The elusive $ 10,000/square foot price has been reached in Manhattan with the sale of the Zeckendorf’s penthouse at 15 Central Park West. The $ 40million sale of their penthouse marks a turning point in the history of New York real estate pricing.

“We have by-passed The Gilded Age, and entered THE PLATINUM AGE,” says Leonard Steinberg, managing director of Prudential Douglas Elliman and publisher of LUXURYLETTER, the authority on luxury New York real estate.

The sale of this penthouse at $ 10,259.00/sf marks a new milestone in pricing. 15 Central Park West has broken all records, delivering the pre-war look with new construction advantages craved by so many buyers: it’s magnificent Limestone facade and larger windows framing superb Central Park views combined with an incredible package of services and amenities has huge appeal to the ultra-wealthy seeking the combination of status as well as safety.

On US standards, this pricing is historic, but then we are in historic times: Translate this price into Euro’s and the picture is quite different. On international standards, this pricing is still on the lower side when compared to other major cities, especially London, where super-prime real estate sells for considerably more than this.

This pricing sets a new bar for luxury real estate in Manhattan: it is a result of inventory shortages of the ‘best of the best’. And this won’t change quickly with the current slump in construction. Quality new inventory is at least 3 years away, the perfect environment to fuel even more impressive price gains on trophy properties.

Does this sale fuel the argument that the divide between the super-rich and everyone else will continue to grow?