Rich and Superrich

       

       There are rich, and then there are superrich. "The top penthouse is under contract for $95 million." 432 Park Avenue, an 84-story tower at the corner of 56th Street in Manhattan will be the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere (to see a full rendering of the building, click here). Who could possibly afford these high-priced apartments? "While their identities are not known, it is likely that many are the rootless superrich: Russian metals barons, Latin American tycoons, Arab sheiks and Asian billionaires." Buildings like these greatly contribute to the divide of social classes: while the working class is building the structure, the elite class is taking advantage of the amenities they will soon have. The architect who designed 432 Park, Rafael Viñoly, says, "There are only two markets, ultraluxury and subsidized housing."

        432 Park offers a large variety of apartments ranging from $1.59 million studios to $95 million penthouses. Harry Macklowe, the developer of 432 Park, says that "a buyer [can also] pick up a $3.9 million studio for the housekeeper and a private wine cellar for $300,000." This divide in social classes has become an ongoing spiral getting bigger and bigger. As they say, 'The rich are getting richer, while the poor are getting poorer.'