How to design for today's urban family life.

Where does the contemporary upper-middle-class family want to raise children? In the last decade, there has been a not-so-quiet demographic shift spearheaded by the now grown-up Generation X; they want to start families within the cultural diversity of a city, but they also want to have the comfort and safety of an upscale residential neighborhood. Developers are quickly adapting to create condominiums that go beyond family-friendly. These new luxury accommodations provide the backdrop for a fulfilling urban family life, bringing the art and culture of the city into the home.

A current example of this new type of condominium is The Cielo, located on the corner of 83rd Street and York Avenue in Manhattan. Developed by Jules Demchick of J.D. Carlisle and designed by Perkins Eastman, The Cielo is 27 stories tall and offers a mix of studios and one-, two-, and three-bedroom luxury residences that are priced from $700,000 to $5 million.

As with any New York City apartment, location is key, and The Cielo is very desirably located in the heart of Yorkville on the Upper East Side. For the family-oriented, the area features some of the city's best public schools, as well as several of the most elite private schools in the nation.

The illustrious Museum Mile is a short walk away, while everyday venues for worship, medical care, shopping, and entertainment for parents and children alike are all within walking distance.

In addition, Carl Schurz Park at 86th Street and York Avenue is a wonderful spot for exercise, playgrounds, and views of the East River. Besides an excellent location, the design and amenities of a building must attract these young families. The Cielo, a 24-hour doorman-operated building, includes such luxury amenities as a state-of-the-art fitness center, a bicycle room, children's playroom, a stroller room, an on-site commercial quality laundry facility, and parking.

In the 128 units, the kitchens feature the latest high-end fixtures including Bulthaup cabinet organization systems and Sub-Zero refrigerators.

However, what makes Cielo's amenities unique is that they cater to the desire for convenience while presenting a unique cultural experience.

The Cielo will be the first apartment building to offer an arts concierge, who will have the city's complete arts and culture event schedules. To encourage involvement in the arts further, each apartment will also receive a free one-year membership to the nearby Whitney Museum of American Art at 75th Street and Madison Avenue.

The unit plans and common areas of the building reflect the importance of family as well as artistic inspiration.

The two- and three-bedroom units, which range from 1,450 s/f to 1,800 s/f, are highly versatile and allow for both family living and ample room for entertaining. Residents and their guests enter into an elegant building lobby of terrazzo floors, wood-and-stone walls, and metal-leaf ceilings, all which provide the appropriate backdrop for the colorful paintings by Betsy Eby, specially commissioned by Demchick.

Although The Cielo is certainly not the only new building in New York to attract wealthy young families, it may become the template of how to do so, with its luxury family-oriented amenities and focus on facilitating an enriched cultural experience for the contemporary New York City family.