The buildings on Central Park West are some of the most historic and attractive in the city, dotting the boulevard with prewar masterpieces. While gaining entry into them isn’t always so easy (availabilities tend to get snatched up by buyers very quickly), when these apartments do pop up on the market, they present a great opportunity to get an inside glimpse of their rich history. At 418 Central Park West, built in 1902, we see one of the most attractive entrances facing the park. And the listing, a newly renovated one-bedroom apartment, has oversized windows looking directly at Central Park. Not bad for a price tag that’s well under $1 million.

A record-shattering $88 million sale at 15 Central Park West has brought new attention to the Upper West Side. The area has long offered a quiet and idyllic environment for people seeking a certain level of understated elegance from their neighborhood, but aside from John Lennon and “Seinfeld,” it has never attracted as much attention as other ‘hoods. Here are our three favorite CORE listings in the area.

Where: 270 West End Avenue #12-E
Size: 3 bedrooms/3 bathrooms
Asking: $2,399,000
Listed by: Doron Zwickel

West End Avenue, hugging the coast of Manhattan, is as graceful as a stretch can be, and we love this duplex. It’s a luxurious and contemporary move-in-ready apartment located in the type of classic pre-war building that defines the neighborhood. The blend of old and new synthesizes and creates a special home that also happens to be enmeshed in the oasis of Lincoln Center, Riverside Park and, of course, Central Park.

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