Manhattan’s 15 Central Park West has been a fabled address in New York real estate since, well, 2008 or so. A book has been written about the building, as well as innumerable articles and blog posts that have called it everything from “Limestone Jesus” to “the most powerful building in the world.”
Designed by Robert A.M. Stern, the gorgeous limestone-clad complex is popular with titans of the finance world, as well as scions of ultra-rich families, tech billionaires, oligarchs and entertainment industry movers and shakers. Hedge funders Daniel Och, Daniel Loeb, and Barry Rosenstein; Citigroup CEO Sanford Weill; Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein; tech’s Jerry Yang and Omid Kordestani; Garmin founder Min Kao; and Sting, Denzel Washington, and Robert de Niro have all called the plush apartment house home.
This newly listed apartment was formerly owned by Spanx founder Sara Blakely and her husband, Marquis Jets founder Jesse Itzler. They paid $12 million in 2008 and sold in 2014 for $30 million to an impenetrable anonymous trust that has put the 37th-floor spread up for sale at $26 million. But why is the seller willing to take a $4 million loss when the luxury market in Manhattan has been going gangbusters? Is it owned by a Russian oligarch looking to scare up some quick cash, perhaps? Listings held by Kyle Blackmon at Compass, who also lives in the building, indicate the condo is tenant occupied until the end of September.
Quirkily decorated by interior designer Russell Piccione, the attractive and spacious, 3,105 square-foot condo offers a rare triple aspect, with vistas of Central Park, the Hudson River and the cityscape. The living room and the master suite both face east across the park; the kitchen and guest bedroom face west toward the river. There are three bedrooms and three and a half baths in all.
Most noteworthy are the 24-foot wide corner living room, with a 16-foot bay window offering fantastic views, and the master suite, which has been furnished as a library wrapped in high-end Fortuny wallcoverings. The suite also includes three closets, two of which are walk in, and a marble en-suite with radiant heated floors.
A petite home office and the formal dining room both boast southern exposures, and the light-filled eat-in kitchen, with the usual high-end appliances and marble counters, offers a Hudson River view through a huge picture window. Two more corner bedrooms are located to the west wing, with the larger serving as the primary suite, complete with more Fortuny wallcoverings and an air filtration system.
Of course, the ultra luxurious building offers top-flight amenities as well as world-class security. There’s also an on-site garage and staffed motor court, a huge gym with 75-foot long indoor pool, a library, conference room and private theater, a billiards room, a children’s playroom, and a private restaurant. Private storage is also available for purchase. And the location is ideal: right on the park but close to Lincoln Center, great restaurants and shopping along Fifth Avenue. No wonder so many billionaires call the place home.