The Lucida, 151 East 85th Street: Review and Ratings

Review of 151 East 85th Street by Carter Horsley

This reflective-glass-clad, 21-story apartment building is known as the Lucida and was erected by the Extell Development Company.  It opened in 2009.

It has 122 apartments, 110 of which are condominiums and the remainder rentals.

It has an address of 151 East 85th Street, but is also known as 1269 Lexington Avenue. Its entrance is on the avenue next to a two-story-high, angled, bronze, cut-out planter that is very impressive.

This building was designed by Cook + Fox, the architects of the office tower on the northeast corner of the Avenue of the Americas and 42nd Street that is known as One Bryant Park.

Bottom Line

Large apartments in a faceted glass box at one of the major intersections on the Upper East Side, the Lucida is a full service luxury building that is very convenient to transportation, shopping, schools and museums.

Description

The glass-clad building occupies the avenue blockfront between 85th and 86th Streets and has substantial retail space on its first and second floors occupied by Barnes & Noble, Sephora and H & M. It also has an entrance to the uptown Lexington Avenue subway.

At first glance, The Lucida appears to be a sleek glass box, but its shape is actually more of an "L" and it has numerous setbacks, some of which are set at slight angles to the streetwall.  Some sections of the building appear slightly askew, which is a subtle and unusual touch as is the treatment of the glass façades that are a checkerboard-style mix of clear and silver grainy glass.

Its entrance on Lexington Avenue has a very long bronze marquee and a very tall perforated bronze architectural element with an organic pattern.

Amenities

The Lucida has a doorman, a concierge, a large lobby with a fireplace, a La Palestrina spa with a skylit pool, a residents’ lounge with catering kitchen, a bicycle room, basement storage, and a children's playroom designed by Kidville, NY.

It also has a wine cellar and a garage with valet parking.

S. Russell Groves designed the interior spaces.

The Lucida's promotional materials state that it is the first LEED-certified residential "green" building on the Upper East Side.

The building will irrigate its landscaping only with rainwater and filtered outside air will be delivered continuously to each apartment and indoor materials that emit common pollutants have been avoided. Other environmentally friendly features of the building include the use of "rapidly renewable materials such as bamboo, cork and palm wood" in the lobby and amenities spaces.

Apartments

The apartments, which range in size from two to six bedrooms, have 10-foot-high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and chocolate-stained oak floors.

Some units have terraces and there are a few with balconies at the rear of the building.

Master bathrooms have marble floors and maple and bamboo vanities with marble tops.

Apartments use sustainably-harvested wood.

Apartment 8D is a three-bedroom unit with an entrance gallery that leads to a living/dining area that is 28 feet long and has an open kitchen.

Apartment 10J is a three-bedroom unit with a very large living/dining area with an open kitchen and a very large master bedroom with two corner windows.

Apartment 16E is a three-bedroom unit with two large angled corner terraces overlooking 86^th Street and Lexington.

Apartment 10C is a four-bedroom unit with a 37-foot-long gallery/hall and a very large living/dining room with an open kitchen.

Apartment 17AC is a four-bedroom unit with a 33-foot-long living/dining area that opens onto a 19-foot-long media room that is adjacent to a 19-foot-long eat-in kitchen.  The apartment also has a 14-foot-long laundry room next to the kitchen and a 13-foot-long maid’s area.

Apartment 14A is a five-bedroom unit with a small gallery that leads to a very large living/dining area with windows on three sides and a very large enclosed kitchen with family lounge.  

Apartment 17DE has a 20-foot-long foyer that leads to a 26-foot long living room next to an enclosed 26-foot-long, eat-in kitchen.  The apartment also has a library.

Penthouse D is a three-bedroom duplex on the 20^th and 21^st floors with a very large terrace and living room and dining/family lounge with an open kitchen on the 20^th floor.

Penthouse G, also on the 20^th and 21^st floors is a five-bedroom duplex that has a very large living room that opens onto a large dining room next to an enclosed kitchen.  The lower floor has a long balcony that opens onto both the dining room and the kitchen.

Location

The building was built at the same time as The Related Companies was erecting a similar size apartment tower one block to the west on the southeast corner of Third Avenue. That red-brick and stone building is known as The Brompton and was designed by Robert A. M. Stern in a highly detailed, Post-Modern style.

In between The Lucida and the Brompton is a 36-story apartment tower at 185 East 85th Street.

The building is just to the west of a Fire Department station and there is considerable traffic on both 86^th Street and Lexington Avenue.

The building is convenient to many cultural institutions and schools in the neighborhood, which also has good retail and numerous restaurants.

There is excellent public transportation.