Murray Hill/Kips Bay

The tiny, close-ended Sniffen Court Mews in the midst of Manhattan's Murray Hill neighborhood is magical even without celebrity cachet. It's one of the city's smallest historic districts, one of those NYC places where you feel like you've completely stepped away from the city altogether. Irish comedian and talk show host Graham Norton's carriage house at 6 Sniffen Court is one of 10 former horse stables built on the mews during the Civil War. Asking $5,595,000, the home is described by Norton in a New York Times feature as a "jewel box of a carriage house." The 20-foot-wide home's interiors aren't the slightest bit old-fashioned: A fabulous renovation by Gachot Studio and a landscaped roof deck are a design-lover's dream within this private paradise.
discover sniffen mews

Former sculpture studio turned enchanting live-work space in Kips Bay asks $7.95M

Photos courtesy of Andrew Frasz for Sotheby’s International Realty

April 30, 2025

Former sculpture studio turned enchanting live-work space in Kips Bay asks $7.95M

Every so often, we come across an only-in-New York City-type listing, and this townhouse certainly falls under that category. The four-story home at 218 East 25th Street belonged to the sculpture studio Rochette & Parzini for over six decades. In addition to living quarters, the current owner, photographer Clara Aich, has used the majestic space to host musical performances, plays, and other cultural gatherings that benefit from its soaring ceilings, massive skylights, and loft-like proportions. The unique home hit the market this week for $7,950,000.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Colors, prints, and patterns give this $850K pre-war Murray Hill co-op a country cottage vibe

Photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

August 12, 2024

Colors, prints, and patterns give this $850K pre-war Murray Hill co-op a country cottage vibe

This full-sized two-bedroom co-op on Manhattan's east side at 144 East 36th Street is a classic pre-war home, with high, beamed ceilings and generous proportions. Asking $850,000, the cozy, colorful apartment's decor surrounds graceful arches and molding, hardwood floors–and Chrysler Building views–with pretty prints and floral chintz, bringing the cheerfulness of a country meadow to the historic Deco residence.
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Distinctive Homes

Kips Bay condo fits personal and professional under one roof, studios from $895K

Renderings courtesy of CORE Real Estate

July 12, 2024

Kips Bay condo fits personal and professional under one roof, studios from $895K

A new condominium in Kips Bay combines the personal and professional under one roof. On the corner of Second Avenue and 29th Street, Hendrix House offers 60 residences and an amenity package that is extremely functional for the modern New Yorker. Not only is there a stunning co-working space and lobby with an adjacent courtyard for al-fresco work, but residences have carefully crafted home offices with custom furniture and shelving. Sales recently launched at Hendrix House, with studios priced from $895,000.
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New Developments

For the price of a two-bedroom condo, this $2.5M Kips Bay property is a townhouse with potential

Photo courtesy of Elegran | Forbes Global Properties

October 27, 2023

For the price of a two-bedroom condo, this $2.5M Kips Bay property is a townhouse with potential

Sometimes the best finds are hiding in plain sight. According to the listing, this unassuming building at 240 East 29th Street is the lowest-priced townhouse in Manhattan south of Central Park. It will require some effort to achieve peak townhouse status, but the best things in life often do. Asking $2.5 million, the Kips Bay property presents a wealth of investment opportunities, with lots of advantages from the start.
a diamond in the rough, this way

Distinctive Homes

British Consulate’s Midtown East penthouse, asking $7M, hits the auction block starting at $2M

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 3, 2023

British Consulate’s Midtown East penthouse, asking $7M, hits the auction block starting at $2M

This 6,000-square-foot full-floor residence in the Beekman Regent condominium at 351 East 51st Street, currently asking $6,995,000 (down from $8,500,000 in 2021), may provide an opportunity for auction lovers: The penthouse with city views and five bedrooms is headed for online auction by the British government, with bids starting at $2,000,000. The penthouse has functioned as the British Consul General in New York's residence, so it's a given that its flexible floorplan and nearly 10-foot ceilings would add up to the perfect space for lavish parties and regal receptions.
Take a look inside

Waitlist opens for affordable rentals at copper-clad dancing towers in Murray Hill, from $832/month

Photo via Wikimedia

December 27, 2022

Waitlist opens for affordable rentals at copper-clad dancing towers in Murray Hill, from $832/month

