Check Out These Luxurious Residential Libraries In Manhattan

Developers are now making curated libraries a standard amenity in Manhattan’s boutique condominiums.

On the other side of town in the West Village, The Shephard, a residential building by Naftali Group, features a paneled library curated by book publishers Prosper and Martine Assouline. The library includes rare and unique objects, including an original drawing by Santiago Calatrava, as well as books covering travel, style, and the culinary arts. The interior of the library was designed by husband-and-wife team Christine and John Gachot of Gachot Studios and according to Naftali’s representatives, the library was of singular importance in the initial development plans for the property.

Penguin Random House curated a residential library for The Naftali Group’s second development located at 234 East 23rd Street (https://naftaligroup.com/project/234-east-23rd-street/). The library also “serves as a resident lounge and entertaining space,” and is filled with poetry books, classic novels, New York-centric books, and even children’s books. “Naftali Group hopes that residents utilize this as an actual library vs. libraries with books by the yard that are more for visual effect,” says their representative at Rubinstein. “All of these projects aim to create soothing spaces for their residents that allow for a much needed break from a busy day to curl up with a book that will transport them somewhere else.”