Inside Manhattan’s Billionaires’ Row skyscrapers built for the ultra-rich

The ultra-wealthy of Manhattan have stopped chasing penthouses. Instead, they are buying entire vertical neighbourhoods, sealed in glass and steel, where a studio apartment costs more than most houses in America. Yes, you guessed it right—the Billionaires’ Row along the 57th Street corridor near Central Park, where eight supertall residential buildings have redefined what it means to live at the top of the world. These slim, tall, and most exclusive residential towers include the world's three tallest residential buildings, and owning one of these addresses is like a trophy for the richest.One57Opened in 2014 as Manhattan's tallest residential building, One57, located at 157 West 57th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, is a 1,050-foot tower sitting above the Park Hyatt. Residents even have access to five-star hotel services without leaving their address. The glass façade catches light throughout the day, and the shifting colours feel less like architecture and more like a living thing. The skyscraper has set records for the city's most and second-most expensive residences, selling for $100.5 million and $91.5 million respectively.432 Park AvenueFour blocks south-east is 432 Park Avenue, the skyscraper completed in 2015, which became the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere at the time. This tower is distinct from others on Billionaires’ Row. The square-grid design is mesmerising and gives it an ultra-modern look. There are 122 luxury condominiums and 25 studio units, with prices ranging from roughly $10 million to $90 million. The prices of the ultra-exclusive full-floor penthouses in the skyscraper go up to $169 million.Steinway TowerAt 111 West 57th Street, elegance takes a different form, as it is the skinniest of them all. At 1,428 feet, Steinway Tower is the only Billionaires’ Row building located at the southern edge of Central Park, which means the best direct Central Park views. The building tapers as it rises because the builders know that the elite value privacy and beauty rather than height. The highest asking price for a quadplex penthouse in the skyscraper went up to $110 million last year.Central Park TowerAt 217 West 57th Street, Central Park Tower scrapes 1,550 feet into the Manhattan sky, making it the tallest residential building in the world. The developer, Extell, applied lessons learned from One57, adding the Central Park Club, an amenity that offers residents their own private retreat with dining, entertaining, and pool access. The initial listing price for a triplex penthouse in the tower was a record-breaking $250 million. But after sitting on the market for a year with no buyers interested in being so high, the price dropped to $195 million.53 West 53rdJust south of the 57th Street cluster sits Jean Nouvel's exuberant creation, 53 West 53rd, also known as the MoMA Tower. The French architect's design features an exposed structural steel frame that creates diagonal lines across floor-to-ceiling windows. There is one other perk for the residents here that no other Billionaires’ Row building offers: a complimentary Benefactor membership to MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art), which sits directly below. The penthouses go up to $65 million, and this is also home to the wealthy, aspirationally climbing towards elite status.Ready to Make a Smarter Property Decision? Build Your Legacy with TOI Homes.