One57 - A Glimpse into the World of NYC Luxury Real Estate
I’m excited to share a peek into the world of my latest novel. It’s not historical fiction, but it is adult fiction, (if you keep reading, there’s a small extract below). It’s been a lot of fun to write so far.
The novel is partly set in the high stakes world of New York City luxury real estate. I learned a lot about this madcap industry the last few years, but I dove into it headfirst last summer. I got the idea for this book from my experience living in a short-term rental when I first moved to NYC. I became friends with the landlady and this cool idea for a fun book came to me one evening. I’m still editing the draft, but I wanted to start sharing some of the behind-the-scenes work that went into it. Today, I’m giving readers a glimpse into a residential building that makes an appearance.
Facts about the NYC luxury real estate market
Before I get into any book details, here are a few facts about the high-end real estate market in NYC:
According to the 2025 Henley & Partners World Wealthiest Cities Report, New York City is home to approximately 384,500 millionaires - the highest number of any place in the world. If we dive further into the data, there are 818 people worth $100 million or more, and 66 people worth upwards of $1 billion who reside (or have homes) in NYC.
A January 2025 StreetEasy report shared that the median home price in Manhattan (the most expensive borough) was $1.55 million.
There are just over 3,000 billionaires in the world. The majority of them (902, according to the most recent Forbes’ Rich List) live in America. Of those who live in the States, most reside in New York City.
There are a lot of different residential and commercial property developers in New York City, including Extell, JDS, Tishman Speyer, Brookfield Management, and more.
I did find some conflicting numbers and I suspect that’s due to shell companies, trusts, and offshore accounts (there’s a reason why so many NYC deals are all cash offers, or purchased through LLCs registered in places like Delaware.) But the main takeaway here is that New York City is a playground for the wealthy. I mean, when the flagship Tiffany & Co and Louis Vuitton stores are mere steps from your home, and Central Park is your backyard, you know you’re in ultra luxury land:
Inside the Tiffany & Co flagship on Fifth Avenue in New York City.
The Louis Vuitton flagship in New York City undergoing renovations (they won with this marketing.)
Despite the upscale setting, this book is not a rags to riches tale. Nor does it put the ultra-wealthy on a pedestal. I am well aware of the state of the world and the growing divide between rich and poor. But at the end of the day, this book isn’t the place for any of that. It’s light-hearted and designed to give readers a break from reality.
Now for the properties. I was torn in terms of which property I wanted to spotlight. I have a laundry list of places that are amazing for so many different reasons. I’ve been spending a lot of time in Tribeca and was initially going to choose a building there. But ultimately, I needed to feature a home where an ultra wealthy character would reside.
Enter Billionaires’ Row.
What is Billionaires’ Row in New York City?
Billionaires’ Row refers to the stretch of super-tall, luxury condominium towers along Central Park South in New York City (a lot of them are on 57th street). Apparently the name ‘Billionaires’ Row’ came from the press because of the record-breaking prices of the apartments, and the fact that only the ultra-rich can afford to live there.
If you’re around the South side of Central Park, look up - you’ll see a lot of these towers because they take up so much real estate in the sky.
South-facing view in Central Park during the summer.
Here’s another view, this is closer to the Southwest side of Central Park, during winter (obviously I had to skate at the rink after I took this!)
Some of the buildings on Billionaire’s Row include 220 Central Park South, 432 Park Avenue, and 111 West 57th Street. For my book, I settled on One57.
One57 luxury condominiums
Formerly known as Carnegie 57, this 1,005 ft super-tall skyscraper sits in the middle of Manhattan’s Midtown neighbourhood at 157 West 57th Street. Designed by French architect Christian de Portzamparc, and developed by Extell, One57 features 132 residences. The Park Hyatt New York hotel occupies the first 18 physical stories of the tower and residents who live there can access the hotel’s luxury services.
Some of the amenities include:
A fitness centre
A screening and performance room with a Steinway piano
A library and a 24-foot aquarium
A stunning indoor swimming pool (which has an underwater soundtrack curated by Carnegie Hall), and a spa.
When it was completed in 2015, One57 was the tallest residential building in New York City. I read somewhere that it kick-started the race to the proverbial top, each subsequent tower on the stretch getting higher and higher. It’s amazing how many people want to build tall towers in New York. During my research, I also learned that a lot of the time, units in these ultra-luxe properties sell for 20-30% less than their initial value.
I am very lucky to have a family connection to a resident in the building, and was fortunate to get an insider look. For privacy reasons, I’m not sharing anything publicly except for this photo, which is simply an outside view from one of the windows:
If you want more, you can see a selection of photos on the property website. Another thing you can do if you want to see pictures of luxury real estate is to try looking up the property on StreetEasy or Zillow. Even if the units aren’t for sale, sometimes they show photos. But to be honest for the more luxe ones, you won’t see anything. Many of them are off-market and never show up online.
