Makazi 5A ni nyumba ya vyumba viwili vya kulala na bafu mbili, iliyojengwa kabla ya vita, yenye ukubwa wa kipekee na tayari kabisa kuhamia, katika Alwyn Court—jengo maarufu la mtindo wa Renaissance ya Ufaransa lililotangazwa kuwa alama ya kihistoria—lililoko kwenye Seventh Avenue na 58th Street, umbali wa mtaa mmoja kutoka Central Park. Ukarabati wa kisasa uliofanywa na wabunifu umeunganishwa kwa ustadi na mapambo halisi ya enzi ya kabla ya vita katika nyumba nzima.

Ukumbi wa kuvutia wa kuingilia unaelekea kwenye chumba rasmi cha kulia, kinachofaa kwa chakula cha jioni cha karibu na pia kwa kupokea wageni. Sakafu za mpangilio wa herringbone na mapambo tata ya ukingo wa dari yanaendelea hadi kwenye sebule ya kona yenye urefu wa futi 27. Hapa, madirisha matano makubwa yanayoelekea kaskazini na mashariki, dari zenye urefu wa zaidi ya futi 10, pamoja na medali ya mapambo ya dari, vinaweka katika fremu mahali pa moto maalum pa Kiitalia kilichochongwa kwa ustadi kwenye ukuta wa mashariki. Milango mipya kabisa yenye paneli, vishikio vya shaba na grili za mapambo za radiator vinaendeleza ubora wa ufundi kutoka chumba kimoja hadi kingine.

Jiko lenye madirisha linafanya kazi kwa ufanisi kama lilivyo zuri. Kabati maalum zenye paneli zilizoinuliwa zinafika hadi dari, huku kabati za juu zenye vioo na taa za chini ya kabati zikiwa juu ya kaunta za marumaru na ukuta wa nyuma wa slabu ya marumaru. Vifaa vya GE, ikiwemo jiko la gesi na mashine ya kuosha vyombo, pamoja na bomba la aina ya bridge juu ya sinki lililowekwa chini ya kaunta, vinakamilisha eneo hili lenye nafasi ya kipekee ya kuhifadhi.

Korido tofauti huunda sehemu ya faragha inayojumuisha chumba kikuu cha kulala na bafu kamili lenye dirisha. Chumba kikuu cha kulala chenye urefu wa futi 17 kina madirisha mawili yanayoelekea kaskazini, mapambo ya ukingo wa dari, nafasi ya samani za ukubwa wa kitanda cha king-size, na kabati mbili kubwa. Bafu hilo limehifadhi mwonekano wake wa kitamaduni wa kabla ya vita, likiwa na sakafu ya mosaiki nyeusi na nyeupe pamoja na vigae vyeupe vilivyopambwa kwa rangi nyeusi.

Chumba cha pili cha kulala, ambacho pia kina madirisha mawili yanayoelekea kaskazini, kimepambwa ukuta mzima wa kabati zenye paneli zinazoanzia sakafuni hadi darini. Bafu lake la karibu ndilo kivutio kikuu cha nyumba: beseni kubwa la kuogea la aina ya clawfoot lenye miguu ya nikeli iliyong’arishwa, meza ya beseni yenye sehemu ya juu ya marumaru na miguu ya nikeli iliyong’arishwa, sakafu za vigae vyeupe vilivyowekwa kwa mwelekeo wa diagonal, na ukuta wa kioo chenye mwonekano wa kale.

Nafasi ya kuhifadhi ni mojawapo ya sifa kuu katika nyumba nzima: kabati sita kubwa kupita kawaida, sehemu nyingi za kuhifadhi zilizotengenezwa maalum, na chumba binafsi cha kuhifadhia ndani ya jengo.

Nje ya mlango wako, vivutio bora vya Manhattan viko ndani ya umbali wa vitalu vichache. Carnegie Hall iko mtaa mmoja kusini na Central Park mtaa mmoja kaskazini. Duka kuu la Nordstrom na Columbus Circle viko karibu kabisa, Bergdorf Goodman na Fifth Avenue viko vitalu viwili mashariki, huku Lincoln Center—nyumbani kwa Metropolitan Opera na New York City Ballet—ikiwa umbali wa dakika chache tu. Treni za N, Q, R na W husimama mtaa mmoja kutoka hapa, na mlinzi wa mlango anayehudumu saa 24 hukukaribisha nyumbani.

