City Living: Sutton Place
Photo credit: Michelle Repiso | Sutton Place A view of the Queensboro Bridge as seen from Sutton Place Park
Photos
The swankiest digs this side of the Gold Coast, Sutton Place is one of the East Side's most coveted addresses. But as recently as the 20th century, this neighborhood wasn't all nannies and co-ops.
Back in 1875, entrepreneur Effingham B. Sutton built brownstones in the formerly industrial stretch hoping to create a residential enclave. It turned out Sutton couldn't rustle up any takers, so the row houses fell into disrepair by the turn of the century. By that point the poverty-stricken, tenement-ridden waterfront area was roamed by street toughs who went by the handle "The Dead End Kids."
But, attach a few Social Register names like Vanderbilt and Morgan to a "Dead End," and you've got yourself an exclusive waterfront "Place." By the '20s, society folk were streaming in and replacing poor E. B. Sutton's row houses with the Neo-Georgian masterpieces that are the toast of the area today. Thus, a one-time shoddy extension of Avenue A became Sutton Place as we know it.
Nowadays the neighborhood's status as a lovely--if stuffy--enclave mostly rings true. Sutton Place's most exclusive apartments are populated by tenants who paid for them in cash. Indeed, the neighborhood keeps a low-key, modest, and above all private air to the place. Offering the same sheltered silence as East End Avenue, Sutton Place manages to feel less isolated from First Avenue's hustle and bustle than its uptown counterpart.
Perhaps the area's greatest appeal for residents is that someone of Britney-level fame could walk her dog down Sutton Place proper undisturbed--which is precisely why those types have been traditionally uninterested and unwelcome in the neighborhood.
As more families and young couples move into the surrounding blocks, Sutton Place's reputation as staid and prohibitively expensive is beginning to fade. That said, an everything bagel with cream cheese (un-toasted!) will set you back two whole bucks 'round Sutton way.
TO EAT First and Second avenues offer a healthy variety of eateries, notably a number of Turkish and French options.
Les Sans Culottes The $23 prix-fixe dinner at this red-lit, cozy little bistro includes a spread of sausage, crudité and pate worthy of a picnic in the French countryside. Then the entree comes. If you make it through the mousse au chocolat at the end, you'll be crawling home. 1085 2nd Ave. 212-838-6660
Moonstruck The Moonstruck mini-chain comprises some of the last of a dying breed of 24-hour diners--the kind that serve up tuna melts, eggs any style, and diet delights that all include cottage cheese. For 3 a.m. pizza bagels, Moonstruck is pretty unbeatable. 250 E. 58th St. 212-752-1711
La Mangeoire Delectable appetizer offerings like watermelon and arugula salad with goat cheese and pine nuts will have you opting for the "small plates"--scaled-down versions of entrees for two-thirds the price--at this country-style French spot. 1008 2nd Ave. 212-759-7086
Caffe Buon Gusto This location of the Italian chainlet is date central, with exposed brick, twinkly white lights, and a glowing chandelier. 1009 2nd Ave. 212-535-6884
Sip Sak A little out of range, Sip Sak is worth sneaking onto the list. Though service can be a little dicey at this Turkish eatery, the dishes more than make up for any delays. The thick cacik and spicy chicken is not to be missed. 928 2nd Ave. 212-583-1900
TO PARTY Like much of the Upper East Side, Sutton Place mostly offers Irish-style pubs in the way of night life. Here are some other options.
Rosa Mexicano If getting dolled up to eat Mexican food floats your boat, Rosa Mexicano is the place for you. Wash down the made-to-order guac with a pomegranate margarita or other another exotic cocktail offering (10 bucks plus). 1063 1st Ave. 212-753-7407
Sutton Place On a summer night out in Sutton Place, the eponymous lounge is a standard stop. With a bar for every mood (a rooftop bar is one of four options), the common denominator is frat boys and banker types. 1015 2nd Ave. 212-207-3777
Blackstone's This pub-style sports bar's trump card is one of the city's last remaining coin-operated pool tables; otherwise a typical chicken tenders and Guinness type joint. 245 E. 55th St. 212-355-4474
TO SHOP First and Second avenues are jammed with cleaners, nail salons and pharmacies, but the neighborhood also boasts a high quotient of specialty food markets that make for European-style shopping.
