Luxury NY Condos- Apthorp

Last September, The Apthorp, 102 year old giant, glamorous block-through apartment building on Broadway and West 79th Street was purchased by Israeli multibillionaire Lev Leviev through his Africa Israel investment group and was struggling to take it condo.

After a rowdy and controversial three-year battle to transform the legendary limestone building -- which spans from Broadway to West End between 78th and 79th streets -- from a rental into a condo, The general office finally approved.

But when the tenants got their offers this week, value of closings stretch into nine figures, to own the apartments where many of them have lived for decades, the paper reports that the bills will be up to 20 percent more than the expected.

The developers bought the building in 2007 for $426 million. It was modeled on the Pitti Palace in Italy and originally built for the Astor family. Other famous residents have included Nora Ephron, Al Pacino, Sidney Poitier and Cyndi Lauper.