A waitlist has opened to fill affordable apartments available now and for future vacancies at an architectural standout in Murray Hill. The Copper, originally known as the American Copper Buildings, is a pair of luxury rental towers at 626 First Avenue with a three-story sky bridge connecting the two buildings. New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for a spot on the wait list for the apartments, which are priced between $832/month to $1,311/month on NYC Housing Connect.
Do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

Photo courtesy of Anthony Quintano on Flickr

December 8, 2022

How to avoid NYC SantaCon 2022

By Aaron Ginsburg

Manhattan residents may be pleasantly surprised or significantly perturbed when a horde of red-and-white-clad SantaCon 2022 participants flood the streets of Midtown, Murray Hill, and the East Village this Saturday. The annual cosplay event draws thousands of festively-dressed participants into the borough for a day of drunken shenanigans all in the name of charity. The pub crawl is a blast for all of those involved, and not so fun for residents of the neighborhoods and people who need to travel through these areas. Ahead are a few suggestions for those looking to avoid the action during this year's SantaCon.
See more here

Events & Things To Do

New York to open $1.6B life science campus in Kips Bay

A conceptual rendering of the SPARC Kips Bay campus. Courtesy: New York City Economic Development
Corporation

October 14, 2022

New York to open $1.6B life science campus in Kips Bay

By Aaron Ginsburg

A $1.6 billion state-of-the-art life sciences hub will open in Kips Bay, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday. Located on East 25th Street and First Avenue, the Science Park and Research Campus will provide modern facilities for 4,500 City University of New York students, as well as an ambulatory care center, a Health + Hospitals training center, a health care and sciences high school, and a training center for forensic pathologists. SPARC Kips Bay will be funded jointly by the city and state with additional private investment, according to officials.
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New Developments

This $7.5M Kips Bay townhouse has a private saltwater lap pool in the backyard

Photo credit: Douglas Elliman

July 20, 2022

This $7.5M Kips Bay townhouse has a private saltwater lap pool in the backyard

The three-unit Kips Bay townhouse at 308 East 30th Street is 21 feet wide and beautifully renovated, from its garden apartment to landscaped rooftop deck with Empire State Building views. But the most unique thing about this home, asking $7,500,000, is definitely the heated outdoor in-ground lap pool on the back patio.
Take the pool-to-rooftop tour

Distinctive Homes

The Morgan Library unveils $13M exterior restoration and new garden with public access

The Morgan Garden, view looking north. Courtesy of the Morgan Library & Museum, New York. © Brett Beyer, 2022.

June 9, 2022

The Morgan Library unveils $13M exterior restoration and new garden with public access

The Morgan Library and Museum will unveil the recently restored exterior of the Morgan Library and the new Morgan Garden to the public this month. The six-year-long, $13 million project marks the first-ever comprehensive restoration of the historic 115-year-old library’s exterior. Designed by architect Charles Follen McKim for J.Pierpont Morgan, the library was completed in 1906 and later became a public institution. The project restores one of the nation's finest examples of Neoclassical architecture, enhances the surrounding grounds, improves the building's lighting, and enables public access to the grounds of the 36th street site for the first time ever.
Stroll the garden, this way

Contemporary artist Rashid Johnson lists Kips Bay townhouse for $5M

All photos courtesy of Evan Joseph / Sotheby’s International Realty

May 26, 2022

Contemporary artist Rashid Johnson lists Kips Bay townhouse for $5M

Artist Rashid Johnson and his wife, fellow artist Sheree Hovsepian, are selling their brick townhouse in Kips Bay for $4,995,000. Located at 139 Lexington Avenue, the turn-of-the-century four-bedroom property measures more than 4,100 square feet across five floors. Every level boasts original details--like mantles, plaster crown moldings, and ceiling medallions--and, of course, tall ceilings and walls perfect for hanging artwork.
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Distinctive Homes

This furnished $5.75M Midtown townhouse has been designed for modern living, framed by a rich history

Photo courtesy of The Corcoran Group

May 25, 2022

This furnished $5.75M Midtown townhouse has been designed for modern living, framed by a rich history

