Does the Social Diary = a large prewar coop with views?

The ethnic persuasion part was the part that I wondered about. Perhaps the best way to find out is to test the waters. Find something you like & could afford & contact the realtor & see what happens. It may depend on just how tony the building is but at that level, I think the realtors are pretty well versed as to the criteria of the board.

As with everything else in NY, there're lots of definitions of "social". E.g., members of the Colony, Knickerbocker, Union or Harmonie clubs probably wouldn't agree among themselves. Then the people pictured on that "Social Diary" website (which was interesting) wouldn't agree, either. NY is just too big and diverse.

You could dig up that old New York Magazine article by what's-his-name (the one in the white suit) about "good buildings", but that might be out of date and not conclusive. There're similar stories in the paper once in a while.

Your best bet for an answer would be to call the brokers for some of the apartments you think fit that bill and just ask.

generalogoun, on the UWS, where I own what you described, I have never ever encountered any "social" requirements except cash. And I am very very close to your definitions of various persuasions and then some.
So: don't worry.

Tom Wolfe. 40 Good Buildings. Esquire, not New York Magazine, in 1985. I've never been able to find it online.

As for the question, I don't think younger people have quite the same attitude toward ethnic persuasions that their parents did, but on the other hand, if you're a cigar-chomping billionaire who says "The Frog, see, The Frog", you'll be blackballed. They look for (I am told) lots of trustee-type volunteerism, charitable contributions as well as fundraising from others for causes deemed worthy, etc. That naturally leads to social connections anyway.

alanhart, thanks.

Ali has the list here: http://www.frontporchllc.com/2008/09/what-are-new-yorks-good-buildings/.

Thanks, NWT. I wish I could find the original, with Tom Wolfe's undoubtedly snitty commentary.

I think you'll find UES is different than UWS.

I think you have nothing to worry about. Perhaps a few buildings, 740 Park (eg) matter -- but not so much for everybody else. Cash is king. It is more of a hindrence if you are famous. People want polite, relatively quiet neighbors. Also -- I had a doorman try to turn me away me from purchasing an apartment if I had kids. Yet there were plenty of kids in the building. I bought there anyway. Your job matters -- to the extent you run a porn film company, that would be problematic... But I think you are much better off now that buildings need solid owners. The laws now prohibit buildings from discrimination based on race of sexual oreintation, etc.(though hard to prove).

race and/or sexual orientation... sorry for typos...

Thanks for this information. It is helping me focus on how and where I want to live. We left Manhattan 35 years ago to avoid the pressures of the private-school rat race. Now we're getting tired of the snowblower, and going up and down the stairs in a 3-story house. But we've gotten used to lots of space, my office is in the house and we're always having visitors from out of town. As I get older, the idea of the security of a doorman building is more appealing. So we are thinking that we will move back to Manhattan sometime in 2010 and give the house to our daughter and her family.

NWT, that article made me laugh because I love to look at the floor plans in every single building on the list! I guess I'll have to sell our porn film company to fit in. It reminds me of a time many years ago when we were thinking of building a house in Chappaqua. The realtor was so snooty and condescending that we told her we planned to raise goats and chickens on the lot. She couldn't wait to get rid of us and we scratched Chappaqua off the list.

Thanks again to all for being so helpful. Maybe by this time next year we will be neighbors.

I think people who have lots of cash/liquid assets are the best prospective purchasers. If you can write a check, and have enough savings (after this market correction) you would be far more appealing than a family that depends on income. Best of luck. Welcome home.

No need to sell the porn film company, that's a cash cow; just look along CPW & you'll probably fit right in!

Just make sure it's not held under a "naive ownership structure". Yay! I've been dying to recycle that phrase ever since West81st coined it.

general - welcome to the board. There are some really - and I mean really knowledgeable people here & despite the limitations of an anonymous message board framework, for the most part the discussions are legit and sane. Use SE as a resource & sounding board about specific apartments as you begin to search in earnest, you'll be well served by the exercise, I certainly have been. Again, welcome.