Throughout my research, I was struck by the number of sky-high residential towers that felt soulless, completely devoid of any personality or warmth. I think that due to NYC zoning laws, it’s in a developer’s best interest to build for the HNWI population, but just because something is expensive, it doesn’t make it nice. Money can’t buy taste or elegance.
A tiny novel snippet
So now, for my book. You’d think I’d be a dab hand at this after becoming a best-selling author, but writing novels isn’t easy for me. I may have gotten a bit faster, but it still takes me a really long time to refine my drafts and arrive at a place where I’m happy with them.
And then there is the fact that there are never any guarantees in this business (although, in fairness, that’s true of a lot of businesses). I do all of this unpaid, in the very early mornings, the very late nights and on the weekends, with no guarantee that anything will work out. And while I do enjoy it, sometimes it takes a toll.
I remember one day last summer I was feeling super low, wondering if I would ever sell another book. There’s a section in my novel told from the male main character’s POV. In this scene, he has to temporarily relocate to Los Angeles from New York and he’s getting in his cab to JFK to leave Manhattan, unsure if he’ll return. Here’s what he’s feeling:
Of course, I haven’t told a soul. Everyone would try to stop me. “What do you mean, you’re leaving New York?” They’d say, with astonished faces. “If you left, where would you go?” That’s the mentality about being here. No matter how bad your life is, nothing is better than New York.
But as I get older, I don’t know if I want to do it anymore. The lonely nights. The aching sadness. The hopefulness of a first date, only to have it all vanish into thin air, replaced by disappointment, indifference, or both. There’s a line in the musical ‘Hamilton’ (I’d taken Aly for her 32nd birthday) that talks about how New York lets you be anything you want to be - you can come from nothing and still reach the top. And it’s true. But only to an extent. For a second, I wonder if I’m making the right choice. Because when New York is good, it’s great. But when it’s bad, it kicks you down so hard that you don’t know if you can ever rise again.
“JFK please.” As the cab pulls away, I don’t look back.
I think this feeling is more common than people let on.
On the weekends, I often head to Central Park for a long walk and a break from the noise and concrete. Because I spent so much of my summer last year out of the country, whenever I was in the city, I did my best to get in as much writing and researching as I could. That meant making stops at 57th Street before heading to the park.
On the day I was doubting myself, I skipped Billionaires’ Row altogether. Instead, I went to the Dakota Building (coincidentally it is also a luxury residence, but a MUCH nicer one than all the new developments, at least in my opinion). It’s where John Lennon used to live (and where he was sadly shot). Then, I walked to Strawberry Fields in Central Park to see the Imagine memorial mosaic circle, took a seat on a nearby bench, and wrote until the sun went down.
Imagine memorial mosaic in Strawberry Fields, Central Park - named for The Beatles’ song and created in honour of John Lennon.
Sometimes the words spill out. Often they don’t. Great writing doesn’t happen because of inspiration. Great writing happens because a writer chooses to show up consistently and put something on paper. I don’t have a lot of advice on how to write a book, other than if you keep showing up, you’ll eventually finish. And I think that’s so important in life. Just keep showing up, even if you’re feeling low. The tide turns eventually.
Resources for NYC luxury real estate
For those interested in learning more about the luxury real estate industry in New York, here are my recommendations (this is more for people who see this as a hobby. If you want to work in the industry, I can’t help):
Katherine Clarke’s book, Billionaires’ Row: Tycoons, High Rollers, and the Epic Race to Build the World's Most Exclusive Skyscrapers, for a look into the history of the area, some of the key players, and the drama that often occurs behind the scenes. Clarke is a journalist for the Wall Street Journal and is a fantastic writer.
On that note, the Wall Street Journal and The Real Deal are both great news sources for real estate.
There are countless videos on YouTube and social media where people showcase high-end spaces. I’m sure a search will pull a bunch up.
You may consider watching two reality TV shows. One is Owning Manhattan, featuring Ryan Serhant and some of his team from his namesake brokerage. Or, you could try Selling New York, which I believe is produced by the same team that does Selling Sunset and Selling Tampa. This one features a team mainly from the brokerage Douglas Elliman. I’m not a fan of reality tv (you gotta question the ‘reality’ behind any of these shows), but there must be an audience because they keep making them.
I’m grateful to every individual who took the time to share their expertise and knowledge, and to anyone who gave me a peek into the world of New York City luxury real estate over the last few years. This book would not exist without all of you.
In other news, I had my first show in a Manhattan theatre at the beginning of April and it was incredible. There’s something so liberating about doing a live show in a black box theatre. And I got to do it alongside the kindest group of people I’ve met in a long time. I rarely say this, but I’m actually looking forward to speaking in front of people. As I said in a previous post, I’m only letting people know about my live events via email, so if you want to come to a show, get in touch via my contact form.
I’m hoping I can power through the rest of these edits and rewrites soon so that I can share more about this book with the world. I leave you with one of my favourite songs (it’s related to the book! It will be on a playlist!), and the promise of more to come: