To look at some of the prewar mansions in Greenwich Village and on the Upper West Side, it's easy to imagine that they've been a part of New York since the city was established. But such neighborhoods got their starts as farmland or marshland where only the most intrepid would build. In the present day, as apartments and townhouses listed in May 2023 show, they are homes to some of the city's most expensive real estate and owned by some of the most prominent names in entertainment and business.
In this article:
Ondine de Rothschild — Listed for $30,000,000
Three Ten, #PH (Kleier Residential Inc.)
The Rothschild name has become synonymous with wealth and status, both of which come through in the Midtown penthouse of antiques dealer Ariane de Rothschild and her daughter, Ondine de Rothschild. In the years since a trust linked to the younger Ms. de Rothschild purchased the two apartments, they combined it into a massive penthouse with a massive formal dining room, two full kitchens, two primary suites, and approximately 2,200 square feet of outdoor space. Ondine de Rothschild spoke fondly of her time in the apartment to The Wall Street Journal, but concedes that with her family spending the majority of their time in Europe, “There’s not enough days in the year to keep such a big apartment in New York.”
From the Listing:
This four-bedroom, four and one half-bath residence on top of the luxury Three Ten Condominium has been exquisitely reimagined and renovated by Frank Bostelman for renowned AD100 architect firm David Kleinberg Design Associate and decorated by famed French antique dealer and tastemaker Ariane Dandois. With 5,381 square feet inside plus four sprawling terraces of 2,128 square feet accessible from all the main rooms, the home has floor to ceiling windows, ceilings from 10’ to over 11’5" feet and panoramic 360-degree views of New York City.
With unbound elegance and style, this showpiece offers a private keyed elevator landing opening to the substantial east terrace for outdoor entertaining. The entrance gallery and hall are steeped in elegance with an 18th century antique hardwood floor crafted in Bordeaux. A stunning 754-square-foot formal living room with wood burning fireplace and custom built ins has access to east and west terraces and views from Billionaires Row to the East River. A chef’s kitchen has luxury appliances, marble countertops and an informal dining room that opens to the west terrace. A custom made doggie door gives access for pets.
From the Listing:
This four-bedroom, four and one half-bath residence on top of the luxury Three Ten Condominium has been exquisitely reimagined and renovated by Frank Bostelman for renowned AD100 architect firm David Kleinberg Design Associate and decorated by famed French antique dealer and tastemaker Ariane Dandois. With 5,381 square feet inside plus four sprawling terraces of 2,128 square feet accessible from all the main rooms, the home has floor to ceiling windows, ceilings from 10’ to over 11’5" feet and panoramic 360-degree views of New York City.
With unbound elegance and style, this showpiece offers a private keyed elevator landing opening to the substantial east terrace for outdoor entertaining. The entrance gallery and hall are steeped in elegance with an 18th century antique hardwood floor crafted in Bordeaux. A stunning 754-square-foot formal living room with wood burning fireplace and custom built ins has access to east and west terraces and views from Billionaires Row to the East River. A chef’s kitchen has luxury appliances, marble countertops and an informal dining room that opens to the west terrace. A custom made doggie door gives access for pets.
The Devil Wears Prada — Listed for $27,500,000
129 East 73rd Street, #TH (The Modlin Group)
The film adaptation of hit book The Devil Wears Prada features cameo appearances from Heidi Klum, Gisele Bundchen, Valentino Garavani, the book’s author Lauren Weisberger, and a Neo-Renaissance townhouse on the Upper East Side. Curbed notes that the foyer and stairwell look largely the same as they do in the movie, and that it is located on an Upper East Side block more than up to Miranda Priestly’s lofty standards.
From the Listing:
This 22-foot wide, Neo-Italian Renaissance-style limestone and marble townhouse features approximately 12,000 square feet amid six stories with several outdoor spaces. Built in 1907 and renovated in 2005, its original details have been carefully honored with thoughtful woodworking and gracious architecture and interior design by Diamond Barrata, as well as refined contracting by Simply Elegant. The façade of this residence is marked by a central double door with a guilloche enframement, as well as an arched parlor floor loggia that frames three sets of French doors. Upon entry, a formal gallery features a marble fireplace, casual seating area, and a Murano chandelier.
