A lone 1880's brick Queen Anne-style home on Park Avenue between 78th and 79th streets is being converted back into the single-family home it was built as. The building is owned by Walter Schick, who YIMBY says purchased it in 1997 from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development when it was in foreclosure. Since, Schick has really done nothing to or with the building (which came with a few renters), and as of 2012, had but one rent-controlled tenant who signed a $121 lease for apartment 4R in 1967. Word is Schick was waiting for the 84-year old tenant to vacate the premises in any capacity before funneling any dough into the place. The renovation, announced via alteration permits filed last week, will adjoin the building's six apartments to create a five-story, 6,300-square-foot home. Whether Schick will live there or not is unclear.
Formerly compared to "a fading gentleman in a tattered old dinner jacket" by the New York Times, the home has a fascinating history. Daytonian in Manhattan writes that its first owner was disgraced stockbroker Harry A. Groesbeck, and it later came to be owned by an engineering firm which started dividing it for commercial use. Early 20th century socialite Rosina Hoyt owned the home in the 20's, and in the 50's and 60's it served as the clubhouse for the Academy of American Poets. After years of neglect and quartering, the home will (hopefully) now return to its intended use.
· 890 Park Avenue being converted Into Single-Family Mansion [YIMBY]
· The Stubborn Survivor at No. 890 Park Avenue [DiM]
· Meet the Neglected Wrecks of Park Avenue's Gold Coast [Curbed]
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