Meet NYC’s most expensive rental

By Sara Polsky

Stand aside, Cole Porter! The lyricist's 5BR former apartment in the Waldorf-Astoria, last asking $150,000/month, is no longer the city's most expensive rental. That honor now belongs to the Astor Suite at The Plaza, a 5,087-square-foot apartment that hit the market today for $165,000/month (furniture and art included!). The Post identifies the apartment's owner as Esprit founder Jurgen Friedrich, who bought it for $25 million in 2007 and was unable to resell at an eye-popping ask of $55 million. We know what that means: renovation!

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The brokerbabble from Elliman's Melanie Lazenby and Dina Lewis includes a few details on just what got updated:

Noted interior architect, S.R. Gambrel Inc. employed the artisans who rebuilt Windsor Castle to completely transform the home into an absolute masterpiece with numerous old world details such as hand drawn plaster ceilings; English oak paneling; and hand-hammered leather walls from France. Each room is filled with wonderful furnishings, antiques, and objects hand selected from across the globe from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries in addition to the latest in technology from a new HVAC system with a humidifier for artwork and a Savant system that allows the tenant to control the temperature, lights, music, and television…all from an I-pad.

And hey, the Plaza is one of those buildings where it doesn't always make sense to buy.

Here's the floorplan:

<< See a photo gallery of the NYC rental here.

More photos below:

PHOTOS: All listing photos by Evan Joseph.