# Inside a $169,000,000 New York City Penthouse



## watchRus (Feb 13, 2012)

I previously found the idea of top floor investment (as some call them) to be ludicrous to say the least. But after seeing the video of this apartment/penthouse taking up the complete top floor, with ten by ten foot windows at every glance, I am a changed man. If I had one billion laying around, I would make the purchase at ask.






Another video:


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## mudmud (May 18, 2014)

The building exterior looks surprisingly ordinary for such a price tag. Was this deliberate?

The interior and floor space is nice though.


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## GrouchoM (Jul 11, 2013)

Not my cup of over-priced tea. 

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## dfwcowboy (Jan 22, 2017)

I'm a bit disappointed it doesn't have gold toilets.


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## Rodentman (Jul 24, 2013)

That type of opulence neither appeals to me, nor interests me.


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## Tommywine0 (Nov 11, 2015)

But it's the monthly maintenance fees that are the killer....


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## caribiner23 (Apr 20, 2021)

It would take a while to lug everything upstairs on Costco days.


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## LosAngelesTimer (Aug 24, 2017)

sidneyc said:


> The building exterior looks surprisingly ordinary for such a price tag. Was this deliberate?
> 
> The interior and floor space is nice though.


It's not ordinary if you see it in person. The lack of architectural embellishments draw the eye to the ratio of height to small footprint.


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## LosAngelesTimer (Aug 24, 2017)

I didn’t watch the video but that building is known as a place where Russian and Chinese oligarchs park their money.


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## AMM1959 (Oct 31, 2019)

caribiner23 said:


> It would take a while to lug everything upstairs on Costco days.


True! But, I suspect most folks living in such places are not doing much of their own shopping or laundry...


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## caribiner23 (Apr 20, 2021)

AMM1959 said:


> True! But, I suspect most folks living in such places are not doing much of their own shopping or laundry...


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## Eilif2k (Jun 4, 2021)

Really nice view, but other than that... A bit bland perhaps? Looks like my aunt of 87 designed the interior :/


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## watchRus (Feb 13, 2012)

Eilif2k said:


> Really nice view, but other than that... A bit bland perhaps? Looks like my aunt of 87 designed the interior :/


The one major interior design critique I can make is the whole orange theme in the living/dining room. Especially the orange curtains. Eyes will be drawn to the curtains instead of the windows. I would have gone with a beige color, or something similar in color to the bedroom curtains. Typically, you want to use darker colors in areas where you know it will get dirty. The darker color will mask the dirt better. I would also have gone with a white wall paint rather than the off-white they have used. I am finding off-white paints to be more dingy nowadays.


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## Eilif2k (Jun 4, 2021)

watchRus said:


> Typically, you want to use darker colors in areas where you know it will get dirty. The darker color will mask the dirt better.


Darker colours makes the dust and grime more noticable. I've had both dark furniture and dark flooring. It's a pain to keep clean compared to more natural wood colours.


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## watchRus (Feb 13, 2012)

Eilif2k said:


> Darker colours makes the dust and grime more noticable. I've had both dark furniture and dark flooring. It's a pain to keep clean compared to more natural wood colours.


How does dark color make grime more noticeable? Dust, I can understand. But that can be easily vacuumed.


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## B.Kohr (Mar 31, 2021)

Yeah, that color palette and those lines would get tiring, fast. Too many sharp angles, and hard lines - my guess is it’s too low of a ceiling for the open span they wanted.
At that price point, compromise is very dumb. 
A room that size needs a 12-14’ ceiling to be comfortable.


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## Eilif2k (Jun 4, 2021)

watchRus said:


> How does dark color make grime more noticeable? Dust, I can understand. But that can be easily vacuumed.


Sorry, perhaps grime was poor choice of words on my part. Having to vacuum 250sqm 2-3 times a day a pain anyways


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## Seabee1 (Apr 21, 2017)

watchRus said:


> Typically, you want to use darker colors in areas where you know it will get dirty. The darker color will mask the dirt better.


