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Price Cuts: Suspense novelist's UWS home gets $355K haircut; Price reductions at Olympic Tower

When the Aristotle Onassis-developed Olympic Tower opened in the mid-1970s, it immediately changed the game for Fifth Avenue. The condos start on top of office space to make the most of views of the Manhattan skyline and St. Patrick's Cathedral through floor-to-ceiling windows, which were a rarity in residential buildings at the time. It also offers full-service amenities and excellent access to points of interest like Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue designer flagships, Grand Central Terminal, the Theater District, and Midtown offices. As such, it quickly attracted a wealthy, high-profile tenant base.

In this article:

The Parkside, 525 Park Avenue
The Parkside, 525 Park Avenue Park/Fifth Ave. to 79th St.
Olympic Tower, 641 Fifth Avenue
Olympic Tower, 641 Fifth Avenue Midtown East
142 East 49th Street
142 East 49th Street Midtown East
The Vantage, 308 East 38th Street
The Vantage, 308 East 38th Street Murray Hill
Gracie Green, 427 East 90th Street
Gracie Green, 427 East 90th Street Yorkville
However, recent years have seen an influx of Fifth Avenue residential buildings with higher ceilings, newer finishes, and more luxurious amenities — Aman New York Residences, Mandarin Oriental Residences Fifth Avenue, and the residential component of The Plaza come immediately to mind. Moreover, the 1,000-foot-tall 520 Fifth Avenue will offer its own residents spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline through magnificent arched windows, but is positioned in a way that obstructs Empire State Building views from Olympic Tower (see below). It is against this backdrop that four units in Olympic Tower had their prices reduced.

Olympic Tower, #36H (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)

Also of note last week, three units at Hell's Kitchen condominium NINE52 experienced price reductions. Residents of this low-rise prewar building enjoy a range of indoor-outdoor amenities like a coworking lounge, fitness center, wine tasting lounge, and courtyard with koi pond, not to mention easy access to the Theater District, Central Park, Hudson Yards, and Hudson River Park. However, a wave of new development buildings may be stealing its thunder.
Living room with fireplace 329 West 71st Street, #3 (Douglas Elliman)
Further uptown, the price was reduced on the former Upper West Side home of Edgar Award-winning novelist Lawrence Sanders. According to his obituary, Mr. Sanders was born in Brooklyn, grew up in the Midwest, and returned to the city after college and a stint in the Marines. Many of his suspense and mystery novels took place in New York City, though the settings shifted to Palm Beach after Mr. Sanders moved there. His apartment has changed hands since his departure, and was most recently listed for $3.35 million in April 2024. The price was just reduced to $2,995,000, but the unidentified seller still stands to make a tidy profit, having paid only $700,000 for it in early 2009.
These homes were among approximately 130 condos, co-ops, condops, and townhouses that experienced price reductions from August 13-19, 2024. A selection of notable listings, as well as a full chart of last week's discounts, may be found below. Please be advised that all quotes figures reflect cumulative price cuts as opposed to the most recent reductions.


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142 East 49th Street, #7B (Compass)

The Lumiere, #2I (City Connections Realty Inc)

Gramercy Towers, #5H (Corcoran Group)

Smithsonian Place, #508 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)

Fabric Astoria, #306 (MNS)

Gracie Green, #3C (Corcoran Group)

The Peter Stuyvesant, #AABB (Corcoran Group)

The Vantage, #22A (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)

NINE52, #323 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)

Breen Towers, #8HJ (Elegran LLC)

The Briarcliffe, #8C (Compass)

329 West 71st Street, #3 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)

Olympic Tower, #30F (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)

The Stanwick, #10 (Compass)

The Rushmore, #PH1A (Coldwell Banker Warburg)

The Parkside, #11AB (Sothebys International Realty)

Olympic Tower, #A3738 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)

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