River House (New York City)
| River House | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Housing cooperative |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Address | 435 East 52nd Street |
| Town or city | New York, NY |
| Country | US |
| Coordinates | 40°45′17″N 73°57′47″W / 40.754613°N 73.963000°W |
| Construction started | 1930 |
| Completed | 1931 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 26 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Bottomley, Wagner & White[1] |
River House is a co-op apartment building located at 435 East 52nd Street in Manhattan, New York City.[2]
History
The 26-story River House was constructed in 1931 on the site of a former cigar factory and designed by William Lawrence Bottomley in the Art Deco style.[3][4][5] Designed for cooperative ownership, the building featured 78 apartments with 12 rooms, 6 baths, and two fireplaces.[6] Originally, the building featured a pier where residents could dock their yachts, but that amenity was lost with the construction of the FDR Drive. The building has a gated cobblestone courtyard featuring a fountain.[3]
During the Great Depression, residents defaulted on mortgage interest payments and the court ruled the property could be sold as a foreclosure in 1941.
Historically, the co-op board was notorious for turning away applicants who failed to meet strict liquidity requirements or those whose "comings and goings would attract unwelcome publicity to the River House". Famously,
The River Club
Parts of the lower levels of the building are leased to the River Club, a private club that counts slightly more than half of the building's shareholders among its 900 or so members.[3][5] It was the first social club with well-known members to accept both men and women. It featured a swimming pool, a terrace overlooking the East River, tennis courts, and a ballroom.[6]
As of 2013[update] the members, who include
After several years of negotiations where the club attempted to negotiate the purchase of its space, the co-op board listed the club's space for sale as a private residence. Featuring approximately 62,000 square feet (5,800 m2), five floors and a private entrance, the board set an asking price of $130 million. If the asking price is met, it would be Manhattan's most expensive residence.[5]
Notable residents
- Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, businessman, film producer, philanthropist, polo player, government official, and owner of thoroughbred racehorses.[13]
- Edwin Howard Armstrong, inventor of FM radio[2]
- Helen Bonfils and George Somnes, Broadway producers[14]
- Catherine "Deeda" (Gerlach) Blair, wife of ambassador William McCormick Blair, Jr.[3]
- Donald M. Blinken, ambassador[3]
- Philip Bobbitt, author, academic[15]
- Barbara Taylor Bradford, author[3]
- Ferdinand Eberstadt, investment banker[6]
- Greta Garbo, Actress
- Walter Hoving, businessman and former chairman of Tiffany & Co.[6]
- Henry Kissinger, United States Secretary of State[3]
- Isabel Leighton, actress and writer[16]
- Joshua Logan, writer and director[10]
- Malcolm Muir, magazine industrialist[6]
- Alexandra Penney, author and magazine editor[3]
- Holly Peterson, author[3]
- Peter George Peterson, businessman and United States Secretary of Commerce[3]
- Kermit Roosevelt, explorer and son of Theodore Roosevelt[3]
- Robert Rosenkranz[citation needed]
- Quentin Reynolds, journalist[6]
- Uma Thurman, actress[3]
- Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, businessman[17]
- William Roberston Coe, businessman[18]
References
- ^ "William L. Bottomley (1883-1951)". Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library. Columbia University Libraries. Archived from the original on May 10, 2014. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
- ^ The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ Rubinstein, Dana (March 24, 2010). "The Has-Been". Observer. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
- ^ ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
- ^ a b c Burns, Cherie (June 9, 1980). "Gloria Vanderbilt Charges Bigotry, but a Co-Op Says She Was Snubbed on Her Merits". People. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
- ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ Roseberg, Zoe (July 24, 2014). "River House Co-Op Review Upends Sale of Sad Pad to France". Curbed New York. Vox Media. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
- ^ Hellman, Geoffrey T. (June 13, 1941). "The Man Who Is Not His Cousin". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
- ISBN 1555663753.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
- ^ "Isabel's Divine Party for 'Only You, Dick Daring'". Daily News. October 7, 1964. p. 20. Retrieved January 12, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Kruk, Marynia (February 25, 2016). "Board approved: Who are the distinguished residents of River House?". Luxury Listings NYC. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
- ^ ""William R. Coe, 85, Sportsman, Dead"". The New York Times. March 16, 1955. p. 30. Retrieved November 30, 2023.