435 E 52ND Street #20TH/21ST

Perched high in the tower of the legendary River House this exceptional duplex apartment ranks amongst the greatest apartments in the city. It is a perfect example of pre-war architecture at its best; the generous scale of the rooms, the original architectural integrity, the extraordinary light and the magical views from every room all combine to create a truly unique offering. The private elevator landing on the 20th floor opens into a gracious entrance gallery with beautiful curved staircase and numerous architectural elements that draw your eye towards the reception rooms where the views up and down the East River assail you from every window. The proportions of these rooms have been masterfully conceived to create a sense of balance where intimacy and warmth prevail. The living room with wood burning fireplace and three large east windows is grand but inviting, the double aspect library, designed by famed decorator Billy Baldwin, is captivating with light reflected from the river pouring in all day and wide open southern exposures, and the stately formal dining room affords iconic views of the 59th Street Bridge spanning the East River to the north. Also accessed from the gallery is a charming bar room which offers guests the perfect Manhattan river and skyline view, and a discrete hallway leads to the powder room. This floor is served by a kitchen designed to facilitate entertaining whilst still meeting everyday needs. There is a large pantry, a breakfast/sitting room, an original silver safe, a wine room equipped to handle an extensive collection, as well as offering fur storage, and five staff rooms with two bathrooms that could easily be converted for use as a gym, playroom, office etc. whilst still retaining room for staff. The 21st floor is accessible by the staircase or directly from the passenger elevator. Originally comprising six large bedrooms this floor is currently arranged with a spacious double primary suite of north-east corner bedroom, private sitting room with wood burning fireplace, two over-sized bathrooms and ample closets. Two more large bedroom suites occupy the south-east and south-west corners, a fourth bedroom the north-west corner and a potential 5th bedroom is currently used for a sauna room with adjacent bathroom and storage. Available for the first time in almost fifty years this apartment offers a truly unique opportunity to acquire a beautifully maintained, coveted tower duplex with enormous potential to meet the needs of the most demanding buyer.