Among the most coveted features of any urban abode is a view of something other than concrete, glass, and steel, and park views are the ultimate in city luxury, offering a glimpse of greenery. But there's certainly a high price for the rare pleasure of bedding down beside a small slice of urban bucolic bliss. Even in leafy Savannah, Ga., where mossy oaks line most every boulevard, a place with a view of one the city's numerous, well-manicured parks comes at a premium. This 1844 house sits opposite Pulaski Square, noted for its stand of old-growth live oaks, and features five bedrooms, three bathrooms, fine original detail, a walled garden, and a broad, elevated porch to showcase those enviable views. The price is now $2M, after a recent $600K price chop, which still places it in the top 15 most expensive houses currently on the market in Savannah.
? At the end of a cul-de-sac, nestled up against the natural meadows of San Francisco's Presidio, this Mediterranean-style villa welcomes the views with wide expanses of glass, at least on the park side. Built in 1913, the house has five bedrooms, 3.5 baths, and a renovated "speakeasy" that allegedly dates to Prohibition, with a bar, billiards table, and a decidedly modern home theater. It's currently asking $4.25M.
? Situated across the street from Boston Common, America's oldest city park, this 5,000-square-foot duplex occupies a substantial portion of the Appleton-Parker House, which was asking $27.5M back in 2008. Now that the house has been broken up into condos, it should come as no surprise that this prime Boston four bedroom would carry an eye-popping price tag: $9.95M.
? In NYC, Central Park gets the most press, Gramercy Park the downtown prestige, and Tompkins Square Park the, er, crusty benches, but nothing can really beat having one's own private park. That's what's waiting for the next buyer of 3 Riverview Terrace, a townhouse situated on a gated private lane with views of the East River, the 59th Street Bridge, and Roosevelt Island. Across the private drive lies a landscaped park perfect for a summer soiree, but the buyer of this $15M townhouse had better check the deed carefully, lest the city come calling for the key.
? Sometimes this park obsession is taken to absurd extremes. Such is the case with most of the condos in this Chicago high-rise, built adjacent to Lake Shore Park. This particular 17th-floor unit boasts 4,300 square feet, four bedrooms, and spectacular views of the lake, but thanks to its elevation, just a hint of the trees and ball fields in the park down below. Still, this isn't really looking like a $4.5M disappointment.
· 331 Barnard Street [Sotheby's]
· 2 18th Avenue [Redfin]
· 40 Beacon Street #2 [Zillow]
· Boston's Beacon Hill shines a little less bright [The Real Deal]
· 3 Riverview Terrace [Streeteasy]
· Gutter Punks Reclaim Tompkins Square Park Real Estate [Curbed NY]
· Sutton Place Squatters Finally Handing Over Key to Secret Garden [Curbed NY]
· 840 North Lake Shore Drive [Redfin]
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