''House of Outrageous Fortune: Fifteen Central Park West, the World's Most Powerful Address'' is a non-fiction book by American writer Michael Gross. The book was initially published on March 11, 2014 by Atria Books.

Background

The book is dedicated to

15 Central Park West 15 Central Park West (also known as 15 CPW) is a luxury residential condominium along Central Park West, between 61st and 62nd Streets adjacent to Central Park, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. It was constructed from 2005 t ...

, a luxury condominium apartment building located at the corner of West 61st Street and

Central Park West Eighth Avenue is a major north–south avenue on the west side of Manhattan in New York City, carrying northbound traffic below 59th Street. It is one of the original avenues of the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 to run the length of Manhattan, ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. Construction started in 2005 and was completed in 2008, costing a total of $950 million (equivalent to $ billion in ). The two-tower building, known as "Limestone Jesus", was designed in a

New Classical New classical macroeconomics, sometimes simply called new classical economics, is a school of thought in macroeconomics that builds its analysis entirely on a neoclassical framework. Specifically, it emphasizes the importance of rigorous foundat ...

style by

Robert A.M. Stern Architects Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP (RAMSA), is an architecture firm based in New York City. First established by Robert A. M. Stern (as Stern Hagmann Architects) in 1969, it is now organized as a limited liability partnership with 16 general partne ...

and developed by Arthur and William Zeckendorfs. The boldface residents include Denzel Washington, Sting,

Bob Costas Robert Quinlan Costas (born March 22, 1952) is an American sportscaster who is known for his long tenure with NBC Sports, from 1980 through 2019. He has received 28 Emmy awards for his work and was the prime-time host of 12 Olympic Games from 19 ...

, Norman Lear, Wall Street moguls, top executives, and Russian and Chinese oligarchs. Gross offers a detailed research on the billion-dollar development and on the mindset and lifestyle of its residents, the today's rich and famous. The book also explores the history of real estate development on Manhattan's Upper West Side and Columbus Circle area, and the Zeckendorf family. In an interview to '' The Real Deal'', Gross stated that "15 CPW is very different than what Tom Wolfe called “the good buildings.” It redefines “good building.” It is a condo, not pre-war, on the West Side. And, of course, the other difference is how much he unitssell for."

Reception

Roberta Bernstein of ''

USA TODAY ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...

'' stated "With a tsunami of colorful details, Gross traces the evolution of Manhattan's

Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper West ...

, the histories of the real estate families that saw (or gambled on) its development, the foreign shipping magnates whose heirs helped it to happen, and the circumstances and people who made über-luxury condos desirable." A reviewer of ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' added "The book is at its best when describing how architect Robert Arthur Morton Stern exercised every creative instinct to maximize profit and stay within New York’s complex zoning requirements, but most of the text is a complex rundown of the buyers: who they are, where their money comes from, and why they bought." A reviewer of '' Kirkus Reviews'' commented "An incisive but somewhat tedious report of New York’s "new money."

References

External links

*{{Official website, http://mgross.com/writing/books/house-of-outrageous-fortune/ 2014 non-fiction books Architecture books Books about New York City History books about the 21st century Atria Publishing Group books