If you have ever walked around in Greenwich Village, it’s pretty certain that you will have come across some rather beautiful, stately looking homes. Now, as grand as they may be to look at from the outside, wouldn’t it be great to see what these homes look like from the inside? Well, for one day in May, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation is now giving you a chance to tour six of the neighborhood’s most famous structures.

The architectural sensibility that is showcased in the Upper East Side section of New York City is one that is quite unique and hard to find in the other neighborhoods that populate the city. The neighborhood’s prewar charm and elegance is something residents of the Upper East Side hold very dear, which is why even new buildings in the neighborhood are expected to follow more traditional design styles, as opposed to the modernist structures that are cropping up elsewhere in the city.

In a well-documented, yet unofficial competition in Manhattan’s luxury new construction condominium market, developers are locked in an arms race over who can build the tallest and most impressive new condominium. The most eye-catching buildings offer status to residents and fame to the developers and architects behind the project. One aspect of this competition that has received less attention, however, is the realization by some developers that size isn’t everything. Or at least, vertical size. Many new construction condominiums are not only getting taller; they are also getting skinnier, resulting in a more striking skyline and more opportunities to purchase apartments with stunning views.

Thanks to both the success and the grandeur of their offerings at 15 Central Park West and 18 Gramercy Park South, real estate developers William Lie and Arthur Zeckendorf have now attained a reputation of being the creators of some of the most luxurious (and most desired) homes in New York City. As a result, the city’s real estate sector is suitably buzzed about their newest development at 50 UN Plaza, located at 345 East 46th Street in Manhattan’s Midtown East neighborhood.

New York City is a pretty great place, and this is true whether you're searching for a Manhattan condominium or not. But it can also be something of a closed circuit -- if New York is great (and it is), then it would seem to follow that everything that's great here is perhaps a bit greater than everything everywhere else. That's actually true when it comes to pastrami, luxury condominiums and a handful of other things, but of course it's not so across the board. But if you live in Manhattan long enough, it can come to seem that way. So it may give some New York-y New Construction Manhattan readers pause to see the elegant new Upper West Side condominium 535 West End Avenue praised for its Chicago-style aesthetics. Chicago, like the Second City? Yes, like that one: the one with better sausage-related food, a better hockey team and a unique and striking architectural heritage of its own. 535 West End has already emerged as a rising star among Upper West Side condominium listings, but understanding what makes Chicago so uncommonly attractive is a big part of what makes 535 West End Avenue such a looker.