200 W. 49th St., The Sulgrave

Vertical living, to most people, means a view from the top, but Bill Brimacombe chose to be at the bottom. The reason? He wanted outdoor living space and was approved for expansion from the building's typical-size patios. Since the lowest level isn't usually the most sought-after, Bill was able to purchase two side-by-side units and combine them, creating a veritable ground-floor penthouse with a formal garden.

"One unique feature of living on the ground level is that you're in touch with humanity, rather than being cocooned in an upper-story condo, where the views are expansive, but you don’t get to converse with neighbors as readily," Bill says.

The redesign is a spectacular English Tudor-style, starting with a wood-paneled living room wall featuring a cast limestone fireplace mantel with an electric, remote-controlled fireplace. Walnut-colored knotty alder floor planks of various widths and textured, glazed walls carry throughout the condo, in addition to plantation shutters, custom drapes and plenty of ingenious storage. An open kitchen faces the dining area and grand piano, with plenty of room for entertaining. The kitchen is lovely yet high-tech, with a Thermador refrigerator, double Wolf ovens, a wine cooler and a Bosch dishwasher.

A level change required a few stairs up to a TV room, office space, bedrooms and laundry room. "This 'upper level' gives a real sense of substance to the condo," Bill notes.

But the real 'wow' factor comes from the 2,400 square feet just outside two sliding glass patio doors. The space is also accessible via a gate in the brick-walled courtyard that seamlessly blends with the building's construction. At one end is an outdoor kitchen for grilling and casual entertaining. The opposite side is more reflective, with a pergola shading a two-person bistro table and the sounds of a fountain gently splashing nearby. Concrete and brick-lined paths travel between the two sides, lit at night by ground fixtures. A raised brick patio just outside the family room is shaded by the balcony of the unit above. From here, tour-goers can get a sense of private serenity in the city.

An underground sprinkler system and low-maintenance plantings means more time spent relaxing than maintaining. "I’ve got an unbeatable lifestyle in the epicenter of Plaza living."