Looming over the corner of 77th Street and Fifth Avenue, the limestone behemoth at 960 Fifth Avenue is an acknowledged masterpiece of twentieth-century luxury. Robert A. M. Stern, the designer of 15 Central Park West and numerous other elite Manhattan palaces, has acknowledged 960 Fifth Avenue as a source of inspiration. The building was designed by the great architect Rosario Candela, in collusion with the firm of Warren and Wetmore, and completed in 1929.
It remains, according to the New York Observer, “probably the finest apartment house in the country.” Denise LeFrak Calicchio, in High Rise Low Down, wrote that the structure “unabashedly asserts its aura of solid wealth,” noting its “facade garlanded by eleven mysterious hooded figures.”
Each apartment in the building is unique, in contrast with the repeated layouts which are common to most Manhattan towers. The most prestigious unit, known as the Georgian Suite, even has its own entrance (at 1A East 77th Street). The building is also noteworthy for its imposing cast-iron marquee (in addition to the usual canopy), and its luxurious, residents-only restaurant.
Needless to say, 960 Fifth Avenue is not for cosmopolitan aspirants who are just starting out. Last year, it was reported that shopping center baron Murray H. Goodman, who had purchased a 5,300-square-foot, thirteen-room duplex in the 1980s for $1.41 million, was looking to sell – for $22 million. (He eventually took $18.88 million, from steel and iron executive Benjamin Steinbruch.) Incredibly enough, during the city’s financial crisis of the 1970s, the Georgian Suite was put on the market for a mere $160,000.
Other recent residents of note include Venezuelan billionaire Gustavos Cisneros, Canadian liquor baron Edgar Bronfman, and former Goldman Sachs chair Roy J. Zuckerberg. The tower was also once home to Claus von Bulow, who sold his 960 Fifth Avenue apartment after being acquitted of attempting to murder his wife.
Why not strive for the best? Visit our listings page for 960 Fifth Avenue, or call (877) 852-6636 to speak with a representative.