Just off Park Avenue on a tree-lined street just four blocks from Grand Central Station, this landmarked townhouse at 130 East 38th Street is both historic and a modern design masterpiece. Built in 1869 as a Second Empire-style brownstone, the four-story home's facade was altered in 1919 by the popular Ziegfeld actress Ida Adams. Its rounded oak front door originated in a Detroit mansion. More recently, the three-bedroom home, listed for $5,750,000, has been reimagined for the 21st century, from its finished lower-level suite to its landscaped roof terrace with panoramic skyline views.
Take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

Park in your garage & take the elevator upstairs at this $5M Kips Bay townhouse

All photos courtesy of Compass

February 14, 2022

Park in your garage & take the elevator upstairs at this $5M Kips Bay townhouse

It's a rare home in the middle of Manhattan that allows you to bypass the inconvenience of city parking; this brick single-family townhouse at 453 Second Avenue in Kips Bay does just that, with its own curb cut and private garage. And there's an elevator, so you don't even have to deal with vertical townhouse stair-climbing. Asking $4,995,000, the four-story townhouse has been given a thoroughly modern renovation from top to bottom with four bedrooms, three separate outdoor spaces, and tons of living and entertaining space.
Take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

Photo by Jim Henderson via Wikimedia Commons

December 7, 2021

How to steer clear of NYC SantaCon 2021

The idea behind the annual cosplay event is solid: A "charitable, non-political, nonsensical Santa Claus convention that happens once a year to spread absurdist joy." With booze, of course. But after entering the mainstream and picking up steam for a full 25 years (the event took a year off in 2020, because, you know), the annual pub crawl seems better suited to a 1980s frat house than the streets of NYC. And we're pretty sure there are better ways to spend a day of drunken debauchery than yelling across Midtown bars over a horde of sloshed Santa clones. This year's SantaCon details are here, so you can figure out where not to bring a first date on Saturday, December 11. A few more suggestions, ahead.
Ho, ho, no

Events & Things To Do

In Murray Hill, $4.5M townhouse has two gracious apartments and a romantic Broadway history

Images courtesy of Compass.

December 1, 2021

In Murray Hill, $4.5M townhouse has two gracious apartments and a romantic Broadway history

Built in 1857, the 4,000-square-foot townhouse at 113 East 35th Street on a tree-lined Murray Hill block is a fine example of Italianate brownstone style. Inside, a thorough renovation of the home's five floors has resulted in two spacious apartments–a two-bedroom lower duplex and four-bed upper triplex–that offer the best of Manhattan living. Asking $4,500,000, the home has kept its historic details while adding modern style and convenience. It has also been blessed with well-deserved fame of the best New York City kind: Former residents include film and stage stars Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, who lived here in the 1940s and 1950s, during the heady days of their legendary romance.
Have a look inside

Distinctive Homes

One of Manhattan’s most ornate office building lobbies is now a NYC landmark

Photo: George Comfort & Sons via Landmarks Preservation Commission

November 9, 2021

One of Manhattan’s most ornate office building lobbies is now a NYC landmark

One of Manhattan's grandest lobbies is officially a New York City landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the ornate, T-shaped first-floor lobby of 200 Madison Avenue on Tuesday. Designed by Warren & Wetmore in 1925--the firm behind Grand Central Terminal--the Murray Hill lobby features a 200-foot-long through-block arcade that boasts a beautiful vaulted ceiling, polished marble walls, and other stunning elements reflective of the era.
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Stately Murray Hill townhouse with ties to Time and Harper’s magazines lists for $4.5M

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

August 26, 2021

Stately Murray Hill townhouse with ties to Time and Harper’s magazines lists for $4.5M

This stately Murray Hill townhouse was once home to famed commercial artist Birney A. Lettick, whose illustrations often graced the cover of Time magazine. In fact, his original studio remains intact. In the early 1950s, it was owned by Frederick Lewis Allen, then the editor of Harper's Magazine. Located at 121 East 35th Street, the home was built in 1856 and has five bedrooms and a garden-level apartment. It's on the market for $4,495,000.
Look around

Distinctive Homes

August 25, 2021

Waitlist opens for 55 middle-income units in Kips Bay, from $1,458/month

Located where Gramercy Park and Kips Bay meet, the residential building at 325 East 25th Street is now accepting applications for over 50 mixed-income apartments. Designed by SLCE Architects, the nine-story tower is reopening a housing lottery for nine vacant apartments, although all eligible applicants will be placed on the waitlist for any future vacancies. New Yorkers earning 80, 120, 145, and 165 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which range in price from $1,458/month two-bedrooms to $2,612/month one-bedrooms.
Do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

