Influenced by traditional craftsmanship and the city's pre-war classics, 180 East 88th Street is a svelte and striking addition to the Upper East Side skyline granting its residents airy high-ceilinged apartments and panoramic views. As a more modern touch, an extensive amenity collection includes an indoor basketball half-court, an indoor soccer pitch, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and a private yoga studio; social offerings include a lounge, game room, wine room, and children's playroom. The 92nd Street Y ("92Y") will operate a community space within the building, and the building's partnership with 92Y grants residents priority access to programming. Now open for immediate occupancy with closings underway, the team is unloading the last of the building's 47 homes which are currently priced from $1.3M.
In this article:
In 2013, Joe McMillan's real estate investment and development company DDG purchased a 130,000-square-foot development site near the corner of East 88th Street and Third Avenue. Muss Development sold DDG the two-lot assemblage that held three walk-up buildings for $70 million.
From early on, signs pointed to a building with large apartments and incredible ceiling heights. Building permits filed in 2014 detailed a 31-story tower stretching 521 feet tall. The building would contain just 47 apartments spread across 130,000 square feet of residential space.
With no overall height limit, the L-shaped assemblage allowed DDG and their development partner Global Holdings to construct a tower that could rise higher than nearby buildings. The tower's supreme height (it's the city's tallest north of 72nd Street) provides a new icon on the East Side skyline and brings its residents unobstructed 360-degree views of the city, Central Park, and the East River.
Zoning prescribed a 60-85-foot streetwall before a 10' deep setback and that 55% of the building's floor area be located in stories under a height of 150'. The tower's mid-and upper-floors have ceiling heights up to 15 feet (nearly 29 feet in duplexes), elevating the views of each residence above.
Like many of their prior works, DDG serves as the developer, builder, and design architect of 180 East 88th Street. H. Thomas O'Hara's HTO Architect was brought in as the architect of record.
The development sought to capture the style and grace of pre-war New York. The team provided a facade of bluish-gray Kolumba bricks, 9-foot Albertini Italian tilt-turn windows, and 30-foot-high arches that frame open loggias. DDG told the Times that approximately 593,987 Kolumba bricks were imported from Denmark. The bricks are longer and thinner than standard bricks.
The tower's campanile-like profile features two intervals of thirty-foot-high catenary arches, first at the sky garden at the 13th and 14th levels and then again around a spectacular duplex penthouse. According to the Times, the “wishbone-shaped” arches, which are also present inside the lobby, were inspired by the eclectic work of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí.
The entrance is set back from East 88th Street where residents and guests enter from a private garden into a sculptural, fully-attended lobby with vaulted ceilings, travertine flooring, and a fireplace.
With the avid art collector in mind, apartments unfold with elliptical-shaped entry galleries, leading to voluminous living rooms with pre-installed picture rails and plaster cove ceiling. Many units also have a formal dining area.
With an intent to “reinvigorate and re-imagine the pre-war aesthetic,” the building’s 47 condominiums come in two- to five-bedroom configurations and are finished in a wide array of materials ranging from 7.5-inch wide Austrian white oak flooring, solid wood interior doors, marble-walled kitchens, and brass-accents. Crowning the tower will be a penthouse triplex with a private terrace and enviable views.
Kitchens feature Statuario marble counter-tops, white lacquered cabinetry designed by Molteni & C Dada, and a full suite of Gaggenau appliances and natural brass fixtures by Fantini. Brass also accents towel racks and the range hood.
This 3-bedroom model unit designed by Hadas Dembo is described as “a downtown take on uptown living.” Interventions include polished gold accents, custom wall coverings, and curated works of art that convey the prominence of the neighborhood's cultural institutions. Soft textures and pastel shades lend the space a playful and inviting sophistication.
Some en-suite master baths have windows and all feature radiant heat flooring, silver travertine slabs, mosaic tile accented walls and floor, oak cabinetry with under-mount Duravit sinks, a free-standing tub, and a rain shower.
.Several homes are duplex layouts. These units feature 28'8" ceilings, a custom sculptural staircase, and a private balcony or terrace in select spreads. Residence #38W is 4-bed, 4.5-bed duplex on the market for a cool $15 million.
Condo apartments in Carnegie Hill fetched an average closing price of $1,748 per square foot in Q4 2020, with new development sales coming in at $2,827/ft2. Currently available at 180 East 88th are studios priced from $1.295M, two-beds from $3.7M, three-beds from $5.485M, and 4-beds from $6.875M. The average asking price blends to $2,996/ft2.
The podium of the building hosts eight floors of amenities with dedicated spaces for basketball, soccer, fitness, play, convenience, pleasure, and entertainment.
The second floor includes a double-height half-basketball court, a playroom, a game room, and a wine room.
Other comforts and conveniences include a fitness studio, soccer pitch, and a residents' lounge with a catering kitchen, wine storage, residential storage, and bike parking.
View of 180 East 88th Street from 1095 Park Avenue (Sotheby's)
The tower is on a vibrant section of the Upper East Side at the meeting of Carnegie Hill and Yorkville. Now characterized by a mix of walk-ups and post-war residential buildings, the avenue once carried the elevated Third Avenue El whose demolition sparked a building boom along the avenue. A host of shopping options exist nearby that includes a Whole Foods supermarket catty-corner to the building. The tower's ground floor will be home to a community facility space operated by the 92Y.
View down Third Avenue with 180 East 88th from The Metropolian (BHS)
180 East 88th is a short walk away from both the Second Avenue Subway and Lexington Line's 86th Street station. The Upper East Side remains one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the city with much of its value derived from the institutions of Museum Mile, some of the country's best private schools, Central Park, and proximity to Midtown.
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Off Market Listings
Off-Market Listings
Off-Market Listings
Many apartments are sold off-market
without being publicly listed.
Contact us to learn more about off-market listings. It's quick and easy. And never any obligations.
6sqft delivers the latest on real estate, architecture, and design, straight from New York City.
