For a while, it seemed that all hope was lost, what with the disappearance of the Courtney Sale Ross mammoth at 740 Park, the Teddy Forstmann whopper at 2 East 70th Street and the $77.5 million Ritz-Carlton throne. But praise be, there's a new $50 million co-op apartment on the market.

The owners of a floor-through apartment at the hoity-toity 944 Fifth Avenue (the staff members actually wear white gloves, reports The New York Times, who first wrote about the listing), have listed their six-bedroom apartment. The apartment is located on a high floor above the tree line. The listing doesn't actually mention which high floor—how discreet!—but a little sleuthing reveals that the apartment is almost certainly on the eleventh floor.

The owner, Brown Harris Stevens broker  John Burger whispers to The Times, is a "private investor" who bought the place 14 years ago, but has only lived there for 12 because of a very extensive renovation by Thad Hayes that took two full years.

The place had beautiful bones, of course (70 feet fronting Central Park, "glorious light streaming in through 30 windows," and 4 exposures), but it needed some work to take it to the next level. Elite residences always do.

Now the home has "the finest finishes and luxurious appointments." Private elevator landing opening onto "a vast gallery with two coat closets and a powder room?" Check. A 27-foot living room and 23-foot dining room? Check. A master suite with fireplace, dressing room and granite master bath? Check.

Not that whoever might want to plunk down $50 million wouldn't want to do their own extensive renovation to make the 5,000-square-foot place even more exquisite. After all, once you move into the same building as Barbara Walters, you really have to up your game.

The apartment also comes with a separate two-bedroom guest apartment on the ground floor "with a private entrance on Fifth Avenue," for friends and relatives that you want to keep close, but not too close. A nice perk, but its very practicality (it even has a washer and dryer!) almost detracts from the near-blinding shine of this trophy.

kvelsey@observer.com