740 Park

August 8, 2005
Of all Manhattan's fabled East Side dwellings of the super-rich, 740 Park Avenue has perhaps the best pedigree. Designed by Rosario Candela and developed by James T. Lee, Jackie O's maternal grandfather, as a cooperative haven for the elite, it had the misfortune to open just as the stock market crashed in 1930 and was forced to operate partly as a rental for some decades. The last sale was to Lee himself, for son-in-law "Black Jack" Bouvier, his wife and daughters Jackie and Lee. John D. Rockefeller Jr. signed a rental lease in 1936 for a massive apartment (more than 20,000 square feet), and Marshall Field III took another. Gross (Model
) has solidly researched the denizens of the building, who they were, what they did, and who and how many times they married. This information, while exhaustive, is also exhausting. Things perk up as we approach the modern era, and the old rich give way to a newer cast of sometimes dubious billionaires. Ron Perelman, Henry Kravis, Steve Ross and Steve Schwartzman are cited among the newer tenants. A bit of a bore for average readers, this will be a useful tome for those interested in New York's social history. Agent, Dan Strone
.

October 15, 2005
In 1930, one of the grandest Manhattan apartment buildings opened for occupancy. Designed by leading architect Rosario Candela and built by developer James T. Lee, the grandfather of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, its simplexes, duplexes, and triplexes, with mansion proportions, provided comfortable shelter to many of the nation's wealthiest families and their servants. Gross (contributing editor, "Travel & Leisure" magazine; "Model") uses the building as a means of telling stories about its rich and famous inhabitants. Among those who lived at 740 Park Avenue were John D. Rockefeller Jr., the Bouviers, and, later, the Steinbergs, Perelmans, and Bronfmans. Gross tells the reader about Manhattan real estate development, social anti-Semitism, and how the richest live: their marriages, eccentric offspring, businesses reverses, and pet charities. It's a long book, much of it a work of synthesis from other titles, but it also offers quotes and anecdotes from the author's own interviews. In addition, it can sometimes be arduous to read, especially when Gross writes about one family, drops them for another, then picks them up in a later chapter. Floor plans on the book's endpapers (not seen) will help keep the reader oriented. Recommended for larger public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ "6/1/05.]" -Elaine Machleder, Bronx, NY"

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