Many of us are familiar with Fifth Avenue between 42nd and 57th Streets. We typically don’t think much of it, as today it's lined with skyscrapers housing corporate offices with high-end retail on the ground floor. It has always intrigued me because prior to the 1920's, this is where you could find many elaborate mansions of the city’s elite.

The Stevens-Whitney Mansion is a forgotten relic that doesn't often get mentioned due to its neighbor, The Vanderbilt Mansion.

One of my all time favorite buildings in all of New York City is the Ansonia on the Upper West Side. Located on the west side of Broadway and 73rd Street. It has quite a presence—architecturally and historically—that really can’t be overlooked. Just like any older building, it has a few stories to tell.

One of the most architecturally stunning blocks in Manhattan is 93rd Street between Park and Madison Avenues. It’s a quiet street, lined with cherry blossom trees in a downward curve toward Central Park, visible just a block away. Still surviving on the quaint street are three beautiful mansions that once were home to New York’s elite. The George Fischer Baker House, Loews Mansion and Virginia Vanderbilt Mansion are all clustered together. All three families were friends and chose to build on the same block. Today, let’s learn about the Vanderbilt Mansion, as it recently sold for an astronomical figure off-market.

Come with me as I take you on a tour of some of the Upper East Side's most famous landmarks and my favorite restaurants and bars. Look out for the famous steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the scenic greenery in Central Park, and a classy piano bar that just might serve the best martini in the city.

The Schwab House is a large, well-known co-op on the Upper West Side. It has a rich history - both literally and figuratively! Its namesake, Charles Schwab, was a captain of industry at the time he built his opulent mansion here.

The second iteration of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel (or perhaps third or fourth, depending on how you look at it!) opened in 1931. At the time it was the largest and tallest hotel in the world. It spanned the entire block and stood 47 stories high. The hotel was also the first to have many modern amenities - electricity on every floor, ensuite bathrooms in every room, and 24-hour room service!

As we celebrate the 4th of July and Americana, what better venue to showcase than the Waldorf Astoria Hotel? Family feuds, capitalism, and old money…this building’s got it all!

The original Waldorf Astoria Hotel was not one hotel but two.

Did you ever think you could own the oldest single-family home in Manhattan? Me either.

I love going to The Met… I’m there twice a month at least. I also live in the neighborhood so it isn’t too much of an ordeal to walk over. One thing that’s always caught my eye, was this gorgeous mansion directly across the street. I always thought it was a private school, like so many of the other retired mansions in the area, but it’s not!