New York’s property market isn’t just booming locally — it’s tempting real estate companies from around the world. In particular, a surge of Asian investors has dominated the scene in recent years, picking up trophy properties across Gotham.
According to commercial analysts Real Capital Analytics, China ranks first in Manhattan purchases by foreign investors in 2015.
South Korea comes in fourth, while Japan is fifth.
Here are five of the most notable Asian investments in New York this year — from premier Manhattan hotels and a mod Brooklyn condo to a Queens mega-development and a Midtown condo-hotel.
118 E. 59th St., Midtown East
Developer: Euro Properties, Hong Kong
Courtesy of SCDAThis summer, 118 East 59th Street made headlines as the first condo project to be developed entirely by a Chinese company, rather than via a partnership with a local firm. The 29-unit glassy high rise will be designed by SCDA Architects of Singapore, and include ultra-luxury apartments ranging from $5 to $18 million. It’s expected to welcome residents in 2017.
Palace Hotel & Waldorf Astoria, Midtown
Buyers: Lotte Group, South Korea / Anbang Insurance Group Co., China
Courtesy PhotoBoth of these NYC grand dames have been snapped up by Asian buyers: Beijing-based insurance company Anbang purchased the storied Waldorf Astoria last year for $1.95 billion, while South Korea’s Lotte Group paid a cool $805 million for the Palace Hotel this summer. The sales came with a dose of political intrigue — President Obama and his entourage promptly switched their longtime loyalties from the Waldorf Astoria (where a presidential suite costs $2,100 a night) to the Palace for digs during UN General Assembly meetings.
Oosten at 429 Kent Ave., South Williamsburg
Developer: XIN Development, Beijing
Courtesy of the DesignerOne of the largest NYC projects undertaken by an Asian company, the Piet Boon-designed development will span a full block of South Williamsburg and include 216 condos. The project has proven a hit: This summer, a 5,091-square-foot Oosten penthouse entered contract for $6.49 million, making it the most expensive condo to sell in the neighborhood.
Flushing Commons, Queens
Developer: The Rockefeller Group, Tokyo
Courtesy of Conway+PartnersThe Rockefeller Group, a subsidiary of major Japanese real estate company Mitsubishi Estate, gained notoriety in the 1990s when it went bankrupt on its landmark purchase of Rockefeller Center. Now the firm is making a return as a partner in Flushing Commons, an $850 million mixed-use complex with 600 apartments. It’s located in Queens’ Chinatown, a popular neighborhood for wealthy Asian buyers.
Baccarat Hotel & Residences at 20 W. 53rd St., Midtown West
Buyer: Sunshine Insurance Group Co., China
Michael MundyIt’s not just Asian real estate companies getting in on the action. Sunshine Insurance Group Co., a Chinese insurance company, purchased the Baccarat Hotel & Residences for $230 million this February. That’s more than $2 million per room for the luxury building, where a hotel room starts at $800 per night and condos go up to $60 million.



