Which stately Upper East Side three-bedroom would you buy?

It’s a battle between Rosario Candela and Emory Roth

By Zoe Rosenberg@zoe_rosenberg Feb 2, 2018, 11:45am EST

Imagine you have around $4 million to spend on a place and you’ve narrowed it down to two Upper East Side three-bedrooms. How do you make up your mind? The answer is simple: You shove them into a metaphorical cage and let them battle it out until one emerges victorious. It’s time for Real Estate Deathmatch.

↓ First up is this $3.99 million three-bedroom in the Rosario Candela-designed co-op at 8 East 96th Street. The apartment has a long floorplan that separates the living areas from the bedrooms. On the apartment’s east end, there’s a corner dining room (currently being used as a den) and a breakfast area that leads to a powder room.

The small but very workable kitchen has been updated with white stone countertops, white cabinets, and a farmhouse sink. The traditional living room comes with a wood-burning fireplace.

The master bedroom has an en suite bathroom that goes unpictured, though the listing does mention it has heated floors. The two additional bedrooms share a full bathroom off the hallway.

The building is less than half a block from Central Park, and carries with it a $4,002/month maintenance fee. [Floorplan]

↓ A three-bedroom co-op at Emory Roth’s 21 East 87th Street is looking for $3.995 million. The apartment was originally configured as a classic eight, but the listing says the space has been reconfigured to “meet modern day needs by combining the 2 maid’s rooms into a glorious 20’x13’ den which opens to the kitchen.” A powder room sits off of the den.

The more formal living room with wood-burning fireplace is separated from the bedrooms by a gallery. The apartment’s corner master bedroom comes with an en suite bathroom and a walk-in closet. The two additional bedrooms share a bathroom, though one bedroom has direct access to it. There’s the added bonus of a cedar closet off of the entrance.

The building is nestled between Fifth and Madison avenues, making it less than a block to Central Park. Maintenance here runs $3,048. [Floorplan]