By Holly Dutton
It’s been a year of sky-high prices, record sales, new product entering the market and a surge of international buyers.
This summer had the heaviest volume in the 27 years Jonathan Miller, of Miller Samuel Real Estate Appraisers & Consultants, has been tracking the market.
“When I think of 2013, we experienced the release of pent-up demand from the past couple of years,” Miller told Real Estate Weekly, citing wariness over the economy and the fiscal cliff that gave buyers pause.
“A lot of people were on hold, waiting to see how things played out.”
Many experts believed 2013 would be mild after the fourth quarter of 2012, when fears over capital gains taxes fueled a huge surge in sales, but that turned out not to be the case.
In Manhattan, every neighborhood has seen prices surge, as this list of top sellers from Streeteasy/Zillow shows.
The number crunchers Streeteasy compiled a list of the top buildings of 2013 based on price per square foot for Broker’s Weekly using their data.
1. 150 West 26th Street, Chelsea
Despite only a single closing this year, this 9-story, 25-unit condo building nabbed the top spot with an average of $7,574 per square foot. The penthouse unit, custom-designed by John Edelman, the chief executive of Design Within Reach, closed for $4.5 million in September, after being initially listed for $5.495 million by Halstead. The three-bedroom three-bathroom unit is listed as having 538 s/f.
2. 15 Central Park West, Lincoln Square
It’s no surprise that this storied condo building at W. 57th Street and Central Park comprised of two limestone towers made took the second spot. In 2012, a Russian billionaire shelled out $88 million for a penthouse in the William and Arthur Zeckendorf -developed building, which set the record for the most expensive single apartment sale ever recorded in New York City. This year, it averages $7,238 psf.
3. Time Warner Center at 25 Columbus Circle, Lincoln Square
Twin skyscrapers designed by renowned architect David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill make up the Time Warner Center at 25 Columbus Circle. Completed in 2004, it is comprised of two 80 foot towers, and the 8,274 s/f penthouse is currently listed for $75 million. It average $5,526 in 2013.
4. 18 Gramercy Park, Gramercy Park
The Zeckendorf brothers’ prize Gramercy jewel began sales last year and its penthouse sold for $42 million last year to billionaire Leslie Alexander, who owns NBA team the Houston Rockets. The 16-unit building made headlines when it opened for not only its steep prices, but for including a key to the private Gramercy Park with the purchase of a unit. Average prices this year were $5,072.
5. Robbins & Appleton Building, 1 Bond Street, Noho
A historic building located at 1-5 Bond Street, the Robbins & Appleton building has 20 units and was converted to condominiums in 1987 after previously being used to manufacture watch cases. It was designed by architect Stephen Decatur Hatch in the Second Empire style. Unit #3A, a 3-bed, 3-bath apartment with 1,450 s/f, sold for $7.2 million in June, brining the average price per square foot for the year to $4,966.
6. The Printing House, 421 Hudson St, West Village
In April, developer Myles Horn and Corcoran Sunshine’s marketing team launched sales of four newly-designed duplexes in the eight-story building, which has 183 units. Sixty new residences were recently completely redesigned with fifteen foot ceilings, double-height living rooms, and eleven-foot windows. The condo building also features a roof deck, swimming pool, and gym … and prices averaging $4,745 psf.
7. Residences at the Mandarin Oriental, Lincoln Square
Developed by The Related Companies, the Residences at the Mandarin Oriental are 66 units atop the North Tower of the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle, ranging in size from 1,000 s/f to more than 8,000 s/f. The tony residences are no stranger to sky-high price per square foot. Just last week, unit #77B, a 4-bed, 5-bath pad with 4,825 s/f, sold for $50 million, according to Streeteasy. Prices avereaged $4,745 psf during 2013.
8. 100 Central Park South, Central Park South
Located right at the official entrance to Central Park, 100 Central Park South is a classic pre-war condo building with 70 units and full white-glove service. Homes feature high ceilings, large windows, hardwood floors, wood-burning fireplaces in many apartments, and only two to five residences per floor. A 3-bed, 3-bath unit #13A with 2,927 s/f sold just last week for $8.995 million. Prices avereaged $4,368 psf at the building during 2013.
9. Superior Ink, 400 W. 12th St, West Village
Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects and developed by Related, this luxury condo building on the edge of the Hudson River was finished in 2009 and has attracted many celebrity buyers, including Oscar-winner Hilary Swank, and Nascar star Jimmie Johnson. Prices avereaged $4,227 during the past year.
10. The Touraine, 132 E. 65th St, Lenox Hill
This 15-story boutique building has 22 units and was developed by Toll Brothers offers one to five bedroom layouts with top-of-the-line kitchen appliances and finishes. Units range in price from $1 million to $20 million. In September, unit #PH4, a 3,695 s/f unit with 4 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms, was purchased for $13.675 million. 2013 average prices were $4,164 psf.
