Living Large: The Upper East Side's 'Palace In The Sky'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Manhattan's Upper East Side is known for its luxury apartments, but one neighborhood residence there is so spacious, it has been described as a "palace in the sky."
A gracious lifestyle has long been associated with the UES and the sweeping, luxurious home CBS2's Natalie Duddridge recently toured for this week's Living Large is a perfect example of that.
Noble Black of Douglas Elliman took Duddridge to the penthouse at 170 E. 87th St., a spectacular triplex space where there are three levels of fantastic entertaining, living, dining and family areas.
"It is about 7,000 square foot interior and you've got about 3,000 exterior," Black said.
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The owners combined four apartments to create the massive home.
First up, the family room on the bottom floor. The sprawling room is the centerpiece of this level, with rich textures everywhere.
"Slabs of granite for the TV, which is enormous in and of itself. The staircase, you've got Mother of Pearl inlays," Black said.
The large kitchen has a handsome marble design, plus a column with a double-sided television. There is clever storage everywhere, including a concealed mudroom, a huge pantry, and a hidden storage area behind the bookcases.
The lower level also features a huge kids playroom. Bedrooms are on the upper level. The current configuration has five, including a sun-filled master.
"Her closet is amazing. So she actually took a bedroom and made it into her dressing room, something out of 'Sex in the City,'" Black said.
The middle level is more formal, including a dining room.
"A beautiful space that can accommodate seated dinners for up to 20 people," Black said.
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Silk walls and limestone floors are featured. There's a grand space for entertaining, and a cozy library.
"It's almost like a high-end man cave -- the beautiful McCaster ebony paneling, a nice little home office tucked away," Black said.
There is also a one-of-a-kind terrace, a cool, shaded seating area that leads to a 175-foot expanse landing at a stunning open-air urban oasis.
"You don't need to have a weekend house if you have this apartment. This is where you are going to be on your weekends," Black said.
To live large on East 87th Street will cost you $16.95 million.
The terrace is a full block long, and there is a fully integrated irrigation system for all the plantings.