We hear Brown Harris Stevens has put a penthouse apartment under contract that is the highest-priced condo sale ever in Kips Bay. Though Behind The Hedges does not know what the final sale price will be, the contract price, we’re told, sets a new benchmark for the neighborhood, a positive sign for the New York City real estate market.
Located within the VU at 368 Third Avenue, a 100-unit high-rise that was completed in 2021 and soars above its neighbors, Penthouse B was last asking $9,499,000 when the contract was signed on July 14. This duplex penthouse offers 2,296 square feet, three bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths.
The record to beat in Kips Bay, a neighborhood considered to run from 34th Street to 23rd Street, bounded by the East River and Third Avenue to the west, is $7,655,625 — That’s the price Penthouse No. 1 at 181 East 28th Street sold for in March of 2024. With 3,114 square feet in the condo, that equates to a price of $2,458 per square foot.
Situated on the 33rd and 34th floors of the 36-story building, the condo unit offers coveted features for any New York City apartment; Eleven-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows provide city views in three directions out from Kips Bay. A spacious foyer leads into the open-concept living and dining areas, as well as provides access to the private terrace with direct Empire State Building views. The kitchen, like much of the interior spaces at the VU under interior designer Paris Forino’s direction, are sophisticated and have a light palette, with bleached oak and white lacquer.
The primary suite features a spa-like bathroom with walls clad in oversized soft white marble tiles and an intricate mosaic floor pattern made of three different marbles. Sinks and showers are complemented by The Grace Collection, Forino’s custom line of faucets and fixtures for Waterworks in polished chrome, produced exclusively for VU New York, according to the listing.
Residents of the VU enjoy a doorman and full floor of amenities from the fitness center to the screening room. A rooftop terrace is situated on the final and 36th floor, featuring lush greenery and a place to lounge and take in the city views.
Brown Harris Stevens handles the exclusive sales and marketing for the VU. The agents, Candice Milano, Malessa Rambarran and Brett A. Miles, declined to comment.
A striking townhouse in West Chelsea comes to market, while record-breaking deals are happening in Kips Bay and FiDi. Plus, Frances Katzen breaks down some data.
This article appeared in the Labor Day weekend issue of Behind The Hedges in Dan’s Papers. Tap this link to read the full digital version. For more on Manhattan real estate, explore behindthehedges.com.
