2-bedroom Manhattan apartment for $50 million

In what world does a two-bedroom apartment cost $50 million?

Why, Midtown Manhattan, of course.

Naturally, this apartment at 50 Central Park South is no ordinary two-bedroom apartment. For one thing, it's bigger than you might imagine for a two-bedroom. But it's also smaller than you might imagine for $50 million, at 4,500 square feet. Even by Manhattan luxury standards, we'd say that's worthy of a double-take, or at least a surprised blink: $11,000 per square foot.

Apartment 33 occupies a full floor at the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, one of just a dozen residences at the Central Park Ritz. That means the Ritz is the property manager, and residents can call on a dedicated staff -- no mere hotel staffers, these -- for certain services included in their association dues. Sorry, housekeeping and dogwalking are "a la carte" services, not included.

The architecture is by Oscar Shamamian, with interior design by Obama White House interior designer Michael S. Smith (whose website is full of stunning project photos, though none, alas, of the White House; you might also be interested in Elle Decor's photos of Smith's own home).

If the space feels a little cramped and you've got money to spare, you might also want to check out 150 West 56th Street: 8,000 square feet of penthouse for an asking price of $100 million. Or perhaps the Woolworth Mansion, which we've written about before: It rents at $150,000 or can be purchased for $90 million.

This isn't the only residence to go on the market recently at the Ritz-Carlton; a nine-bedroom, $95 million penthouse listed by Halstead Property shares the building. If you're looking for a moment of zen during your busy day, we commend to you the really lovely time-lapse video of the Central Park view. Turn the sound off if you're not a fan of cheesy pseudo-classical music.