**URITHI WA ALWYN COURT**

Alwyn Court ilipofunguliwa mwaka 1909, ilitangazwa kama “Nyumba za Jiji kwa Wenye Nyumba za Mashambani,” ikiwa na vyumba vya makazi vyenye vyumba 14, vyumba vya muziki na ghala binafsi za mvinyo. Wasanifu majengo Harde & Short walifunika uso mzima wa jengo kwa terra cotta ya mtindo wa Renaissance ya Ufaransa, hadi kufikia mijusi yenye taji ya Mfalme Francis wa Kwanza. Frederick Steinway, rais wa Steinway & Sons, alikuwa miongoni mwa wakazi wa kwanza—jirani anayefaa kabisa kwa Carnegie Hall. Jengo hilo lilitangazwa kuwa Alama ya Jiji la New York mwaka 1966 na likaorodheshwa kwenye Rejesta ya Kitaifa ya Maeneo ya Kihistoria. Tangu wakati huo limehifadhiwa kwa uangalifu, likiwa na atriamu yenye mwanga wa juu iliyo na mchoro wa trompe l’oeil wa Richard Haas, pamoja na urejeshwaji wa uso wa jengo uliotambuliwa na New York Landmarks Conservancy. Zaidi ya karne moja baadaye, bado linaendelea kuwa nyumba ya mjini yenye tabia adimu.

Residence 5A is a move-in ready prewar two-bedroom, two-bathroom home of grand scale in Alwyn Court, the landmarked French Renaissance icon at Seventh Avenue and 58th Street, one block from Central Park. Designer renovations sit alongside authentic prewar detail throughout.

A gracious entry foyer leads to a formal dining room for both intimate dinners and entertaining, with herringbone floors and intricate crown molding that continue into the 27-foot corner living room. Here, five oversized windows across north and east exposures, ceilings above 10 feet, and an ornamental ceiling medallion frame a richly carved custom Italian fireplace on the east wall. Brand-new paneled doors with brass hardware and ornamental radiator grilles carry the craftsmanship from room to room.The windowed kitchen is as functional as it is beautiful. Custom raised-panel cabinetry rises to the ceiling, with glass-front uppers and under-cabinet lighting set against marble countertops and a marble slab backsplash. GE appliances, including a gas range and dishwasher, and a bridge faucet over an undermount sink complete the space, with exceptional storage.

A separate hallway creates a private wing for the primary bedroom and a windowed full bath. The 17-foot primary bedroom has two north-facing windows, crown molding, room for king-size furnishings, and two large closets. The bath retains its classic prewar character, with a black-and-white mosaic floor and white tile trimmed in black.
The second bedroom, also with two north-facing windows, is lined with a full wall of floor-to-ceiling paneled closets. Its adjoining bath is the home's showpiece: an oversized clawfoot tub with polished nickel feet, a marble-topped console vanity on polished nickel legs, white tile floors laid on the diagonal, and an antiqued mirror accent wall.
Storage is a standout throughout: six oversized closets, extensive custom built-ins, and a private storage unit in the building.

Outside your door, the best of Manhattan is within a few blocks. Carnegie Hall is one block south and Central Park one block north. Nordstrom's flagship and Columbus Circle are around the corner, Bergdorf Goodman and Fifth Avenue are two blocks east, and Lincoln Center, home of the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Ballet, is just minutes away. The N, Q, R, and W trains stop one block away, and a 24-hour doorman greets you at home.

THE ALWYN COURT LEGACY

When Alwyn Court opened in 1909, it was offered as "City Homes for Those with Country Houses," with 14-room apartments, music rooms, and private wine vaults. Architects Harde & Short wrapped the entire facade in French Renaissance terra cotta, down to the crowned salamanders of King Francis I. Steinway & Sons president Frederick Steinway was among its first residents, a fitting neighbor for Carnegie Hall. Designated a New York City Landmark in 1966 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building has been carefully stewarded ever since, with a skylit atrium featuring a trompe l'oeil mural by Richard Haas and a facade restoration honored by the New York Landmarks Conservancy. More than a century on, it remains a city home of rare character.