Inside the walls of swanky 15 Central Park West

Fifteen Central Park West is New Yorks most exclusive address, an aerie of hedgefunders and celebrities, where a penthouse costs $40 million and a wine cellar costs $80,000 more.

In researching my book, The House of Outrageous Fortune, I learned that F. Scott Fitzgerald was right: The rich are different.

Heres a peek inside the $1 billion building:

The doormen at 15 Central Park West.Photo: Angel Chevrestt

A small army waits on 15 Central Park Wests residents.

There are seven concierges, six doormen, eight white-gloved lobby attendants, three package-room attendants, eight porters, a maintenance man, four security guards, 12 part-time engineers and an administrative assistant. Six people man Fifteens lobbies by day, two each for the doors, concierge desks and lobbies. Three more work the package room, and four porters and one or two engineers are always on duty.

Working at a building like 15CPW can be lucrative. Some titans of Wall Street tip very well.

The staff was excited when Sandy Weill, former chairman of Citigroup, handed out about $90,000 in his first year. But they were disappointed after that.

In 2008, he was very generous, says a former staffer, but the second year they cut their tips in half.

An ex-staffer recalls another early move-in, a former Goldman Sachs partner. It was December 2007 and he arrived bearing gifts, Christmas tips for everyone on the staff, even though hed just met them.

Go here to read the rest:
Inside the walls of swanky 15 Central Park West