220 Central Park South facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 220 Central Park South |
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Seen from Ninth Avenue in 2019
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Architectural style | New Classical |
| Address | 220 Central Park South |
| Town or city | New York City |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°46′01″N 73°58′51″W / 40.76694°N 73.98083°W |
| Groundbreaking | 2013 |
| Completed | 2019 |
| Opened | 2018 |
| Cost | $1.4 billion |
| Owner | Vornado Realty Trust |
| Height | |
| Architectural | 953 feet (290 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 70 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Robert A.M. Stern Architects & Thierry Despont |
| Structural engineer | DeSimone Consulting Engineers |
220 Central Park South is a very tall residential building, called a skyscraper, located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It stands along an area known as Billionaires' Row, right next to Central Park South. The building has two main parts: a huge 70-story tower that is about 950 feet (290 meters) tall, and a smaller 18-story section. The tall tower is one of the tallest buildings in New York City.
The building was designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects and SLCE Architects. Thierry Despont designed the inside of the apartments. The outside of the building is made of limestone, which helps it fit in with other classic buildings around Central Park. Most of the 118 apartments inside are duplex apartments, meaning they have two floors. Some apartments were even combined to create very large homes, like penthouses. The building also has cool features like a special driveway for cars, a wine cellar, private dining rooms, and fun places for sports and games.
Vornado Realty Trust built 220 Central Park South. They bought the land in 2005, which used to have an older apartment building. It took a long time to start building because of a lawsuit with the people living in the old building. Vornado also had a disagreement with another company, Extell, about blocking views of their nearby tower. After these issues were settled, construction began. The first residents moved in during 2018.
The apartments at 220 Central Park South are some of the most expensive in New York City. Many buyers keep their identities a secret. In 2019, a billionaire named Kenneth C. Griffin bought an apartment for $238 million. This was the most expensive home ever sold in the United States at that time!
Contents
Where is 220 Central Park South Located?
220 Central Park South is in the Midtown Manhattan area of New York City. It's just east of Columbus Circle and south of Central Park. The building has entrances on both 58th Street to the south and Central Park South to the north. It sits in the middle of a city block.
Other buildings nearby include Gainsborough Studios and 240 Central Park South. It's also close to the Central Park Tower, which is another very tall building. 220 Central Park South is part of a group of super-tall buildings near 57th Street and Central Park. This area is often called Billionaires' Row because of the many expensive homes there.
The land where 220 Central Park South now stands used to have a 20-story apartment building. That old building was built in 1954 and had 125 apartments. It was taken down between 2012 and 2013 to make way for the new skyscraper.
How Was 220 Central Park South Designed?
Robert A.M. Stern Architects designed 220 Central Park South. They are known for designing other tall buildings in New York City. Thierry Despont designed the inside of the building. The company DeSimone Consulting Engineers worked on the building's structure.
Building Shape and Height
The building has two main parts. There's a very tall 70-story tower on 58th Street. It stands about 952 feet (290 meters) tall. The upper floors of this tower are quite narrow. This makes it one of New York City's "pencil towers." These tall, slender buildings are designed so that many apartments can have great views, especially of Central Park.
The other part of the building is shorter, only 18 stories tall. It's called "The Villas" and is located on Central Park South. This section has some steps back on its upper floors and metal balconies. Both parts of the building share a main entrance lobby and a three-story basement.
Outside Look (Facade)
220 Central Park South has a beautiful outside made of limestone. This is similar to other buildings designed by Robert A.M. Stern. The limestone helps the building look like it belongs with the older, classic buildings around Central Park. The designers wanted it to feel like part of the "family of buildings" that have always been around the park.
Because the building is so tall, they couldn't use traditional hand-set limestone. Instead, they used a special "curtain wall" system with limestone panels and large windows. The building also has a fancy decorative crown at the very top.
Inside the Building
Apartments
There are 118 apartments in 220 Central Park South. Most of them are duplex apartments, meaning they have two floors connected by an internal staircase. The apartments feature nice details like oak wood floors and marble in the kitchens and bathrooms. Some of the apartments are very large, taking up an entire floor or even multiple floors. For example, one "mega condo" was created by combining five units into a four-story home.
