Features

“Classic six” is one of the most frequently used, yet least understood, terms in the New York real estate lexicon. “Classic” nods to the prewar era when apartments of this ilk were built, and “six” refers to the total number of rooms, which must include a living room, a formal dining room, a kitchen, two full bedrooms, and a maid’s room typically located near the kitchen and with its own bath. These apartments are also home to other architectural touches that were especially popular during that time: hardwood floors, thick walls, spacious rooms, high ceilings, eye-catching moldings, grand entrance galleries, gracious hallways to separate the spaces, and, in some cases, wood-burning fireplaces and private terraces.

While the size of a classic six is a popular one, this type of apartment isn't necessarily for everyone. They are most likely to be found in prewar cooperatives on the Upper East Side and Upper West Side, which means those hoping to live in an amenity-rich new downtown condo are out of luck. Clearly defined rooms are also clearly divided, which detracts from the open, airy atmosphere the modern buyer has come to expect and enjoy. The kitchens were designed with servants in mind and are thus smaller than today's cook might appreciate. The maid's room can certainly be used as a third bedroom, albeit one with significantly less space, grandeur, and privacy than the others. And then there is the question of the co-op board: Even if a buyer gets past this formidable body, any changes or updates to the apartment must first be approved.
Nevertheless, the model has not only endured but enjoyed a new appreciation in recent times. After months of whole families trying to live, work, play, study, and exercise in one apartment, a clear division of rooms can be quite welcome. Some modern developments have incorporated the layout into new buildings while putting a contemporary stamp on it, but there is no denying the architectural, historic, and aesthetic value of the apartments that define the classic six. Availabilities in New York's most prestigious prewar buildings are few and far between, which gives today’s buyer an undeniable status symbol in addition to a new home.
The Victorian, #14A (Compass)

Concord Village, #14GH (Corcoran Group)

430 East 57th Street, #12A (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
The Andrew, #5C
$1,450,000
Riverside Dr./West End Ave. | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,167 ft2

The Andrew, #5C (Compass)
The Creston, #6E (Wohlfarth & Associates Inc)
1192 Park Avenue, #7E (Corcoran Group)
The Barrington, #2A
$1,850,000 (-2.6%)
Broadway Corridor | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,494 ft2

The Barrington, #2A (Sothebys International Realty)


969 Park Avenue, #7A (Platinum Properties)

The Admaston, #11B
$1,950,000 (-2.5%)
Riverside Dr./West End Ave. | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,568 ft2
The Admaston, #11B (Compass)

29 East 64th Street, #7C (Sothebys International Realty)
600 West 111th Street, #8E (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)

123 West 74th Street, #9B (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)

1230 Park Avenue, #9E (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
285 Riverside Drive, #11G
$2,300,000 (-16.4%)
Riverside Dr./West End Ave. | Cooperative | 3 Bedrooms, 3 Baths | 1,968 ft2

285 Riverside Drive, #11G (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)


390 Riverside Drive, #15F (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)



The Holland Court, #8C (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)

15 West 81st Street, #2F (Compass)

59 West 71st Street, #8B (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)


650 Park Avenue, #7F
$2,975,000 (-8.5%)
Park/Fifth Ave. to 79th St. | Cooperative | 3 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths
650 Park Avenue, #7F (Corcoran Group)

The White House, #14D (Weichert Properties)
The Viewest, #12D
$3,295,000
Riverside Dr./West End Ave. | Cooperative | 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 2,000 ft2

The Viewest, #12D (Corcoran Group)

880 Fifth Avenue, #2D (Keller Williams NYC)
The Ramondo, #12C
$5,750,000 (-7.3%)
Park/Fifth Ave. to 79th St. | Cooperative | 3 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths | 2,500 ft2

The Ramondo, #12C (Modlin Group LLC)

The Dorchester, #6CD (Compass)
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