Google Maps
Free Upper East Side News, Delivered To Your Inbox
Another new condo is on its way to the Upper East Side, replacing a structure that once housed horses—and later, a renowned photographer’s studio.
Advertisement
Brooklyn-based Terra Developers is planning a seven-story residential building at 237 East 77th Street, between Second and Third avenues. The development will include six condominium units totaling approximately 17,000 square feet, with features such as a gym, a children’s playroom, and private storage.
Project coordinator Yana Morgan confirmed the details and told Crain’s New York Business that the team aims to break ground in about six months. If the timeline holds, the building could be complete within a year and a half, with each unit expected to sell for around $4 million.
While new developments are nothing unusual in this part of the Upper East Side, the parcel itself has an unexpected backstory. The land once held a carriage house belonging to George Whitney, a prominent JPMorgan executive who rose through the firm’s ranks starting in 1915 and eventually became chairman of the board. According to his 1963 obituary in The New York Times, Whitney played a key role in steering the firm through much of the 20th century.
Google Maps screenshot from 2009
His family maintained ownership of the property until 1977, when it was sold to photographer Albert Watson, known for his iconic portraits of celebrities and fashion icons. The building later became a community center before being acquired by a Manhattan-based LLC. That owner ultimately demolished the carriage house, paving the way for the current residential project.
The East 77th Street development is one of two Manhattan condo projects in the works from Terra Developers. The second will rise on the Upper West Side at 214 West 80th Street, a site that previously operated as a parking garage before being condemned in 2023.
Have a news tip? Send it to us here!
