740 Park gets most of the pub, but where would it and other Upper East Side co-ops of its ilk be without the limestone goodness of 998 Fifth Avenue? As the Times recently recounted, the McKim, Mead & White building was the first to attract the ultra-wealthy to apartment living, putting the "Gold" in Gold Coast a century ago by attracting names like Guggenheim and Vanderbilt. But townhouse living still ruled the day, making 998 Fifth's maisonette?with an additional private address of 999 Fifth Avenue?the perfect mashup of turn-of-the-century luxury. That piece of blue blood history is now on the market for $24 million. Start prepping that board approval packet!
The 12-story building across the street from the Met, which now houses Bronfmans, Milsteins and Blavatniks, loves keeping things secret. The Observer's Max Abelson was nearly run out of town by irate brokers when he dared to inquire about a "quiet" megalisting in the building. We're not certain who owns the 5,000-square-foot maisonette these days, but we know it's not Constance Milstein, who wants $23 million upstairs. We're also not sure which "award-winning architect" is responsible for renovating the five-bedroom home. Spill the beans in the comments if you know, but in the meantime, a bit of brokerbabble for the pre-war obsessives:
The Great Room easily houses a grand piano and multiple sitting areas. It retains the original sconces, wood paneling and Tennessee marble floors as they have been restored. The light-filled, beautifully proportioned living room and dining room with wood burning fireplace and fourteen foot ceilings has enormous windows along Fifth. Through solid mahogany doors, one enters a beautiful master bedroom suite with wood burning fireplace, an oversized dressing room customized to hold the most elaborate of wardrobes, an en suite master bath with mosaic tile floors and marble bathing tub and shower.Here's the floorplan for those of us who like to fantasize about new digs for our most elaborate of wardrobes:
UPDATE: Upper East Side town historian Michael Gross chimes in with some interesting 998 Fifth backstory, including an unreported near-takeover of the building by the Met. Also, a tipster writes in suggesting that a Beinecke currently owns the maisonette. Perhaps Frederick W. Beinecke?
· Listing: 998 Fifth Avenue [Stribling]
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