One Of America's Oldest Antique Stores For Sale

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Apr 04, 2022, 06:45 ET

New York's Connoisseur Building now on the market.

NEW YORK, April 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The location could not be more interesting: Steps from Central Park and many of Manhattan's best boutiques and restaurants, a glittering Apple Store across the street and the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church right opposite - this is where one of the country's oldest antique stores can be found, "L'Antiquaire & The Connoisseur."

The Connoisseur Building at 36 East 74th Street, Manhattan, New York

Interior of L'Antiquaire and the Connoisseur, one of the oldest antique stores in the United States.

Founded by Countess Ruth Constantino, the first female antique dealer in the United States, the store's address, 36 East 73rd Street, is known to art collectors, curators and museums such as the J. Paul Getty Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Gallery in Washington. These museums relied on the founder's expertise in French eighteen-century furniture when expanding their collections. During the Kennedy administration, many of the furniture pieces in the White House were acquired from L'Antiquaire; they still elevate the President's residence.

Today, the antique store is run by the founder's daughter, Helen Constantino Fioratti, a highly respected expert and author of several books. Now in her eighties, she decided it was the right time to put the building on the market.

"It is a unique opportunity to acquire an entire building at a stellar location, steeped in history and with significant upside," says Richard Pino from NYR.com, the broker who has this exclusive listing ([email protected]). Indeed, at $12.8 million, the property seems very attractively priced for an area where a single four-bedroom apartment can fetch $20 to $30 million.

Over the years, the shop has taken over most of the building except for a private residence on the top floor. A new owner can take advantage of the property's flexibility and may even be able to add some space. Local rules require that at least the ground floor continues to be used as a shop; the four floors above can be used for office or residential purposes.

As to keeping the antique store in place? That will depend on the new owner, too, as the entire building can be delivered vacant. Here, in one of New York's most exclusive shopping areas, buyers are looking for the exceptional in many categories - yet the most attractive purchase might be the Connoisseur building itself.

Contact: Thomas Guss, New York Residence Inc, [email protected], 212.360.7000 ext.103

SOURCE NYR.com