A few weeks ago the most expensive home in the history of Manhattan real estate sold for $88 million. The record-breaking transaction involved the penthouse at 15 Central Park West, where a park view can add over $2,000 per square foot to an apartment’s price. That means the penthouse’s view alone cost the buyer tens of millions of dollars.
“When we were evolving as a species, green space and water were essential for survival,” says Frank McAndrew, a psychology professor at Knox College in Illinois. “We were programmed to like views of these things more than others.” For our early ancestors, a good view also meant safety. Because of the survival advantage, as human societies developed, the most powerful seized the best views. The maturation of human culture produced something else, as well: a desire for awe.
The ideal view, as it turns out, isn’t a question of nature versus city. The 52nd floor isn’t better than the first, nor are rolling hills more pleasing than a downtown’s daily hustle. “There’s a certain satisfaction that comes from seeing all these things in combination,” says McAndrew, “something legible that has vegetation and water and prospect and refuge.” Depending on the eye of the beholder, that combination can come in many forms.
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