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The High Life in West Chelsea, New York City

The skyline above New York’s High Line Park is rapidly morphing, courtesy of some of modern architecture’s biggest names—and at the heart of it all is 551 West 21st Street

A beacon shining in the center of one of Manhattan’s most desirable neighborhoods, 551 West 21st Street is much more than just a striking façade. This spectacular 19-story waterfront property in West Chelsea was designed by Foster + Partners, which took an “inside out” approach, both to the layout and the materials bringing it together.

Precast concrete is used to an imposing effect on the outer walls, as well as on fins lining the address’s grand lobby, surrounding a cascading custom chandelier. Prismatic glass detailing the exterior not only animates the light coming into the ground floor, but its texture is also reflected in the fluted glass in the elevators.

Then, of course, there are the views. To the west and south, the geography of Manhattan allows the river to wrap around the property, while the other end offers vistas over architectural wonders: The High Line Park, the Empire State Building, and the newly developed Hudson Yards.

“There was an extremely thoughtful process in creating these homes,” explains broker Erin Boisson Aries of Christie’s International Real Estate Group. “Developers—in working with star architects—often focus predominately on the exterior envelope while largely overlooking the importance of well-designed interiors. 551 West 21st Street is unique in that the team first created a series of spaces, each designed thoughtfully as their own living experience with the focus always being first on how today’s buyers want to live.”

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The aesthetic of the exterior thereafter reflects the grand layout of the interior in a way that Aries’ fellow broker, Dustin Crouse, describes as “a conversation from the inside out.”

As for the live-here experience, residents first arrive at the building through the exclusive drive court, past an impressive 20-foot-high (6 m-high) wall of ivy, where they then drop their car with the valet attendant before stepping into the awe-inspiring lobby, which is 34 feet (10 m) tall.

The vast lobby at 551 West 21st Street, complete with its elegant chandelier, offers a dramatic welcome for residents.
The vast lobby at 551 West 21st Street, complete with its elegant chandelier, offers a dramatic welcome for residents.

It is this exclusivity, grandeur, and liberal use of space, Aries says, that makes this property unique. Its 19 floors comprise some 135,000 square feet (12,542 sq m) spread over just 44 apartments, making each one feel particularly spacious for lower Manhattan. “The drama of entering the building and seeing this cathedral-like space really sets the tone for residents who expect that sense of gracious living.”

And yet, as if the simple square footage were not enough, the interiors of the property are designed with the intention of preserving even more space. Each apartment has high ceilings and doorways—11 feet (3.3 m) and nine feet (2.7 m) respectively— and architectural soffits that line the outer walls with soft, rounded curves containing the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems, as well as providing concealment for the window shades. There is not a column in sight to spoil any of those views.

Entering the building and seeing this cathedral-like space really sets the tone for residents

The building was conceived in 2015 as a space for buyers less familiar with the contemporary arts hub that is West Chelsea. So far, it has proved to be a trailblazer, enticing leaders in business, fashion, and arts down from the Upper East and Upper West sides.

Among the three homes currently listed in the property by Christie’s International Real Estate Group is an apartment on the 15th floor, which is among the most spectacularly spacious in all of downtown Manhattan. The elevator opens directly into a cozy private vestibule, but just beyond it is the 82-foot-long (25 m-long) grand room, lined with windows of the highest sound attenuation—so that the beauty of the adjacent Hudson River and liveliness of Chelsea Piers can be observed in peace.

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Inviting herringbone wood floors are featured throughout the seven-bedroom, nine-bath home (there are two master suites), while two sleek kitchens boast Blanco Macael marble countertops.

Also listed in the building at 551 West 21st Street is 8B, which includes a southwest-facing corner living room, overlooking the Hudson River.
Also listed in the building at 551 West 21st Street is 8B, which includes a southwest-facing corner living room, overlooking the Hudson River.

Other listings in the building include a two-bedroom suite on the eighth floor (8B) and a one-bedroom on the fourth (4F). Both have been immaculately outfitted with custom furnishings, but the former in particular is home to some stunning vintage Mid-Century Modern style offerings, including a Milo Baughman sofa and Karl Springer side table.

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As for the additional amenities of the address, a trip below the ground floor reveals an expansive gym, complete with a yoga room and separate changing rooms with saunas and spas. A grand residents’ lounge with end-grain wood floors and a children’s playroom are on offer on the same level. The concierge and doorman are, of course, available to residents 24 hours a day.

A Franz West chandelier in the kitchen of apartment 8B at 551 West 21st Street, New York, offers a contemporary focal point.
A Franz West chandelier in the kitchen of apartment 8B at 551 West 21st Street, New York, offers a contemporary focal point.

While 551 West 21st Street may be a relatively new building (it has only been lived in since 2017), the masterful craftsmanship of the interior lends it a substance that easily places it among the highest echelons of Chelsea living—welcoming the best of urbanity in, while keeping the associated hubbub safely out.