The Plaza

The Plaza is one of New York’s most storied buildings, from the children’s books by Kay Thompson that chronicle the adventures of Eloise and her resident menagerie to tales of Donald and the late Ivana Trump gilding every room when they owned it in the 1980s. The list of famous faces that have stayed at The Plaza — which opened in 1907 as a luxury hotel and was renovated to include condos in 2007 — includes some of the boldest bold-face names, with Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Christian Dior and NFL owner Robert Kraft among them. Even The Beatles stayed at the Plaza. Located on Fifth Avenue across the street from Central Park, the French chateau-inspired hotel and residence also impresses with its mansard roof, uniformed doormen and five-star spa. In the mid- to late-aughts, the world’s 1% were lining up to buy, often at absorbent prices. However, there have been issues with the condo development, including lawsuits and absentee owners. And 17 years after opening, many condo units have not held, or increased, their value