42nd-floor members-only rooftop pool reopens at the American Copper Buildings

All photos by Max Touhey, courtesy of JDS Development Group

May 20, 2021

42nd-floor members-only rooftop pool reopens at the American Copper Buildings

A 42nd-story rooftop pool overlooking the East River is coming back to New York City for the summer. Located atop the American Copper Buildings in Murray Hill, The Sentry is currently accepting membership applications for its 2021 season, which kicks off ahead of Memorial Day Weekend. Sky-high swimming does not come cheap, however. Memberships start at $2,600 for a single member, $4,300 for couples, and $3,000 for non-residents.
Get the details

City Living

$1.3M Murray Hill co-op has two sunrooms and an outdoor hideaway

Listing photos courtesy of The Corcoran Group

April 27, 2021

$1.3M Murray Hill co-op has two sunrooms and an outdoor hideaway

This two-bedroom duplex in Murray Hill was designed by the firm of architectural critic Joseph Giovannini, with a multi-level layout, geometric elements, two solariums, and a magical outdoor garden. Located at the co-op 140 East 40th Street, the two-bedroom home is currently on the market for $1,275,000.
Look around

Distinctive Homes

$1.75M Kips Bay condo overlooks the Chrysler Building and One Vanderbilt

Listing photos by Evan Joseph

April 16, 2021

$1.75M Kips Bay condo overlooks the Chrysler Building and One Vanderbilt

The Future Condominium at 200 East 32nd Street is located at the corner of Third Avenue, affording it a prime Kips Bay location that's not only convenient but is just the right distance from Midtown's landmarks for some killer views. This north-facing two-bedroom unit, currently listed for $1,750,000, overlooks the Chrysler Building and the newly completed One Vanderbilt Tower through floor-to-ceiling glass windows. It also has a south-west-facing balcony with even more views, including those of the World Trade Center.
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Distinctive Homes

For $695K, this Murray Hill co-op has a split-level layout and nearly 1,000 square feet

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

February 22, 2021

For $695K, this Murray Hill co-op has a split-level layout and nearly 1,000 square feet

Usually, the split-level layout is reserved for suburban homes, but this Murray Hill one-bedroom has incorporated it in a practical and stylish way. Located at The Antoinette co-op at 7 East 35th Street, the home offers a very impressive 900+ square feet for its $695,000 price tag. The large living room is open to the elevated kitchen and dining room, which provides a good amount of separation while still maintaining an open feel. And above that is a spacious bedroom suite complete with an en-suite bathroom and balcony.
See the whole place

Distinctive Homes

Renderings and pricing revealed for VU, new Murray Hill condo with amazing views

All renderings by Unmarked Studio

January 14, 2021

Renderings and pricing revealed for VU, new Murray Hill condo with amazing views

Murray Hill might not be the first neighborhood that comes to mind when thinking of luxury condos, but that just might be a good thing. VU, the new 100-unit project at 368 Third Avenue, is one of the tallest buildings in the neighborhood, which affords its 100 units incredible views of the East River, Midtown, and even down to the World Trade Center. We've now got our first look at the flashy new project, along with a pricing reveal.
Find out more here

Contemporary Murray Hill penthouse with an incredible terrace asks $3.25M

Photo Credit: Gamut Photos for Sotheby’s International Realty

November 3, 2020

Contemporary Murray Hill penthouse with an incredible terrace asks $3.25M

The listing for this $3,250,000 three-bedroom co-op in Murray Hill touts the property as a "true penthouse," explaining that it "sits on top of the building proper and is accessed through a private entrance at rooftop level." That location (which sounds pretty darn good to us!) also affords the home at 244 Madison Avenue an incredible rooftop terrace, complete with cozy built-in seating and dining, as well as views of the Empire State Building and Midtown skylines.
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Distinctive Homes

150 spots open on waitlist for units at waterfront complex in Kips Bay, from $2,092/month

Photo of Waterside Plaza via Wikimedia

May 8, 2020

150 spots open on waitlist for units at waterfront complex in Kips Bay, from $2,092/month