Simchick Meats Incorporated One of the last of the old-school butcher shops that used to dot the Upper East Side, Simchick carries prime cuts that beat supermarket-issue meat any day. 944 1st Ave. 212-888-2299
Ideal Cheese Shop While you're shopping for tomorrow night's roast, pop next door to pick up the hors d'oeuvres. Ideal Cheese trades in cheeses from more than 20 different countries, so there's one for every cracker. 942 1st Ave. 212-688-7579
Dessert Delivery "Say it with flour," declares the wooden sign outside this sweet little bakery. From itsy, bitsy mini tarts to homemade ice cream sandwiches, Dessert Delivery's confections speak volumes. 360 E. 55th St. 212-838-5411
eShave Things you never knew you needed. eShave offers every shaving accessory under the sun--from good ol' razors and shaving cream to brushes, soaps, and oils--in what must be First Avenue's sleekest, sparest storefront. 993 B 1st Ave. 212-838-0807
TO DO In a neighborhood where dog walks constitute big excitement, strolls down scenic Sutton Place and knockout views are the major draws. Sutton Place Park
Make like Woody Allen and check out the iconic view from Manhattan (the movie and the borough). The tiny park feels like private property--even on a Sunday afternoon, the central Wild Boar statue could easily be your only company.
East River Waterfront at 57th Street
Roosevelt Island Tramway Even if the idea of a visit to Roosevelt Island doesn't thrill you, the Tramway is worth a couple of MetroCard swipes for the view. Giant yellow wheels crank you 250 feet above the East River, affording a birds-eye view of the Queensboro Bridge and a panoramic glimpse of midtown Manhattan. Try not to blink: the whole trip is only about four minutes long. 2nd Ave. at E. 60th St. 212-832-4555
Real Estate
Long a quiet haven for the uber-rich, Sutton Place proper continues to be one of Manhattan's most exclusive settings. However, as the Upper East Side and Murray Hill crowds encroach on the area, Sutton is becoming a younger destination.
"Midtown is becoming more appealing and the area is growing," said Anchor Associates Broker Robert Maxwell Stofer. "Families and young professional couples are starting to move in."
But, the neighborhood has it' downsides. Stofer pointed out: "There's a lot of construction going on and scaffolding going up, which is a turnoff to some prospective renters and buyers. Plus the market is somewhat overpriced right now."
Stofer also noted that many prospective tenants are willing to spend more than the cost of a typical one-bedroom (he puts the figure around $3,500 a month), but are priced out of two-bedrooms (about $5,000 monthly), making two-bedrooms in slightly cheaper areas a more attractive option.
For more information, contact Robert Maxwell Stofer at Anchor Associates, 212-319-2220.Here's a sampling of what it will cost you:
TO RENT $3,250 for a furnished studio in a prewar doorman building (55th St. at 2nd Ave.) $2495 for a one-bedroom with dining area (55th St. at 2nd Ave.) $2925 for a junior one-bedroom (57th St. at 1st Ave.) $2,700 for a two-bedroom in a prewar doorman building (56th St. at 1st Ave.) $7500 for a duplex three-bedroom with a balcony (57th St. at 1st Ave.)
TO BUY Because Sutton is dominated by tough-to-please co-op boards, turnover is slim and the market is tight--more apartments are available east of Second Avenue.
$529,000 for an alcove studio co-op (57th St. at 3rd Ave.) $475,000 for a junior one-bedroom (E. 57th St.) $575,000 for a 600 sq. ft. one-bedroom coop (54th St. between 2nd and 3rd Aves.) $865,000 for a 1,000 sq. ft. one-bedroom co-op (Sutton Pl. at 58th St.) $1450000 for a 1450 sq. ft. two-bedroom, two-bath (E. 53rd St.)
