MANHATTAN — Forget cramped Manhattan apartments — a new Upper East Side building is luring families with a pristine half-acre park, a sprawling children's play area and even a "yoga sanctuary."
There's another grassy knoll outside the second floor of 515 E. 72nd St., a sunbathing spot outside the 56-foot indoor pool.
There's also a fitness center with squash, a climbing wall, steam rooms and saunas. An Elements Spa in the building offers Reiki and Flower Essence consultations, lectures and cooking classes. There's a Jodi's Gym with Mommy and Me music classes and pre-school gymnastics.
It's the latest luxe condo to offer more than just the basic amenities.
Many are upping the ante on promoting healthy living, like a Lower East Side project that will have vegan meals delivered 24/7 or a Midtown building with a doctor on call.
The focus on luxury has been a boon at 515 E. 72nd St., where residents are treated to free muffins and coffee every morning that they can eat while sitting in the lush and serene green space, according to the building's team from the Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group.
In three months, sales there have topped $59 million for apartments ranging from $633,000 to $4.8 million, Elaine Diratz, managing director of Corcoran Sunshine Marketing, announced last week.
The building, which is 65 percent sold after closings began three years ago, opened its fitness center and other amenities in September.
"Instead of a standard lounge and workout room, it’s more comprehensive," Diratz said of the building's ultra-high end offerings. "A lot of people are striving to incorporate more into their busy days."
By having a park, spa and fitness center under one roof, she said, residents save time.
Just a few blocks away at the Laurel, located at 400 E. 67th St., health-focused amenities include a state-of-the-art bi-level Triathlon training center with two resistance pools and a 50-foot lap pool.
Called the Trophy Club, the facility offers uninterrupted running, swimming and biking needed for efficient triathlon training. The gym's designer, fitness guru John Sitaras, is also available to hire for private training.
That new 31-story building announced last week that it was 85 percent sold, with only 19 of the 128 residences — costing from $850,000 to $2.9 million — left, according to Corcoran Sunshine Marketing. The Laurel set price records, such as its recent penthouse sale of more than $11 million, which is the highest price tag on First Avenue since 2007.
On the Lower East Side, the 110-unit Madison Jackson, which is almost ready at a former public school at 371 Madison St., will have a Jivamukti yoga studio (which combines a vigorous yoga practice with spiritual components and veganism), in-house nutrition counseling and 24-hour room service from an on-site juice bar with vegan options for those who get kale cravings at 2 a.m.
"We have many people who are health conscious," said the building’s developer Michael Bolla.
"But they don’t have time to do certain things, so we’re making this lifestyle more tenable and easier. It’s not only offering amenities, it’s also offering the environment to help people live that way."
Bolla, himself a yoga practitioner of 18 years who follows a mostly vegan diet, said he has a list of 300 names of prospective buyers.
"I have more experience with this than a guy who works out once a week and eats at Bobby Van’s," joked Bolla, who said he hoped the building also created "community."
Madison Jackson — where apartments are expected to sell at roughly $800 a square foot — will also have a spin room, an Olympic-sized pool that will be open to members outside the building and will have separate gendered time slots to appeal to the Orthodox Jews in the area, and offer "organic" laundry services.
At 400 Fifth Ave., a condo that shares a building with a five-star hotel, the Setai, residents can take advantage of the world-class spa with steam room, sauna and ice cave. They can also call down the 24-hour on-call doctor, dentist and pharmacist.
"A lot of residents are international and may not have a doctor they use here, so it’s nice to have a vetted situation," said Karen Mansour, Executive Vice President of Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, who not only works in the building but also lives there.
The exclusive condo last week announced it’s more than 60 percent sold, taking in $160 million in sales this past year. Prices range from $1.475 million to $5.35 million.
"I’ve never had an experience like this," Mansour said of her home. "When I come home I feel like I’m at a resort. I don’t feel like I’m at an apartment by myself."