It's a $169,000,000 apartment, how dirty do you think it can possible get? Besides, it will likely get used once or twice a year by the owner and I can almost guarantee there will be a cleaning person in that apartment at least once a week. There might even be a full time live-in maid/butler, for those surprise visits (the prevailing opinion is that these places are primarily used to bank cash and/or money laundering)


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## jcp123 (Feb 4, 2012)

It’s not the opulent price or anything like that which turns me off...

...the decor was way off. Couldn’t get a good vision for how I’d make the place my own. My fear of heights would keep me way away from those glorious windows. And too bad it’s in NYC. Might be a nice place if it were in pretty much any other major metro.


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## Seabee1 (Apr 21, 2017)

jcp123 said:


> It's not the opulent price or anything like that which turns me off...
> 
> ...the decor was way off. Couldn't get a good vision for how I'd make the place my own. My fear of heights would keep me way away from those glorious windows. And too bad it's in NYC. Might be a nice place if it were in pretty much any other major metro.


What's wrong with NYC...I mean, based on your personal experience? And where were you thinking, downtown duluth or houston? As for the decor, what was off; no front porch, no elvis on black velvet, no tree in the front yard to use as an engine lift?

As for the building, it sits on billionaires row at the south end of central park, a more exclusive NYC setting you're be hard pressed to find and home to some of the best trailer parks in the country


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## Eilif2k (Jun 4, 2021)

Seabee1 said:


> there will be a cleaning person in that apartment at least once a week.


That's a really good point! Guess we are all just used to being peasants doing our own cleaning ??


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## B.Kohr (Mar 31, 2021)

Same money in Miami would just about buy the building…


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## watchRus (Feb 13, 2012)

Seabee1 said:


> It's a $169,000,000 apartment, how dirty do you think it can possible get? Besides, it will likely get used once or twice a year by the owner and I can almost guarantee there will be a cleaning person in that apartment at least once a week. There might even be a full time live-in maid/butler, for those surprise visits (the prevailing opinion is that these places are primarily used to bank cash and/or money laundering)


I just find the orange very distracting, and unnecessary. That's all.


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## watchRus (Feb 13, 2012)

jcp123 said:


> It's not the opulent price or anything like that which turns me off...
> 
> ...the decor was way off. Couldn't get a good vision for how I'd make the place my own. My fear of heights would keep me way away from those glorious windows. And too bad it's in NYC. Might be a nice place if it were in pretty much any other major metro.


I think the builders sold the whole building units for a bit over three billion, which is the highest in sales so far in the world. This type of revenue generation would only be realizable in NYC. I expect more of these buildings to creep up around central park due to it being the only area where views will most likely not be obstructed by future constructions.


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## Seabee1 (Apr 21, 2017)

B.Kohr said:


> Same money in Miami would just about buy the building&#8230;


Yeah maybe was but not anymore, or not at the resent time


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## scbwatches (Jul 24, 2021)

Ill take 2


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## Kwcsports (Oct 16, 2009)

It's nice, I'd give them 80 million for it.


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## DON (Feb 14, 2006)

Just looks bland and overpriced. A check found a 9000+ condo on 3 floors with great views for 1/3rd the price

Of course. A NY townhouse for much less would be nice also

DON


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## jcp123 (Feb 4, 2012)

Seabee1 said:


> What's wrong with NYC...I mean, based on your personal experience? And where were you thinking, downtown duluth or houston? As for the decor, what was off; no front porch, no elvis on black velvet, no tree in the front yard to use as an engine lift?
> 
> As for the building, it sits on billionaires row at the south end of central park, a more exclusive NYC setting you're be hard pressed to find and home to some of the best trailer parks in the country


Hmm...not sure why the instant flip to an assumption of my being rednecktified. I can unequivocally say, though, having been a west coast kid, the NYC/megalopolis vibe is tough for me to digest. Being more of a car guy than a watch guy though...I don't mind some space to work on a car  I'm mostly DIY as it is.

The decor is the decor; I think it's badly staged, that's all. I can't tell if it looks smaller than I'd imagine a top-flight penthouse should be because it's NYC and of course it's not going to be lavishly huge, or if the decor is just a bit too chunky for the available space, making it look smaller. At that level, the staging is critical and it wasn't done well. I just can't get a good feel for the space.

