The penthouse
The tower penthouse sits on top of the Southgate at 400 East 52nd Street, and a brick terrace wraps three sides of it, facing the East River. Eighteen stairs lead up to a one-bedroom with ceilings of nearly 14 feet, at the base of a rooftop water tower.
The floors are light oak planks. The great room has big windows, room for dining and several seating areas, and it opens to an open kitchen with a wrap-around dining bar, stainless appliances, a dishwasher and a washer/dryer.
The bedroom suite is king-sized, beside a bath with a soaking tub and a stall shower. Both the living room and the bedroom have over-scaled windows, through-wall air conditioning and two doors to the terrace. The listing counts views of the river and the city skyline on all sides, and sets the terrace up for gardening, meals and sunrise coffee.
The record
The Southgate was designed by Emery Roth for Bing and Bing, who hired him in 1928. Number 400 opened in October 1931 as one of five Southgate buildings, and the building became a cooperative in 1987.
Tommy Tune bought the penthouse in 2007. The listing says the great room currently holds all ten of his Tony Awards, which include the 2015 Lifetime Achievement award. Nine of the ten were competitive wins.
The building
The listing describes a pet-friendly, full-service building in Beekman, with a new riverfront promenade nearby. It places the penthouse by a private cul-de-sac overlooking the East River, in a neighborhood where, in its words, shopkeepers greet you by name.
