The Monarch, 200 East 89th Street: Review and Ratings

Review of 200 East 89th Street by Carter Horsley

The 44-story Monarch condominium at 200 East 89^th Street is one of Third Avenue's most handsome buildings.

It was completed in 1986.

Its slender tower seems to burst with balconies not only at its corners but also in the middle of its north and south façades. 

The architects - Schuman, Lichtenstein, Claman & Efron - did a laudable job of designing the layouts so that the balconies, many of which wrap around the building's corners, create a richly rhythmic pattern that greatly enhances an otherwise straightforward slab tower. 

The building was developed by Thomas Kenneth and Stephen LaSala and J. I. Sopher Inc. 

About three-quarters of the 263 units are one-bedroom apartments, which helps to explain the proliferation of balconies. 

Bottom Line

A full-service building with a distinctive tower and base and many balconies, this edifice is one of the most unique ones in Yorkville and has impressive views.

This building has a prime Yorkville location. It is on the same block as Wankel’s Hardware, half a block south of Mr. Wright’s Liquor Store, across the avenue from Wok 88, a very fine Chinese restaurant, and Tiny Thai, a charming Thai restaurant, and a block south of Parlor Steakhouse.  It is also a block away from a great fruit store on Lexington Avenue.

Description

The vertical grills of the rectilinear balconies are very attractive and add considerable detailing and finesse to the light beige-colored façades. 

The building is also notable for its large health club and pool facility on a low terrace that has a large glass roof that is curved at the ends. This circular motif is picked up in oculi - small, round windows - on part of the low-rise base of the tower, which is very nicely banded.

The health club facility is at the east side of the tower where the building's glass canopy is over a 7-step-up entrance to the revolving door entrance.

Amenities

It has a 24-hour concierge and doorman, a garage, a live-in superintendent, a fitness center with a pool, climate control units in the apartments, valet service and a garage.

Apartments

Apartment 16C is a one-bedroom unit with a 8-foot-long pass-through kitchen and a 21-foot-long, corner living/dining with a wrap-around terrace. 

Apartment 23CD is a two-bedroom unit with a 10-foot-long pass-through kitchen that leads to a 21-foot-long living/dining room with a balcony. It also has a 10-foot-long alcove and an balcony. 

Apartment 27D is a three-bedroom unit that has an entry foyer that leads past a 7-foot-long, pass-through kitchen to a 22-foot-long living and dining room with a balcony. One of the bedrooms also has a small balcony. 

Apartment 44N is a triplex with two bedrooms on its mid-level, a 22-foot-long living/dining, an open kitchen with an island and a balcony on the lower level. It also has a large sun room on its top level with a very large three-sided terrace. 

Apartment 45A is a duplex one-bedroom unit with a foyer leading past a 9-foot-enclosed kitchen to a dining area and a 19-foot-long corner living room with a wrap-around terrace and an 11-foot-long office. The bedroom has a small terrace and a spiral staircase leads to a 20-foot-wide upper level with a hot hub and a very large rooftop.