A FORGOTTEN GEM THAT STANDS THE TEST OF TIME
Susan Greenfield and Daniela V. Rivoir, both Licensed Associate Real Estate Brokers at Brown Harris Stevens, are currently marketing a choice North West corner listing in the quintessential Olympic Tower at 641 Fifth Avenue.
Built in 1976, Olympic Tower was New York’s first major mixed use condominium, altering the landscape of 5th Avenue with office space on the first 21 floors and residences on the 30 floors above. The iconic building is a polished yet quiet gem that is considered part of the fashionable fabric of the area, on par with other luxury buildings but with a far greater impact in its rich New York City history.
Together, Ms. Greenfield and Ms. Rivoir have listed the two bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom residence on the 29th floor. This particular apartment includes sixteen 9-foot floor-to-ceiling windows with breathtaking views of 5th Avenue, the Seagram building and Radio City Music Hall. The large eat-in kitchen overlooks Rockefeller Center, and Central Park can be viewed as your front yard. The property is listed at $3,975,000, which is ‘currently the lowest price per square foot in the building”.
“Olympic Tower is a gem on Fifth Avenue and was conceived and built ahead of its time. Many newer buildings in the surrounding area have duplicated its luxury services, but none are lucky enough to be located where the Olympic Tower stands, which is full of magic. The truth is that the Olympic Tower is one of those iconic buildings that stands the test of time,” said Ms. Greenfield. “Located next to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and across from Rockefeller Center, the building is in an ideal location with unparalleled Downtown East Side and West Side city and Northern Central Park views. Our current offering of 29A has beautiful Central Park Views from every room, and the best part is that the price is right.”
Olympic Tower was designed by the renowned architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill on a site once occupied by the white glove retail department store, Best & Company. Aristotle Onassis secured the site to develop the tower in a joint partnership between his company Victory Development and Arlen Realty & Development Corporation, a prominent New York developer of the time.
The 51 story Structure is comprised of a 30-story apartment building which is built of cast-in-place reinforced-concrete over a 21-story steel-framed base. It was completed in 1976 and the unusual construction made for an exceptionally strong structure, unmatched to this day. Today, the commercial floors house corporate offices, stores and galleries and above there are fewer than 200 residential condominium apartments.
“Like the Trump Tower, both buildings are mixed-use and built on the sites of former department stores, while Trump Tower has a more commercial presence compared to Olympic Tower. It was completed 7 years later, in 1983.” added Greenfield.
Ms. Rivoir, who has been the Brown Harris Stevens Broker Specialist of Olympic Tower for over twenty years, has sold and rented the majority of the units at the Tower and has also accomplished numerable high end sales throughout Manhattan. Daniela’s current focus is developing new business through her world-wide connections working with her many global real estate investor relationships and in collaboration with Ms. Greenfield. Ms. Greenfield will focus on the Manhattan market as well as the day to day marketing of the Olympic Tower.
About Susan Greenfield
Susan Greenfield is a Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker at Brown Harris Stevens. She recently earned the distinction of “Christie’s International Real Estate Luxury Specialist” at the Christie’s 2015 Top Agent’s Conference. Ms. Greenfield is revered in the industry for her unmatched understanding of international real estate markets and is the authority on international real estate. She is the president liaison to the Netherlands Real Estate Association and has taught the designation course (CIPS) “Certified International Property Specialist” in many locations worldwide. The curricular focuses on building the awareness of experienced agents in order to develop better skills and sensitivities while working with clients from around the world. Cultural training is key to the success of any agent today. Ms. Greenfield previously worked as Vice President of Domestic and International Sales and Marketing at Merrill Lynch Realty and as Principal, President and Managing Partner of the Residential and Commercial companies of Jean-Marc Levet & Partners, New York City operations.
