The Grand Beekman

The Grand Beekman rose on the southeast corner of First Avenue and East 51st Street in the early 2000s, developed by Alexico Group (led by Izak Senbahar and Simon Elias) with Gama Holdings, and designed by Costas Kondylis, one of Manhattan's most prolific luxury high-rise architects at the time. CityRealty and the developer's own materials describe it as the first major residential development in the small, exclusive Beekman Place enclave in more than two decades, a neighborhood otherwise defined by prewar cooperatives from the 1920s and 1930s.

The building's limestone and cast-stone facade was designed as a deliberate homage to the nearby River House, the landmarked 1931 cooperative a few blocks south on the East River. The design gives the tower a six-story rusticated base, corner bay windows, and a top section marked by tall pilasters, details CityRealty's building review calls one of the most refined post-modern facades on First Avenue.

Inside, the 89 apartments were laid out in a prewar style, with separate wings for entertaining and sleeping, herringbone mahogany floors, and kitchens with Viking ranges, Sub-Zero refrigerators, and Miele dishwashers. A private garden and conservatory on the property was designed by the fashion designer Arnold Scaasi, a detail noted by both the developer and CityRealty.