Summit, 222 East 44th Street: Review and Ratings

Review of 222 East 44th Street by Carter Horsley

This 41-story glass apartment tower at 222 East 44th Street in Midtown East between Third and Second avenues was erected in 2019 by BLDG Management.  

It has 429 rental apartments of which 109 are "affordable." 

The building is known as Summit. 

BLDG is headed by Lloyd Goldman, a nephew of the late Sol Goldman, one of the city's legendary assemblers,  Its national portfolio includes about 3,000 residential units and 20 million square feet of commercial space.  This tower is its first ground-up residential development in the city. 

It was designed by Handel Architects and SLCE is the "executive" architect.  Escobar Design handled the interiors. 

The site was formerly occupied by a 10-story garage and the new tower sits on it at an angled. 

The building has 2,300 square feet of ground floor retail space and is across the street from two other tall modern mid-block buildings.

Bottom Line

An angled, reflective-glass, mid-block, rental apartment tower with a driveway in Midtown East between Grand Central Terminal and the United Nations that looks a bit pinched at its east and west tops and with angled balconies sculpturally squeezed out on most façades.

Description

The tower is shifted 45 degrees on its site and its short north and south ends are chamfered and its long east and west façades are sharply angled inward at their centers near the top  There are angled balconies on most sides but they are placed only at every three floors and some of the façades are sheer. 

The building has a 30-foot-high lobby that opens onto a reflecting pool with a 32-foot-high waterfall.

Amenities

The tower has a 41st floor lounge with a dining room, a children's playroom, a screening room, an indoor swimming pool, outdoor terrace, a fitness center, a golf simulator and basketball court.  The building also has a concierge and a 230-car garage and a double-height lobby that opens onto a reflecting pool with a 32-foot-high waterfall.  The building's amenities are available to the "affordable" units for a fee.