Penthouse Duplex at 1020 Fifth

The penthouse duplex belonging to the Kress retail fortune heirs has been in the market for quite a while now without landing a successful buyer so far. Initially listed at $46.5 million in 2008, the prices were slashed in January this year to $39 million. As it stands now, the 7,000-square-foot penthouse is listed at $34 million.

Since its construction in 1925, this 5 bedroom spread on 1020 fifth has been home to the original owners. Considered to be among the grandest pre-war penthouses ever to be built in Manhattan, the architecture of this palatial residence is credited to the firm of Warren & Wetmore. It features a Grand Salon that alone is gigantic enough to merit appreciation. With a length of forty feet and ceilings rising up to eighteen foot high, this has to be counted among the grander salons in NYC. As you stand in the salon, you have three windows that afford you breath taking views of the Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum. It does live up to its name of the ‘Grand Salon’.

If you are looking for more ‘wow’ factors in this penthouse, there are plenty enough to keep you occupied. For instance, there is the staircase that’s made of Italian marble which has been mined from Michelangelo’s quarry. The floors are original stone and the paneling is antique. The terrace is of mammoth proportions, and you get a bird’s eye view of the whole city. The ceilings are from a Venetian palace that dates back to the 17th-century. Both the living room and dining room have massive wood-burning fireplaces and there is a solarium upstairs (which also has another fireplace) that opens out into the terrace mentioned before.

These are just few of the noteworthy features the penthouse has and as you explore the house, more and more intricate details will catch your eye. The sale of this penthouse is being handled by realtor Leighton Candler of The Corcoran Group who is hopeful of closing the deal pretty soon.

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