432 Park Avenue is a residential skyscraper overlooking Central Park at 57th Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. This 1,396-foot-tall tower was developed by CIM Group and Harry B. Macklowe and designed by Rafael Viñoly, opened on December 23, 2015. This building is the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere, and that fact certainly brings about complaints against the monstrosity. 

The building has received much attention in the press, both critical and commendatory. The titles of these news articles encapsulate the various opinions. 

“Financial Times”: A Stealth Skinny Scraper Pierces the Manhattan Skyline:

“Slender but supertall, these towers are clustering around Central Park, casting long shadows on the hallowed grass and making residents of some of the world’s priciest property very nervous.”

“Architectural Digest”: Everything in This Apartment at 432 Park is for Sale

“The Manhattan skyscraper that has redefined the city’s skyline and made headlines both raving and ranting.”

“Bloomberg”: With $90 Million Condos, Need Towers Jostle for Views

“If it’s finished with finesse…this chest-thumper might be gutsy enough to command the sky.”

“The New York Times”: Park Avenue, Interrupted

“In an area where some of the city’s most bitter preservation battles have been fought over the city skyline and the obstruction of views, the new 96-story apartment building at 56th and Park has avoided excessive criticisms. The perfectly squared tower from Macklowe Properties, 432 Park Avenue, has a slender, glimmering structure that can be seen from all five boroughs as well as the neighboring states of New Jersey and Connecticut.”

“Vanity Fair”: Too Rich, Too Thin, Too Tall 

“ While the building’s slender silhouette overlooking Central Park may stand in contrast to the boxy frames of its older neighbors, the interest it’s garnering from prospective residents around the globe only proves that the age-old adage is true: there’s simply no such thing as being too rich or too thin in New York City.”

So, yes, opinions are mixed, especially depending on who you ask. While complaints span the realm of criticisms of the rich, they equally address the supposed faulty construction of the building – even made by its own residents. In September 2021, some residents decided to sue the building’s developers for structural flaws which have made their living conditions nightmaric. According to a filed complaint, the condominium board alleged that the skyscraper is riddled with almost as many defects as the height of the building: 1,500 construction and design defects in the common areas alone. Most of the allegations revolve around the poor planning and construction that have led to flooding, elevator difficulties, electrical explosions, obtrusive noise and vibration, and a plethora of other safety issues. Not only are these faults an endangerment of personal safety, but they are also a great inconvenience, especially when residents are paying the high cost of living. According to the New York Post, a new lawsuit filed by the board is seeking $125 million plus punitive damages, listing CIM Group and Macklowe Properties as defendants, along with the company they formed to build the tower. The buildings’ elevators, programmed to slow down during high winds, have repeatedly shut down and trapped residents for hours “on multiple occasions.”

According to the 432 Park Avenue Website, there are currently two residences available. The 1,988 square foot residence on the 29th floor is listed at $6,995,000 with two bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. At almost triple the price, a 4,003 square foot residence on the 36th floor is listed for $16,995,000 with three bedrooms and four and a half baths. 

When the tower was first built in 2015, “Gothamist,” a website about New York City news, arts, and events, and food, stated that some critics compared the tower to a middle finger sticking above the skyline, but still, its sellout value remained at $3.1 billion. Many New York residents might find themselves wanting to return the favor of the jutting, hate gesture towards the building. 

Would you live here? Could you learn to dismiss the plethora of faults and inconveniences in exchange for the views and amenities? Or would you join the army of complaints, like many other New Yorkers. If you are unsure, view the real estate brochure at: https://www.432parkavenue.com/assets/data/brochures/432Park_DigitalBrochure.pdf