid fin de siecle townhouses named the Seven Beauties and perhaps the grandest, stand-alone mansion in Manhattan with its own moat. D. J. Wakin whose recent book details the history of the area writes, "Being there conveyed a sense of arriving."