River House (New York City)

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River House
River House Manhattan.jpg
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General information
TypeHousing cooperative
Architectural styleArt Deco
Address435 East 52nd Street
Town or cityNew York, NY
CountryUS
Coordinates40°45′17″N 73°57′47″W / 40.754613°N 73.963000°W / 40.754613; -73.963000Coordinates: 40°45′17″N 73°57′47″W / 40.754613°N 73.963000°W / 40.754613; -73.963000
Construction started1930
Completed1931
Technical details
Floor count26
Design and construction
Architecture firmBottomley, Wagner & White[1]

River House is a co-op apartment building located at 435 East 52nd Street in Manhattan, New York.[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.[7] In 1948, the building was bought by Tishman Realty & Construction who wanted to split the suites into 170 smaller apartments.[8] Tenants opposed the renovations and sought legal council to retain their apartments intact.[9]

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, Gloria Vanderbilt was rejected by the board in 1980.[3] She accused the board of racism (she was in a relationship with African-American singer Bobby Short), while the board claimed she had been rejected on her merits.[10] Other celebrities alleged to have been rejected by the board include Richard Nixon, Diane Keaton, Joan Crawford[3][10] and, in 2014, the French Ambassador to the United Nations.[11][12]

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, terrace overlooking the East River, tennis courts, and a ballroom.[6]

As of 2013 the members, who include David H. Koch and Aerin Lauder, pay approximately $10,000 in annual membership fees. The club includes a restaurant, an indoor pool and tennis courts.[3]

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[]

References[]

  1. ^ "William L. Bottomley (1883-1951)". Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library. Columbia University Libraries. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Adams, Michael Henry (November 11, 2009). "Great Houses of New York: River House, the Best Address, Part IV". The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Bernstein, Jacob (November 6, 2013). "Roiling the Waters at River House". The New York Times. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  4. ^ "The Has-Been". Observer. 2010-03-24. Retrieved 2021-08-16.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c Barbanel, Josh (September 25, 2013). "A View and a Price, Both Astounding". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "River House: An Intimate Co-op With 18-Room Flats" (PDF). The New York Times. May 15, 1966. p. 90. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-16.
  7. ^ "River House Sale Ordered by Court; Foreclosure of Big East Side House and River Club to Follow Mortgage Default" (PDF). The New York Times. July 15, 1941. p. 35. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-16.
  8. ^ "Luxury Dwellers Face Moving Crisis; River House Sold, Buyers Set to Split Up 79 Apartments to Double the Capacity" (PDF). NY Times. May 28, 1948. p. 25. Retrieved 2021-08-16.
  9. ^ "River House Tenants Organize to Oppose Eviction From Their Luxury Apartments" (PDF). The New York Times. p. 17. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-16.
  10. ^ Jump up to: 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.
  11. ^ Josh, Barnabel. "Manhattan Co-op Review Foils French Buying Bid". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 29 July 2014. The WSJ cites "worries about noisy soirees, armed guards and diplomatic immunity" as reasons for the deal falling through.
  12. ^ Roseberg, Zoe. "River House Co-Op Review Upends Sale of Sad Pad to France". Curbed New York. Vox Media. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  13. ^ "The Man Who Is Not His Cousin". The New Yorker. June 13, 1941. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  14. ^ Riley, Marilyn Griggs (2006). High Altitude Attitudes: Six Savvy Colorado Women. Big Earth Publishing. ISBN 1555663753.
  15. ^ Rosenblum, Constance (2014-01-24). "Co-ops Chill, Condos Don't". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-16.
  16. ^ "Board approved: Who are the distinguished residents of River House?". Luxury Listings NYC. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
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