THE BUZZ
In a debate so erudite as to border on parodic, 1 Sutton Place South and the city are involved in a restrained squabble over ownership of the building's garden space. Snatched up by the city in 1939 for the erection of the East River Drive and leased back to the building for the downright reasonable price of $1 per annum, the land is currently without a clear owner after the lease's termination in 1990.
Almost two decades later, the city is finally getting around to thinking about reclaiming the land that would effectively connect the two discrete sections of Sutton Place Park. Naturally, tenants of 1 Sutton Place South and neighboring 1 Sutton Place--designed by Rosario Candela, mastermind of architectural gems like 740 Park--are less than thrilled at the prospect of the repossession of their manicured lawns.
Sutton area resident Yelena Rubiner delicately put it, "You have to be in a very good position to buy property on Sutton. 95% of the apartments are co-ops that run pretty high." Those tenants who have demonstrated their eligibility for the A-list buildings don't look forward to relinquishing the gardens or the property value they represent.
"It's very attractive to have a private garden like that," Rubiner added. "But for those of us who don't live there, they could turn it into a nice park."
Q&A WITH YELENA RUBINER
Yelena Rubiner is a vice president in the compliance department at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. She lives in Sutton Place with her husband and 15-month-old daughter.
Why did you move to Sutton Place? We were renting on the Upper East Side until we decided to buy. After looking up there for a while, our broker suggested Sutton Place. It's a pretty big two-bedroom condo in a good building with low maintenance and taxes. My husband and I both work in midtown, so it's convenient. It only takes me 25 minutes to walk to work.
What do you like about the area? Sutton Place itself is very lovely. Some people say it has a European feel, and I can see why--the townhouses are very European in style and sensibility, and it's quiet over there.
What don't you like? There aren't a lot of parks you can take your kids to. There are a lot of older inexpensive restaurants around that aren't very good--I'd like to see more French and Italian places that aren't too upscale and expensive, but affordable and good. My husband is dying for a good supermarket like Whole Foods.
How do you see the neighborhood changing? It's becoming a younger neighborhood, with more people in their 30s and 40s and more families. From what I hear it was more of an old-people neighborhood, and you can still kind of see that. The infrastructure is changing, too--new restaurants and shops are opening up in place of old bars and restaurants. They're building a few new luxury apartment buildings, and P.S. 59 is being renovated as well, which is one of the reasons families are moving in. Favorite neighborhood spot? I love the little park on Sutton Place. I go there a lot with my daughter; it's not far and so cute.
THE BASICS: Library 58th St. Branch 127 E. 58th St. 212-759-7358 Terence Cardinal Cooke Cathedral Branch 560 Lexington Ave. 212- 752-3824
Police 17th Precinct 167 E. 51st St. 212-826-3211
Schools Beekman School, 220 E. 50th St.; Children's All Day School, 109 E. 60th St.; Family School, 323 E. 47th St.; First Church Preschool, 317 E. 50th St.; Montessori School of New York International, 347 E. 55th St.; P.S. 116, 210 E. 33rd St.; P.S. 59, 228 E. 57th St.; St. Bartholomew's, 109 E. 50th St.;
Transportation Train: E, V, to Lexington Ave./53rd St.; 6 to 51st St.; 4, 5, 6, N, R, W to 59th St.; F to 63rd St. Bus: M15, M31, M57; Q32, Q60, Q101 Tram: Roosevelt Island Tramway
Crime Stats The 17th Precinct, which covers Sutton Place, Beekman Place, Kips Bay, Turtle Bay, Murray Hill, Manhattan East and the Rose Hill Community, reported one murder, seven rapes, 95 robberies, and 137 burglaries in 2007; two murders, 11 rapes, 99 robberies, and 212 burglaries in 2006.
comments