As for NYC itself, shall I give you the long, nuanced version I imagine you don't want to read, or the short version which will leave too much context out to properly understand? FWIW I was thinking more globally in terms of other cities. First ones which came to mind are Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver, Chicago, and major euro metros like London, Paris and Berlin if they were more into high-rises. Maybe Sydney. And maybe China were I so inclined to live there. I'm not even sure I could articulate it properly or understandably, it reaches back 25 years with myriad twists and turns. Having said that, I find much of NY State, the Northeast, and New England away from the BosWash I95 corridor quite lovely in the summer and fall.


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## GrouchoM (Jul 11, 2013)

Wouldn't the central core of this flat space be awfully dark and claustrophobia inducing? It's 30mx30m with the only windows being on the perimeter walls. 

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## Seabee1 (Apr 21, 2017)

jcp123 said:


> Hmm...not sure why the instant flip to an assumption of my being rednecktified. I can unequivocally say, though, having been a west coast kid, the NYC/megalopolis vibe is tough for me to digest. Being more of a car guy than a watch guy though...I don't mind some space to work on a car  I'm mostly DIY as it is.
> 
> The decor is the decor; I think it's badly staged, that's all. I can't tell if it looks smaller than I'd imagine a top-flight penthouse should be because it's NYC and of course it's not going to be lavishly huge, or if the decor is just a bit too chunky for the available space, making it look smaller. At that level, the staging is critical and it wasn't done well. I just can't get a good feel for the space.
> 
> As for NYC itself, shall I give you the long, nuanced version I imagine you don't want to read, or the short version which will leave too much context out to properly understand? FWIW I was thinking more globally in terms of other cities. First ones which came to mind are Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver, Chicago, and major euro metros like London, Paris and Berlin if they were more into high-rises. Maybe Sydney. And maybe China were I so inclined to live there. I'm not even sure I could articulate it properly or understandably, it reaches back 25 years with myriad twists and turns. Having said that, I find much of NY State, the Northeast, and New England away from the BosWash I95 corridor quite lovely in the summer and fall.


Grand assumption on my part because the 'NYC bad' comment is often a reflection of that person's view of NYC, NYS and the northeast. Whether you feel that way or not your comment does kind of come across that way.


jcp123 said:


> And too bad it's in NYC. Might be a nice place if it were in pretty much any other major metro.


 So not sure whether your answer was the short version, the long nuanced one or some combination, you only mentioned other cities you think would be better which was almost every major city _but_ NYC so it begs the question; how did NYC hurt you?


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## watchRus (Feb 13, 2012)

GrouchoM said:


> Wouldn't the central core of this flat space be awfully dark and claustrophobia inducing? It's 30mx30m with the only windows being on the perimeter walls.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk


From looking at the floor plan, not much is in the middle.


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## jcp123 (Feb 4, 2012)

Seabee1 said:


> Grand assumption on my part because the 'NYC bad' comment is often a reflection of that person's view of NYC, NYS and the northeast. Whether you feel that way or not your comment does kind of come across that way.
> So not sure whether your answer was the short version, the long nuanced one or some combination, you only mentioned other cities you think would be better which was almost every major city _but_ NYC so it begs the question; how did NYC hurt you?


Fair enough.

Probably started when I was around 12, growing up in Silicon Valley during the old 90s dot.com bubble. I'd wake up for school, parents would have morning network news shows on tv while I ate breakfast. There was always such a hubbub around NASDAQ, and tech companies like eBay, Intel, even WebVan...all from reporters in NYC. Granted, I was naïve, but it seemed weird that I was minutes away from a plethora of the companies all these talking heads were clamoring for, yet they were somehow sitting in a glam studio on the other side of the country. It seemed to me like I was living in the center of the universe, but the universe had not yet properly moved on.

Not long after, I dated a girl who moved up to CT, in Fairfield county which could vaguely be considered a NYC suburb or exurb. I managed at 17 to swing a visit out to her and we hit up NYC. I was a little intimidated by it. That in and of itself wasn't bad, but as the first girl I had the serious hots for - think teenage visions of a family and white picket fences - when I inevitably lost her to the distance, I kind of linked that loss to NYC.

