HOMETOWN HISTORY

Dynamic and highly skilled brokers with an acute understanding of the Upper East Side, Genevieve Sonsino and Richard McTighe of the Sonsino McTighe Team have observed the neighborhood’s cultural and community advancements for decades. Ranked among the top performing agents at Douglas Elliman, they specialize in the sale of residential property—bringing more than thirty years of experience.

Can you tell us about your relationship with the Upper East Side?

Genevieve: I’m a hometown girl. More than that, I am a home-neighborhood girl. I grew up on 91st , then 88th and now I’m on 79 th Street. On some level, I’ve been operating in a 15-block vicinity my whole life.

Richard: When I joined Douglas Elliman in 1995, I worked for a legend, who happens to be Genevieve’s grandmother, Barbara Cardozo. Her business was primarily on the Upper East Side. There are very few buildings that we haven’t been inside. Knowing the buildings and floor plans before even crossing the threshold with a client or meeting a seller is essential.

What makes the Upper East Side quintessentially New York City and what makes it a distinct enclave?

Genevieve: The Upper East Side has a strong sense of self and has for a very long time. The city is ever-changing—and the Upper East Side does too as it has to— but it stays true both to its stately, pre-war roots and, at the same time, its real-world lifestyle. And having Central Park as its heart is timeless!

Richard: There are exquisite enclaves throughout the city - Downtown, East Side and West Side; but none have sprawling boundaries like the Upper East Side, which extends for 40 blocks all the way from Central Park to the East River. Historically, the idea of living vertically in apartment blocks took root along Park and Fifth Avenues, so the Upper East Side figured out how to do this well a very long time ago.

Have you observed a sense of local community?

Genevieve: There are small shops which have thrived here for 20, 30 years or more. It’s also true for restaurants. I take my kids to the same ones I went to with my grandparents, like Quatorze and Orsay— for very special occasions of course! Orwashers Bakery is still serving the best doughnuts and rye bread a century later.

Richard: There’s an intimacy, community spirit and ease of living in Upper East Side co-ops, and they are typically located on well-established blocks. People really know each other within their small five to ten block radiuses.

Why is it relevant to younger or first-time buyers?

Genevieve: There’s been a reaction to the high value Brooklyn has commanded, and with the arrival of the Second Avenue subway, the more eastern tranche of the neighborhood has been galvanized. Only in New York City would you have a subway station with a mosaic of Philip Glass and have everyone know who that is.

How does it feel to stroll through?

Genevieve: You’d be surprised walking down First or Second Avenue on a Saturday afternoon how much you feel like you’re Downtown or in Brooklyn. With the arrival of a fresh batch of new developments the price per square foot is compelling. Those buyers could easily be purchasing in other neighborhoods but they’re investing in the Upper East Side.

What would you say are the most powerful attributes of the Upper East Side?

Genevieve: Its exceptional share of world-class museums and galleries, access to the outdoors and its gorgeous and varied architectural pastiche. You can live in a charming walk-up, a centuryold brownstone, enjoy the double-wide splendor of pre-war Park Avenue, or you can be above it all on the 40th floor. There’s something for everyone at every economic level.

Richard: The Upper East Side is iconic New York City. Be it from movies, books or other forms of popular culture, people from elsewhere often think of this large, beautiful neighborhood when they picture living in Manhattan.