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Inside a US$169 million NYC penthouse in the controversial 432 Park Avenue building

The 432 Park Avenue building in New York City has been subject to controversy in the past few years, with reports of apartments flooding and the building swaying in the wind because of its 426m height.

The entire 432 Park Avenue building was previously steeped in an air of mystery that attracted its multi-millionaire clientele, as nobody outside of prospective buyers had ever seen inside the coveted apartments. Previous residents include Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez, who bought and sold their apartment within one year.

But real estate agent Ryan Serhant just uploaded to his popular YouTube channel an inside look into the $169 million penthouse, which is currently for sale. When it first came on the market in 2015, the apartment’s asking price was approximately $90 million.

The penthouse spans the entire 96th floor, with a total of 767sq m.

The apartment features six bedrooms plus a library, seven full bathrooms, two powder rooms, and a collection of high-end fixtures and finishes like herringbone white oak floors. As an added bonus, the $169 million price tag includes designer furniture from Fendi, Bentley, and Hermes.

The Serhant listing describes the private elevator landing opening out to a sweeping east-facing great room with a wood-burning fireplace and a formal dining area. The eat-in kitchen has stunning views of Central Park.

Source: Ryan Serhant

The primary suite is a sanctuary corner retreat with Central Park views, a sitting room, and couples’ walk-through dressing rooms that lead to separate windowed bathrooms with slab marble walls, radiant heated floors, custom wood cabinets, floating tubs with incredible views, and carved oval sinks.

Each of the remaining five bedrooms have ample closet space and a full ensuite bathroom.

On top of the $169 million price tag, the buyer will have to take into consideration common charges of US$24,012 and monthly taxes of US$14,811. According to the New York Times, some 432 Park residents are facing upwards of US$82,000 in late fees and interest for resumes to cover the recent increases in common charges.

Source: Ryan Serhant
Source: Ryan Serhant

The 432 Park Avenue building is the third highest in New York City. It is currently, beaten by the One World Trade Centre (541 metres) and the residential skyscraper Central Park tower (472 metres).

While impressive, its immense height couple by its ‘pencil tower’ design has caused huge problems for the residents.

Source: Ryan Serhant
Source: Ryan Serhant

According to the New York Times, 432 Park’s residents have struggled to contact developers over issues such as “millions of dollars of water damage from plumbing and mechanical issues; frequent elevator malfunctions and walls that creak like the galley of a ship”.

This is primarily down to the slim design of the building, which apparently has a height-to-width ratio of 15:1. Comparatively, if you put a standard ruler upright, it has a ratio of 12:1, according to The Guardian.

Source: @LouisaTalksBuildings on TikTok

Social media was also abuzz about 432 Park Avenue, even before the new footage was released. One of the most prominent voices is a TikTok account called @LouisaTalksBuildings, formally known as ‘432parkavehatepage’.

She joked a building swaying should be reserved for an amusement park ride, not as a feature of a “building designed for billionaires”.

One commonly contested feature of the building is the prominent gaps in its design. These mechanical floors apparently were designed so the building wouldn’t ‘snap in half’ in the wind, as it was described by one YouTuber.

There are reports the 432 Park Avenue’s developers allegedly ‘exploited’ a planning law loophole with these gaps, which normally don’t count towards a building’s maximum height, according to Surface Magazine. These floors were apparently made especially tall.

However, it is reported many other tall buildings sway in the wind, including the Empire State Building.

Source: @LouisaTalksBuildings on TikTok

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Jessamy Tredinnick

Jessamy Tredinnick was the news journalist for Elite Agent Magazine from June 2021 - October 2021. For current stories, news alerts or pitches, please email editor@eliteagent.com.au.