Now, that eventually subsided, but as I worked 18 wheelers, it did occur to me that the I95 corridor is a bit of an anomaly. It doesn't feel kin to the revolutionary geniuses who founded the country, but it also doesn't generally feel like the rest of the US. NYC feels a bit like its own universe. You can live an entire life in NYC and be fantastically fulfilled, but never know what you're missing. I remember a piece by a well-meaning WNYC writer about finding a Native American lacrosse tournament in WNY. I think she was trying to convey a genuine excitement about a neat bit of culture, but it came off as someone who was so totally absorbed in NYC culture that she was dense about anything interesting existing outside of it, and tone-deaf that lacrosse isn't a sport that a lot of folks have encountered. Another is this NY pizza thing; folks hang on it like it's a godsend, but even as a kid I kinda didn't feel it because it was messy and floppy and fussy (I ironically like Chicago pizza, which lacks the sloppiness but is at least as fussy and even more messy).

My wife has family in WNY, and it's been a point of contention about moving there. That one compounds my sense of loss to NY, or NYC or the Northeast, or something. That tension kind of furthers my lack of fond feelings towards that general corner of the country, but I must say that being in places other than the I95 corridor is refreshing, because if you're a Westie like myself, it's easy to see a lot of places as washed-up, broken hellholes when it actually can be quite nice...except for winters and you know, paying for road salt which prematurely sends cars to the grave.

In a way, I think I'll always be a west coast kid - just the air and scenery and vibe makes my soul sing. I feel far more at home in the West, South, or Midwest than I ever would in NYC or much of the I95 corridor.

In a sense, I feel like NYC belongs more to the globe than to the US; and were I to purchase an ultra luxury condo penthouse, I'd at least like to have it in a place where I could get some kind of a truly global flair, or at least have it in a city (Chicago) which I have absolutely locked onto as a favorite. NYC doesn't fit for me perhaps because it only feels natural and expected outside the US.

PS: I know I have left more out than I put into this. There's a lot more twists and turns than I can remember in a day. And if it feels like I'm conflicted and trying to turn a corner, it's because I am.


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## snowbongo (Apr 24, 2020)

"They say taupe is very soothing."


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## The Watch Ho (Aug 16, 2019)

8k sq.ft. would be a bit cramped for my needs. Hard pass.


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## dan360 (Jun 3, 2012)

@ what floor does the NYC pee smell dissipate?

..and not even a terrace? sonofab...... Wonder if it has roof access?


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## GrouchoM (Jul 11, 2013)

Imagine the fun of getting from your car to your apartment if your in a rush.... especially if there's a power outage.

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## watchRus (Feb 13, 2012)

dan360 said:


> @ what floor does the NYC pee smell dissipate?
> 
> ..and not even a terrace? sonofab...... Wonder if it has roof access?


Haven't been to NYC recently I guess.


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## dan360 (Jun 3, 2012)

watchRus said:


> Haven't been to NYC recently I guess.


About 3 weeks ago. It smells like hot garbage and pee. Sorry. Seattle is terrible, too. Maybe worse, because at least NYC is big enough to get away from it, in some spots.


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## tropicalbob (Dec 6, 2017)

How much to Air BnB it? Just want to taste it, don't want to own it.


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## watchRus (Feb 13, 2012)

dan360 said:


> About 3 weeks ago. It smells like hot garbage and pee. Sorry. Seattle is terrible, too. Maybe worse, because at least NYC is big enough to get away from it, in some spots.


Are you speaking of the subway system or elsewhere?

NYC subway system needs a revamp. There needs to be doors for entering for subway cars like in London and elsewhere.


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## stbob (Dec 30, 2017)

watchRus said:


> If I had one billion laying around, I would make the purchase at ask.


Eggactly...


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## watchRus (Feb 13, 2012)

Update on the building:









It Just Keeps Getting Worse for 432 Park


A new lawsuit seems likely to spoil sales at the Billionaires’ Row tower.




www.curbed.com





I would still buy it if I had cash at hand. If problems can be remedied for (inflated) $125 million, then they aren't structural problems at all. I think the condo board (board made up of current owners) wants the builders to cover the cost of some repairs which the owners themselves might be responsible for. The elevator issue seems like a one-off, but nonetheless, improvements should be made to not have it occur again.


