The Plan: 720 West End Avenue Pays Homage to Original Architect Emery Roth

Emery Roth imprinted an everlasting legacy on Manhattan’s skyline as a leading architect of the 1920s and 1930s, particularly around Central Park West. One of the buildings he designed back then — 720 West End Avenue — has been redeveloped for the modern era. 

Originally built in 1927 as the Hotel Marcy, 720 West End Avenue is now a 131-unit condominium with luxury residences ranging in price from $1 million to over $12 million and offering that quintessential Upper West Side vibe. 

The original stone base and brick facade of the Renaissance Revival building remains the same, but the interior has been completely reimagined from its previous lives — first a grand hotel, then a home for seniors — into a series of opulent apartments, with vast amenities and a premium location. The 96th Street subway station is just a block away, and Riverside Park is even closer. 

“We were very attracted to this Emory Roth building,” said Myles Horn, managing partner at Glacier Equities. “The shell of the building was great. It had gone into disrepair. It started out as a hotel, then it became senior citizens housing, and eventually there was no one in the building, and we fell in love with it. We thought what a beautiful landmark to restore, and we thought we could bring the best of New York, both old world and new convenience, to this project.”

With the help of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, building owners Glacier Equities and InterVest Capital Partners painstakingly restored 720 West End Avenue. Work included adding an extra floor to one of the penthouses, which are stunning, particularly Penthouse 17C, a $12 million duplex with an abundance of natural light, a Boffi-designed kitchen and 1,900 square feet of private outdoor space. 

“Penthouse 17C is one of our crown jewels,” said Blake Weissberg, sales director at Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group, the firm leading sales and marketing at the building. “The building was originally built as a 16-story building and now it’s a 17-story building. This is an extension and is the perfect apartment to showcase the blending of the two eras of the building.” 

As part of the building’s new life in the modern era, some 30,000 square feet of amenities were added.

“​​I was astonished at just how much space there is and just how much you can actually do with amenities,” Horn said. “It feels like you’re in a private club as you go through those amenities.”

Perks at 720 West End Avenue include a soundproof music room featuring a piano and a drum set so residents can practice and enjoy a jam session. There is also a squash court with a basketball hoop, fitness spaces, a golf simulator, a billiards lounge, a dining room, the Emery’s Bar (get it?) and even an art studio. 

“We’re very proud of the amenities,” Horn said. “I think [designer] Thomas Juul-Hansen did a spectacular job combining old world charm and substance with the new and modern. I think Emory Roth would have been very proud of Thomas. And I think that the care and love that we put into this building is reflected in how many units we sold.”

As of publication, 50 percent of the units at 720 West End Avenue had been sold.

Amanda Schiavo can be reached at aschiavo@commercialobserver.com.