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Lakeside Living In Manhattan - A View From Above by Deborah Morosini ![[Manhattan Cooperator]](../MarcyCooperator.gif)
Can you imagine having a lake view in the middle of Manhattan? Hard to picture if you have never been in Marcy Sigler's 16th story apartment. Standing in the bedroom, the living room, or on the balcony of this Fifth Avenue co-op, you can the Central Park reservoir — the only lake in Manhattan — flanked by the trees of the Park, the skyline of the City, and highlighted by the omnipresent towers of the El Dorado, San Remo and Majestic clear across town. Even Scott Carpenter, the second American to orbit the earth once told Marcy "This is one of the most glorious views I have ever seen." Living with such a magnificent view is a great inspiration to Marcy. Being an "eclipse impressario," — Marcy is in the business of taking groups of scientists and astrophiles around the world to view the solar eclipse from the most optimum location. "I'm a very light oriented person," she explains. "When I came to New York in the early 1970's, I searched for a sunny rental apartment with no success. When I saw an advertisement for a sunny co-op, I came out of curiosity to see if such a thing actually existed." Truly, the apartment is an Impressionist's paradise, the light and reflections never duplicate themselves. To enhance this effect, Marcy has placed reflective surfaces "chandeliers, crystal " throughout her home. On a sunny day, the effect is dazzling; rainbows are scattered across the floor and up the walls, bouncing around corners. The building itself has a fascinating history. Built on the foundations of a former mansion by the architertural firm of Wechsler and Schimenti, the port-war luxury highrise is the only residential building on Fifth Avenue between 88th and 92nd Streets. The building still offers unique reminders of its grand past, such as wine bins in the basement for each tenant. "Living here has stimulated my interest in New York's history," Marcy says. Just to the North, the former Carnegie Mansion now houses the design collection of the Cooper Hewitt Museum. Across from the Carnegie Mansion is the old Otto Kahn mansion, now site of the prestigious Sacred Heart Academy. And to the South rises the modern spiral of the Guggenheim Museum, placing 1080 Fifth Avenue in the center of time. By enhancing the most natural element in her apartment — the light and the view, Marcy has created a wonderful environment for herself and her many visitors.
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