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## Tony A.H (Aug 2, 2009)

meh. the Kitchen's countertops are a deal breaker for me .
seriously. WOW. this is unbelievable. unreal !. would love to be a Maid in this place. the only way to enjoy the view for free.


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## KogKiller (Apr 15, 2013)

No thanks. I'll never live in NYC even if that penthouse was gifted to me.


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## Robotaz (Jan 18, 2012)

KogKiller said:


> No thanks. I'll never live in NYC even if that penthouse was gifted to me.


I’ll take it and sell it to the highest bidder and buy something amazing out in the country.


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## watchRus (Feb 13, 2012)

KogKiller said:


> No thanks. I'll never live in NYC even if that penthouse was gifted to me.


What is wrong with NYC? I would suggest everyone to visit NYC.


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## Seabee1 (Apr 21, 2017)

KogKiller said:


> No thanks. I'll never live in NYC even if that penthouse was gifted to me.


On behalf of NYC...thank you


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## KogKiller (Apr 15, 2013)

watchRus said:


> What is wrong with NYC? I would suggest everyone to visit NYC.


Nothing wrong with NYC. Great place to visit, and the world would be boring without NYC. Short visits only for me. Large rural homes are my thing.


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## B.Kohr (Mar 31, 2021)

Great place for a long weekend.


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## Rivarama (Mar 31, 2016)

I've been to that building and on the higher floors the building moves a lot. The agent wore an antimotion sickness bracelet and had to sit down in one of the units I looked at. The building is nice apart from the movement. If you buy too low down you don't get a great view but if you buy a high floor unit you might be feeling sick.


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## watchRus (Feb 13, 2012)

Rivarama said:


> I've been to that building and on the higher floors the building moves a lot. The agent wore an antimotion sickness bracelet and had to sit down in one of the units I looked at. The building is nice apart from the movement. If you buy too low down you don't get a great view but if you buy a high floor unit you might be feeling sick.


So safe to say the building movement impeded in your interest in buying the apartment? Which floor did you visit?


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## Rivarama (Mar 31, 2016)

watchRus said:


> So safe to say the building movement impeded in your interest in buying the apartment? Which floor did you visit?


I wasn't there for me. I don't have any money. I don't remember the floors, it was a few years ago now when the building was brand new. I think the one I saw that was $40M was on the 80th floor maybe. I saw another one for $16m. The building is nice because it's 100% residential which is unusual for a building that big. They have two private restaurants and two sets of elevators with private vestibules. The windows were nice too 10'x10' panes from Saint-Gobain.


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## vmgotit (Apr 27, 2017)

Make my off-grid home feel that much better! Vance.


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## Rivarama (Mar 31, 2016)

Looking at my old pictures I wasn't even able to hold the camera straight.


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## -CUJO- (Jul 3, 2021)

I’d hate to see what the property tax is on that!


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## AndyCouey (Jan 9, 2021)

Wow! I could check out places like this all day long; except I'd get nothing done... But wow

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## watchRus (Feb 13, 2012)

AndyCouey said:


> Wow! I could check out places like this all day long; except I'd get nothing done... But wow
> 
> Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


Here is a different floor (79th) and a different design theme in the same building:


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## andmont_7 (Jul 15, 2020)

Thats insane!


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## anonymousmoose (Sep 17, 2007)

I like the sauna


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## watchRus (Feb 13, 2012)

Update.

After almost an year on the market, this penthouse (floor #96) at 432 Park Avenue has been removed from listing without finding any buyers. Should have listed it at $100M, with a buyer at around $90M. Sellers are never realistic with their pricing. Now it is burning cash, especially in this tough market. For agent Ryan Serhant, he got his publicity.

Floor #79 of the same building is now up for sale for $135M. I doubt they will find a buyer at that price, though. Especially seeing that it is gutted/renovated to a very particular taste, and floor #81 just above sold for $79M recently.


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## TheWalrus (Mar 16, 2009)

Man, for that price you could get a developed island with a yacht to get you there. I guess I get why someone with endless supplies of money might do it. But even with those kinds of resources, I wouldn't. I'd be chilling somewhere in the PNW, the Caribbean, or the South Pacific.


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