Category — Madison Avenue

This enormous luxury co-op at 40 East 83rd Street just sold for the full $4,395,000 list price, according to New York City records.


Brown Harris Stevens broker Joanne Greene had the exclusive listing for sellers Jon A. Gordon and Michelle Prentice.

Gordon is a co-founder of the Manhattan investment firm Palladian Capital Partners, with extensive investment banking and private equitey experience. Prentice owns the Upper East Side antique furniture and accessories story Myrtle.

The buyers are newlywed couple Tara Mark Rosenblum and Kenneth Rosenblum.

Kenneth is a partner in the New York City office of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, LLP where he specializes in corporate mergers and acquisitions and venture capital matters. According to the N.Y. Times, Tara was formerly a literary agent at RLR Associates representing writers, athletes and broadcast personalities.

Monthly maintenance is $3,266 and shareholders can get a 34% deduction of that amount each year on their taxes to pay down the co-op’s mortgage.

It’s a pet-friendly building just 2 blocks from the highly desirable P.S. 6 elementary school.

Perry Capital Managing Director George R. Brokaw just paid the $5.5 million asking price for an enormous 8 room pre-war co-op apartment at 33 East 70th Street, according to New York City public records.

According to Forbes, Brokaw is also a Director at North American Energy Partners, Inc. which makes money by providing “mining, heavy construction, industrial, piling and pipeline services in Western Canada.”

Brokaw was formerly a Managing Director of M&A at Lazard Frères & Co. LLC, where he worked from 1996 through May 2005. Prior to that he was an investment banking associate at Dillon Read & Co. from 1994 to 1996, Brokaw earned his B.A. from Yale, and a J.D. and M.B.A. from the University of Virginia.


The sellers were Bon-Ton department store Executive Chairman of the Board M. Thomas “Tim” Grumbacher and his wife Nancy Grumbacher. They bought a cooperative apartment further uptown at 1133 Fifth Avenue in Carnegie Hill. The Grumbachers’ new building was designed by acclaimed New York architect Emory Roth in a neo-Federal style, and built in 1927-28.

Grumbacher’s family started the Bon Ton empire in 1898 when Tim’s father Max Grumbacher and his father, Samuel opened a a one-room millinery and dry goods store in Pennsylvania.

Sotheby’s real estate broker and SVP Louise Beit had the exclusive for this listing.

Located between Fifth and Madison Avenues, with fabulous views overlooking Madison, Beit pitched the apartment as:

One of the finest prewar coops steps from Central Park. Wonderfully gracious and light apartment with oversized rooms, large windows, 10′ ceilings, wood-burning fireplace, and herringbone floors.

Elegant entrance gallery, grand-scaled living room, and formal dining room complete the entertaining space.

3 oversized bedrooms or library and 2 bedrooms, spacious kitchen with breakfast area ideal for family gatherings, 2 maids’ rooms, and bath.

All that space for one buyer? Jeez!

Brokaw’s neighbors include financial maven and philanthropist Evan Behrens of the now defunct Behrens Rubinoff Capital Partners, and his wife Dara Behrens. According to New York City public records, they paid $6.25 million for their co-op apartment in April 2007.

Another neighbor in the money business is Alan Mnuchin. He paid $7,250,000 for his upstairs apartment in September 2006, according to public records. Mnuchin is the banker who walked away from his position at Lehman Brothers to set up his own shop to do a brilliant deal. He helped NBC buy Vivendi Universal. He earned NBC’s loyalty many times over when his client closed the deal to buy the entertainment giant for $14 billion.

Other neighbors include Harlan and Debra Peltz who also bought an 8-room apartment in the building that listed for $4.87 million in 2006. Harlan is a Co-Founder and Partner at Peltz Capital Management.

Photo credits: North American Energy Partners, The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc.