I got to experience how the ultra-rich live on NYC's Billionaires' Row. I was shocked at how comfortable Central Park Tower felt and how curated every aspect of living there was.
Kelsey Neubauer
- I was invited to tour and eat dinner at Central Park Tower, the world's tallest residential building.
- I was shocked by how luxurious everything was, from custom-scented rooms to events with celebrities.
I was invited to Central Park Tower — the tallest residential building in the world — for a tour and dinner at its 100th floor restaurant, open only to residents and their guests.
The 1,550-foot supertall, with 131 floors and 179 ultra-luxury condos, is a prominent skyscraper along Billionaires' Row, a famous line of residential building's catering to the super rich.
The building is just over a mile away from the humble 300-square-foot one-bedroom apartment my partner and I rent for $3,400 per month — but it felt like an entirely different planet up in the clouds.
By contrast, available condos here start at $6.5 million for a nearly 1,900-square-foot two-bedroom.
From the ground floor, it looks like the many other luxury condo buildings that line the streets of Manhattan. A doorman stood outside alongside well-manicured shrubs.
For a moment, just before arriving, I forgot I was about to walk into a building only affordable to the world's richest residents, where a 17,500-square-foot home in the sky is currently listed for $250 million.
As I approached the building, I noticed a hot-dog cart served tourists nearby, orange construction cones blocked off a portion of the sidewalk under renovation, and passersby headed into a diner a few doors down. Outside, the scent of Midtown in summer — an eclectic mix of food, dirt, and other smells baking in the humidity — wafted around me.
But as I stepped into the lobby I was hit by a different fragrance: a light but distinct smell that I later learned was crafted for the building.
The building's lobby is drenched with elements of Art Deco design: metallics and stone hues, and a motif of strong symmetrical angles combined with eccentric curved lines. I felt like I could be walking onto a set for "The Great Gatsby."
It's not just the building's design that evokes a time of great wealth. Indeed, these buildings are a sign of a new gilded era, Wall Street Journal reporter and author Katherine Clarke writes in her book "Billionaires' Row," released earlier this month, about the collection of skyscrapers.
"To gaze south from New York City's Central Park these days is to look upon a physical manifestation of global wealth," she wrote. "Though these buildings have dramatically reshaped the city's iconic skyline, the average New Yorker will likely never set foot in any of them."
So, as a reporter and an average New Yorker myself, I took this invitation very seriously, and saw it as an opportunity to take other average New Yorkers and any others curious about it inside. Here is what it was like.
I first toured a spacious amenities space, located 14 floors up. It's open to all residents and their guests — and it reminded me of a large, chic living room.
Residents can also rent this, and other shared spaces in the building, out for private events, at an added cost.
There was also a huge movie theater and a lounge exclusively for tweens.
I imagined the opulent birthday parties I could plan if I lived there, and how nice it would be to chill out there after an international flight on my imaginary private jet.
Outside, it looked like a luxe suburban backyard floating in the sky. There was cornhole, some marble art, and a bar with a light-up sign that said "Summer 2023."
There was also a warm outdoor pool, a lifeguard on duty, and lounge chairs to sunbathe on. This area, too, could hold private parties.
Two floors up, the world's richest people can work out with views of the city. I couldn't take a photo because a resident was lifting weights.
There was also an indoor pool, which was being used when I visited, because it was a little too cold for the outdoor pool.
Next, I went up to a staged five-bedroom apartment on floor 113. On the way up, a wave of nausea hit me, and my ears popped — that's how high off the ground we were.
What struck me first was the living room's view over Central Park, Midtown East, and Times Square down to the World Trade Center.
Looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows that wrapped around the spacious living area, the tops of the city's tallest buildings looked small, like Legos rather than 1,000-foot urban monoliths.
It seemed that every window offered a live painting of some of Manhattan's most stunning architecture. This is a view of a 111 West 57th Street, another supertall along Billionaires' Row, from the condo's kitchen.
At over 7,500 square feet, it was remarkable to me just how homey the condo felt. The primary bedroom even felt small, but had a very cozy feel. I wasn't expecting it at all, but I could see myself feeling comfortable in a room like this.
Next I met Colin Cowie, a world-renowned event planner and lifestyle curator, who got his start planning events in Los Angeles in the 1980s and soon after became one of the most popular celebrity planners.
His company has designed experiences for the Central Park Club, which is exclusively for residents and "social members," or beautiful and interesting people that are invited in to fill the space and mingle with guests.
"It's very important that a space like this be busy and alive. When you go to the nightclub, and the dance floor is empty, you feel like you're backing the wrong horse," Cowie told me. "So we have social members. We invite gorgeous people to come up, interesting people to talk to, and it becomes very social for everyone."
Central Park Club has hosted events with celebrities like Angela Bassett and "Hamilton" star Lexi Lawson.
We made our way to 10 Cubed — the 100th-floor restaurant so named because it is 1,000 feet from ground level —where I had an incredible meal with Cowie overlooking Central Park. We chatted about the way he designed the space for luxury.
"Luxury is not a product anymore," Cowie told Insider about his vision for Central Park Club. "Today, it's how it makes you feel. I think luxury is what you smell, touch, taste, and hear in harmony with one another."
The Central Park Club also has a cigar lounge with curated boxes from Davidoff and private alcohol lockers.
One thing's for sure: the building's residents want for nothing.
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