Building: Charing Cross House

Charing Cross House, at 305 East 72nd Street, is a luxury full service, 24-hour doorman, postwar coop located in the Lenox Hill section of the Upper East Side on the corner of 2nd Avenue. Built in 1957, the 178-unit residence is comprised of two buildings; a 6-story north building facing East 73rd Street, which is connected by a wide corridor to the 17-story south building facing East 72nd Street, one of the most sought-after streets on the Upper East Side . The entrance to the residence is on East 72nd Street, set back from 2nd Avenue. The lobby, halls and elevators have all been tastefully renovated, well-suiting this Upper East Side residence.

The building was named Charing Cross House in honor of Helene Hanff, a long-time resident of the building, and the author of “84, Charing Cross Road”, the delightful, best-selling chronicle of a 20-year transatlantic love affair-by-mail which she wrote while in residence in 1970.

Amenities include exceptional 24-hour doorman service; a massive well-appointed marble lobby; a new state-of-the-art 24-hour fitness center; on-site laundry room; bike and storage rooms; and a live-in resident manager.

The building has one of the most extraordinary roof decks: a state-of-the-art, eco-conscious roof deck garden that rivals any other Manhattan roof decks. Equipped with Wi-Fi, it features vertical green walls and carpeting of sedum plants surrounding multiple common areas, each with built-in seating to create a lush green oasis for residents’ enjoyment. In addition, there is an event space and private function area. Incredible eco-friendly and self-sustaining features include solar panels that offer shaded space for relaxing residents while also generating electricity for the roof and building, plus a rainwater collection and retention system to reduce storm water runoff and to supplement irrigation for the roof greenery. This cutting-edge roof deck garden is among the first of its kind in Manhattan and surpasses those of most other buildings.

Charing Cross House is ideally located on one of the stateliest double-wide residential blocks in the city. A number of world-class boutiques, bars, restaurants, cafes, culture and nightlife destinations are all just within a few blocks. Enjoy nearby Grace’s Marketplace and Citarella for high-quality food shopping. The East River Promenade is just three blocks away, and New York’s iconic Central Park is a mere ten-minute stroll away. The new Second Avenue express subway conveniently stops across the street from the building, and the 6 train is currently within easy walking distance. The building permits pets and pied-a-terres.

Description provided by Glenn Connolly