Nick Churton of Brown Harris Stevens’ London marketing office invites you to join him in visiting a landmark New York apartment with star appeal; and argues that there isn’t a finer place, night or day, from which to view the city that never sleeps.

The Apartment: 1125 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York

The Broker: Brown Harris Stevens

The agent: John Burger

Four major parts of Manhattan have great waterside views. Two are known the world over – they overlook the Hudson and East rivers. The other two are smaller and more familiar to Upper East or Upper Westsiders. These locals know that parts of their neighbourhoods overlook the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in the heart of Central Park.

Those who live along the adjacent stretches of Central Park West or Fifth Avenue, are blessed with an iconic view. The 106 acre stretch of water is surrounded by trees, surrounded by New York. For a city with so many floors, this natural view comes as a surprise and is dramatically low rise and open.

Of course, the higher one gets, the finer the view. So let’s take an elevator up to a penthouse and take a look. The apartment I’ve chosen is a triplex on Fifth Avenue. It’s on the market with Brown Harris Stevens. With fourteen rooms, 7,000 square feet of interior space and 3,000 square feet of landscaped terraces this apartment can hardly be described as modest. In fact the current owner calls it “a country house in the city”. And who should argue with that owner – Miss Bette Midler? She and her family have lived in and loved this ravishing apartment for twenty years.

The Emery Roth designed building offers the very highest level of service, privacy and security as standard. Nor does the district disappoint. The Upper East Side has an élan all of its own: for instance, the neighbourhood gallery is the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Standing on the penthouse’s expansive upper terrace, can there be a better place to view the city? For a homebuyer it is hard to think of one. To prove my point, try stretching out your arms Titanic-style. The wind beneath your wings is New York and you haven’t just arrived, you are flying high.

Miss Midler once said, “If I could be granted a wish, I’d shine in your eye like a jewel.” Believe me, this penthouse shines like the biggest jewel in New York.