Special Features and Fun Stuff
The building has a special covered driveway called a porte-cochere. This is where cars can drop off and pick up residents and their guests.
Residents at 220 Central Park South can enjoy many cool amenities:
- A wine cellar
- An 82-foot (25-meter) long saltwater swimming pool
- Private dining rooms
- A fitness center
- A juice bar
- A library
- A basketball court
- A golf simulator
- A children's play area
There's even a private restaurant on the second floor just for residents, run by a famous chef named Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
History of 220 Central Park South
Getting the Land and Planning
In 2005, Vornado Realty Trust bought the old apartment building at 220 Central Park South for $136.6 million. They wanted to tear it down and build a new, tall glass tower. However, some people living in the old building had special "rent-stabilized" apartments and didn't want to leave. They filed a lawsuit against Vornado. This caused delays, and the old building wasn't fully taken down until 2013. Vornado eventually paid money to the remaining tenants to help them move.
Vornado also had a big disagreement with another real estate company called Extell Development. Extell owned a parking garage on part of the land. Extell was worried that Vornado's new building would block the views from their own tall building, the Central Park Tower, which was being built nearby. After a long dispute, the two companies reached an agreement in 2013. Vornado paid Extell $194 million for the garage and some "air rights" (the right to build in the air above a property). This deal allowed both buildings to be designed so they would still have good views.
Building the Skyscraper
In early 2014, Vornado got a large loan of $600 million from the Bank of China to start building. Robert A. M. Stern's updated designs for the building were approved. Construction of the foundations began in May 2014. Workers had to use special methods, like manual hammering and controlled blasts, to avoid damaging nearby buildings.
By May 2015, even before apartments were publicly offered for sale, about a third of them were already "in contract." This meant buyers had agreed to purchase them, totaling $1.1 billion! The building's base was under construction by late 2015. The tower grew quickly, reaching 15 stories by February 2016 and 25 stories by May.
The construction process was kept very private. Vornado didn't share many updates on sales. This was done to keep information secret from other companies. Reporters had to use special requests to get details about the building's plans and prices.
Finishing the Building
The outside of the building was mostly finished by September 2018. By then, about 83% of the apartments were under sales contracts. The first residents started moving into their new homes in late 2018.
By July 2019, the building was almost completely finished on the outside. The total cost to build 220 Central Park South was about $1.5 billion. Even during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, when many real estate sales slowed down, apartments at 220 Central Park South continued to be among the most expensive sold in New York City.
Who Lives at 220 Central Park South?
Many people who bought apartments at 220 Central Park South chose to keep their names secret. They often bought their homes through special companies called limited liability companies. The company that developed the building, Vornado, and the real estate agents did not share who the buyers were.
The building also didn't have a public website, which is unusual for such a fancy condominium. People who wanted to buy an apartment had to be represented by a real estate agent. They also had to fill out a questionnaire with personal questions. If their answers were good enough, they could visit a sales office. The CEO of Vornado, Steven Roth, would even personally interview potential buyers! This made it very exclusive.
Some of the famous people and important business leaders who are known to have bought apartments here include:
- Renata de Camargo Nascimento, a co-owner of a Brazilian construction company.
- Albert Behler, CEO of Paramount Group.
- Byron Allen, CEO of Entertainment Studios.
- Eric Smidt, CEO of Harbor Freight Tools.
- Billionaire hedge fund managers Daniel Och and Kenneth C. Griffin.
- Real estate developer David Mandelbaum.
- Musician Sting and his wife, actress Trudie Styler.
Apartment Sales Records
The first apartment sale was completed on October 24, 2018, for $16.4 million. The first apartment in "The Villas" section was sold in May 2019.
220 Central Park South has seen some of the most expensive home sales in New York City's history.
- In January 2019, Kenneth C. Griffin bought a four-floor "mega condo" for an amazing $238 million. This became the most expensive home ever sold in the United States at that time!
- In December 2019, an unknown buyer purchased a two-floor apartment at the top of the building for $100 million. This was the third most expensive home sale in New York City.
See also
In Spanish: 220 Central Park South para niños
