Take a walk down West 57th Street four years from now, and you’d be forgiven for feeling a bit lost. Of all the architectural transformations set to take place in Manhattan over the coming years, this one-mile strip in West Midtown is set to experience the most.
With the Landmarks Preservation Commission giving its seal of approval to two more record-breaking skyscrapers along West 57th, the street’s grand total of multimillion-dollar residential developments has just been bumped up to a whopping five. Together, these projects represent billions of dollars in investment costs and hundreds of thousands of square feet in new luxury floor space.
To give you an idea how things will look when construction is completed in 2017, we’re going to take you on a little tour down what is well-poised to become known as New York’s “Billionaires’ Row.”
432 Park Avenue
Let us begin on the corner of West 57th Street and Park Avenue. Here, we advise you to find a secure spot on the pavement, free from the human missiles streaming up and down the sidewalk. Once you’ve found your footing, look up. This, ladies and gents, is 432 Park Avenue; the exclusive address which sent shockwaves around the city in early 2013 for its record-breaking apartment sales. Its sky-scraping height and perfect square design will no doubt conjure up memories of the former twin towers. But don’t let appearances fool you. This building is no place of business, but rather the epitome of indulgent city living for the mega-rich. Perhaps by 2017, the mystery behind who snagged the $95 million penthouse will finally be revealed.
111 West 57th Street
Moving two blocks westward, you’ll stumble across 111 West 57th Street, or as it will more famously be known: “the world’s skinniest skyscraper.” Situated on a tiny 43-feet-wide lot, this sleek and slender 1,350-foot tower will need a suspended weight throughout its upper levels to prevent the building from swaying. So, in addition to a lot of cash, anyone looking to set up shop in this building will also need to have a lot of faith in the science of structural engineering. On the plus side, residents will have the pleasure of owning an entire floor all to themselves. Due to its uniquely narrow shape, 111 West 57th Street will essentially be one big stack of luxury penthouses, with each unit taking up an entire level.
One57
A few yards down from 111 is the building that started it all, One57. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you will no doubt be familiar with the 75-story tower—if not for its design, then certainly for the jaw-dropping prices its deluxe condos have commanded. By 2017, One57 will have no doubt been exceeded in size, sales, and all-around extravagance by its sky-scraping successors. Nevertheless, we’ll always remember it as the pioneer of New York’s luxury housing boom.
217 West 57th Street
Walk another block west, and neatly wedged between Seventh Avenue and Broadway you’ll find West 57th Street’s most recent addition. Don’t let the lower levels of Nordstrom’s flagship store distract you; what towers above is much more interesting. Topping out at 1,423 feet, 217 West 57th Street is New York’s tallest building and fast becoming a Manhattan skyline icon. Make sure you check out the daring cantilever suspended 190 feet above the roof of the American Fine Arts Society nestled below.
625 West 57th Street
Last on the list is 625 West 57th Street, located on the Westside Highway and conveniently overlooking the Hudson River. Of the ground-breaking architectural designs you’ve just seen, this futuristic pyramid you see before you is unquestionably unique. The sleek, sloping angles of its ultramodern design give it the impression of a giant paper plane piercing through Midtown’s busy built-up streets. Though it’s not your traditional high-rise, this innovative structure manages to reach 467 feet in height and packs in 32 stories of retail and residential space. Not only does its unique design differentiate this particular building from its lavish counterparts along West 57th Street, but 625 West 57th Street will also play host to up to 140 low-income families through the New York City 80/20 program.