The Belnord

Famous faces, a rent strike and Martha Stewart

A national and New York City landmark, the Belnord has been in the news for more than renovations in recent years. The building and its courtyard — once said to be the largest in the city — have a star turn in the Hulu series, “Only Murders in the Building.” Renamed The Arconia for the show, actors Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short filmed parts of its four seasons on-site, with fans occasionally lining up to try to catch a glimpse of them acting out a scene in the green space. However, that’s not the building’s only moment in the limelight. In 1978, The Belnord tenants began what would become the city’s longest rent strike against the building’s owner and notorious landlord, Lillian Seril. The strike lasted 16 years until 1994, when the developer Gary Barnett of Extell Development bought the building for $15 million. (The now-defunct HFZ Capital Group purchased the building in 2018, with Westbrook Partners, the current owner, taking over in 2021.) Several famous residents have graced The Belnord’s halls over the decades, including the late Broadway legend Zero Mostel; Isaac Bashevis Singer, the 1978 Nobel Prize for Literature winner, who died in 1991; and painter Mary Prince, who still lives in the building. In summer 2024, Martha Stewart purchased a six-bedroom duplex with her daughter, Alexis, for $12.3 million.

Renovated residences received ‘very high-class Botox treatment’

About half of The Belnord’s 209 units were converted in the renovation, with the others retained by renters who have lived there for decades. Residences have 10-foot ceilings, and the majority overlook the courtyard, according to Kadouri. The similarities end there. Legacy apartments have varying finishes, but Stern’s renovated residences have received “a very high-class Botox treatment,” he said in a 2022 article in The New York Times. Great rooms and kitchens are on the street side, while bedrooms tend to be on the quieter part of the building overlooking the courtyard. The redesign includes parquet flooring; custom Italian kitchens from Molteni featuring a choice of cerused oak and white lacquer cabinetry, Calacatta Gold marble countertops and top-notch appliances; and Siberian White marble bathrooms with Dornbracht hardware. “We have some open kitchen layouts, but we’ve also created some that are more traditional, either closed or there’s a pocket door,” Kadouri notes. Overall, “the scales of the rooms and the scale of the windows have a very spacious, large, grand feeling.” In the redesign, Stern created several smaller residences — one- and two-bedrooms — but most units are family homes with up to six bedrooms. About 80% of the converted apartments had been sold as of the summer of 2024, with just two five-bedroom abodes still on the market, asking $10.71 million and $10.895 million. In addition to Stewart’s purchase, closings in 2024 include a one-bedroom that sold for $1.25 million; a two-bedroom with a price of $2.7 million; and a three-bedroom that traded for $5.66 million.

Modern amenities in a classic, prewar building

The redesign brought a collection of new amenities to The Belnord, but the courtyard remains the star. At 22,000 square feet, it’s one of the largest in the city. Landscape architects Hollander Design restored the green space from the fountain and the lampposts — both original — to the plantings. “Our goal is to convey the spirit and stature of The Belnord into a new century,” according to Hollander’s website. “The redesign pairs lush greenery to the courtyard’s formal geometry.” Residents can drive into the courtyard under the arched gates of the porte cochère (the underside with a Renaissance-style mosaic) and park for up to an hour for unloading and loading. Hydrangeas, maple trees and other plantings were added to add color and seasonality to the space. “You get a sense of the four seasons when you’re sitting in the garden, which is quite stunning in the fall,” Kadouri says. “But it also has beauty in the winter when it snows. It’s just a lovely respite from the busy, bustling city.”

The Belnord Club brings an additional 10,000 square feet of amenities to the building. A private dining room with a catering kitchen and a gray-paneled lounge with several seating areas provides sophisticated common space. A game room with billiards and its own kitchen is available for teens, and the building’s youngest residents have a dedicated playroom. Wellness offerings include a gym, studio space for private classes and a double-height sports court. The Belnord is truly a white-glove building, with staff at both entrances and the front gate, as well as a concierge, a resident super and a team of porters, engineers and others to ensure all runs smoothly.

Prime Upper West Side location, with the 1 train on the corner

The Belnord is in the heart of the Upper West Side, close to some of the city’s most famous landmarks. Residents can cross the street for smoked fish at Barney Greengrass (established in 1908), then stroll the pathways of Central Park two blocks east. For Hudson River views, Riverside Park is to the west. Broadway and Amsterdam avenues are lined with shops and restaurants, with the closest grocery store, Broadway Farm, around the corner on the famous boulevard. The West Park Presbyterian Church, on the corner of West 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, is home to the arts organization The Center at West Park, which hosts readings and performances and provides rehearsal space. The 160-year-old landmarked church, which needs nearly $50 million in repairs, has faced demolition in recent years. A proposed high-rise could replace it, which would block light and views for The Belnord and the neighborhood. The 1 train is just one block from The Belnord at West 86th Street and Broadway, while the B and C lines are three blocks away at Central Park West at 86th Street. The M86 bus provides crosstown service along the thoroughfare. Drivers can quickly access the West Side Highway via West 79th or West 96th streets.