For the first time in 25 years, the Tower House is available to purchase. What is the Tower House, you ask? It’s a two-story. tiny “house” of sorts, perched on the penthouse floor of the building at 205 E. 69th Street. Not only does this penthouse seem to sit above the neighborhood, it also has a whopping 1,200 square feet of outdoor space on its wrap-around terrace. The place is truly fit for a king — or a real estate queen like Barbara Corcoran, who once owned it. Here’s everything you need to know about the Barbara Corcoran’s Tower House.
The Price: $2,295,000
This penthouse requires a 25 percent minimum down payment of $575,750. After that initial investment, the buyer will be on the hook for $13,501 a month, assuming a 30-year mortgage. This payment includes an $11,061 mortgage payment and $2,440 in maintenance fees. Maintenance fees go to the co-op board to help run the building and often cover some utilities like heat.
The median asking price for a home on the Upper East Side was $1.7 million this September, according to the StreetEasy Data Dashboard. That means this penthouse isn’t that far outside the average range for homes on the Upper East Side — but it is still a hefty price tag!
What’s Inside the Penthouse
This penthouse is a 1-bed, 1-bath duplex, but there’s a lot more to it than that. Renowned decorative artist Cheron Tompkins has added many artistic details to the home. This includes the glazed custom steel spiral staircase in the main living area, which leads up to the bedroom on the top floor. It’s both functional and a piece of artwork for the downstairs, which includes a living room, dining area, and semi-separate kitchen.
The U-shaped, windowed kitchen boasts custom glass-front built-ins that provide plenty of storage. D’oro stone countertops perfectly complement the original cast iron window that overlooks the penthouse’s private garden. Step outside the kitchen into the living room, and you’ll be greeted by parquet hardwood floors, custom moldings, and elegant ceiling medallions. This space also hosts a wood-burning fireplace, which creates a beautiful centerpiece for the room.
Up the beautiful staircase is the bedroom, which features a TV lift, two closets, and an en-suite bathroom. The Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom puts it in the running for the most relaxing part of the house — but it has some competition in the bedroom’s cedar sauna! Just like downstairs, the bedroom has four windows so you’ll get light from all angles!
And What’s Outside the Penthouse
Perhaps even more impressive than the interior of this penthouse is its exterior. The surrounding wrap-around terrace clocks in at 1,200 square feet and provides the perfect spot to garden, relax, entertain, exercise, or watch the clouds overhead. Because the terrace completely surrounds the tower, you’ll get 360-degree vistas of the city! There’s also more than enough space to add some outdoor cooking equipment and several seating arrangements.
Barbara Corcoran’s former penthouse, The Tower House, is located in a great Upper East Side co-op. The full-service building includes an elevator, 24-hour doorman, common laundry, private storage, and fitness center. The building is located in Lenox Hill, just a few blocks from Central Park.
Overall, the apartment itself could use some updates. The kitchen appliances are outdated, and it doesn’t have its own laundry machine. But for the price, the outdoor space, and its location, it’s hard to imagine anything better!
Check out the listing at 205 E. 69th St. #PH, listed by Steven Gold of Corcoran.