Living in the Beekman Place neighborhood of Manhattan

Beekman Place Apartments

New York City's Beekman Place, the actual road, runs just two blocks in Manhattan, south to north, from Mitchell Place (just above 49^th Street) to 51st Street, on the eastern edge of Manhattan. Beekman Place, the neighborhood, isn't much larger, but most agree that it includes Mitchell Place and First Avenue, and 51^st Street, making a beautiful, highly exclusive two-square-block enclave.

Although the vast majority of the buildings in Beekman Place are co-ops—and, because of the neighborhood's high desirability, they are co-ops that do not get put onto the market very often—it is possible to find a  Beekman Place apartment for rent in the community. They do not come on the market often, but if you see one and this area interests you, you should be prepared to go after it quickly.

Living in Beekman Place: Exclusively Cozy

Beekman Place affords its often-famous and always well-heeled residents a great deal of privacy and safety—among its more well-known denizens over the years have been John D. Rockefeller III, Jane Pauley and husband Gary Trudeau, and Gloria Vanderbilt--both because of its enclosed, cul-de-sac nature as well as the private security forms that patrol the area.

But the neighborhood is also extremely accessible to Midtown East, and it's an easy walk (or short cab ride) to the world-class shopping, dining and entertainment options of the area. And, of course, there are the terrific views out over the East River.

Peter Detmold Park, with its East River views , is popular with residents of Beekman Place apartments.  The dog run gets frequent use by nearby, pet-loving tenants.

This small neigborhood is located adjacent to the United Nations, just north of its headquarters.

Beekman Place History

Like many NYC neighborhoods, Beekman Place has gone through decline and revival.  Originally the area was the site of the Beekman family mansion. For a time during the Revolutionary War, the British made their headquarters in the house. Nathan Hale was tried and convicted as a spy in the mansion's greenhouse. After the war, George Washington was a frequent visitor.

As the city expanded, the farms, fields, and manors located in what we know today as midtown slowly disappeared. The slums of the Lower East Side began to creep north. Low-paid workers in the coal factories that lined the East River overwhelmed the area with a need for inexpensive housing.

In the 1920's, the large, prestigious co-op buildings you see today began to replace the low-rise slums that had existed (gentrification is not a new phenomena), backed by residents of another small, exclusive enclave located nearby, Sutton Place. Since then, the neighborhood has been one of the most exclusive in Manhattan.