A spacious corridor includes a powder room and two sizeable coat closets and leads to a den wrapped in figured Anigre wood paneling. The eat-in kitchen features premium appliances from Sub-Zero and Viking, with a gingham-pattern marble floor underfoot. Industrial lights from the 1930s hang from a pressed tin ceiling over Carrara marble and stainless steel countertops. The kitchen has a dedicated breakfast area with a skylight above and is accented by a discreet powder room. French doors open onto some outdoor space.
From the Listing:
This 22-foot wide, Neo-Italian Renaissance-style limestone and marble townhouse features approximately 12,000 square feet amid six stories with several outdoor spaces. Built in 1907 and renovated in 2005, its original details have been carefully honored with thoughtful woodworking and gracious architecture and interior design by Diamond Barrata, as well as refined contracting by Simply Elegant. The façade of this residence is marked by a central double door with a guilloche enframement, as well as an arched parlor floor loggia that frames three sets of French doors. Upon entry, a formal gallery features a marble fireplace, casual seating area, and a Murano chandelier.
A spacious corridor includes a powder room and two sizeable coat closets and leads to a den wrapped in figured Anigre wood paneling. The eat-in kitchen features premium appliances from Sub-Zero and Viking, with a gingham-pattern marble floor underfoot. Industrial lights from the 1930s hang from a pressed tin ceiling over Carrara marble and stainless steel countertops. The kitchen has a dedicated breakfast area with a skylight above and is accented by a discreet powder room. French doors open onto some outdoor space.
Sherry Bronfman — Listed for $24,000,000
The River Mansion, #TH (Douglas Elliman)
From May 11 - June 6, 2023, “The River Mansion” served as New York’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House, where visitors could see acclaimed architects’ and designers’ work while raising money for a worthy cause. However, the New York Post notes that it generated attention almost a century before that, when Shakespearean actress Julia Marlowe bought it for $68,000. Seventy-five years later, Seagrams heir Edgar Bronfman Jr. bought it for $5.6 million and established it as his family’s residence. Most recently, his ex-wife, actress/philanthropist Sherry Bronfman, has put it on the market.
From the Listing:
Introducing "The River Mansion," an opulent Beaux-Arts brick and limestone mansard mansion located in the historic Riverside Drive-West 105th Street District. Built from 1899-1902 by renowned architect Robert D. Kohn, this stunning five-story property spanning 10,000 square feet boasts a grand foyer, parlor, library, wine room, wine cellar, media room, two kitchens with a service kitchen, dining room, roof deck, and elevator.
The home features seven wood-burning fireplaces throughout. With five spacious bedrooms, five bathrooms, and two half-baths, this exquisite home is the epitome of grand elegance and sophistication. The primary facade features a beautiful blend of dark red brick and limestone and spans both West 106th Street and Riverside Drive. Inside, you will find brand new, high end, finishes, and materials, including JennAir luxury appliances, which are sustainably produced.
From the Listing:
Introducing "The River Mansion," an opulent Beaux-Arts brick and limestone mansard mansion located in the historic Riverside Drive-West 105th Street District. Built from 1899-1902 by renowned architect Robert D. Kohn, this stunning five-story property spanning 10,000 square feet boasts a grand foyer, parlor, library, wine room, wine cellar, media room, two kitchens with a service kitchen, dining room, roof deck, and elevator.
The home features seven wood-burning fireplaces throughout. With five spacious bedrooms, five bathrooms, and two half-baths, this exquisite home is the epitome of grand elegance and sophistication. The primary facade features a beautiful blend of dark red brick and limestone and spans both West 106th Street and Riverside Drive. Inside, you will find brand new, high end, finishes, and materials, including JennAir luxury appliances, which are sustainably produced.
Mike Myers — Listed for $20,000,000
505 West 19th Street, #PH1 (Compass); Mike Myers (Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1387853)
Over the past few years, comedian/actor Mike Myers has garnered more attention for his downtown real estate portfolio than his acting roles. In 2018, he sold a Soho penthouse for $13.2 million. More recently, he has listed a penthouse along the High Line. The Wall Street Journal broke the news and reported that Mr. Myers bought it from the developer for $15.35 million in 2017.
From the Listing:
This grandly scaled single-floor private-floor penthouse with two terraces in the heart of West Chelsea soars above the Highline Park, just moments from The Hudson River Park and equidistant to the West Village/Meatpacking District to the South and Hudson Yards to the North. Expertly designed and laid out by Architectural Digest 100 architect and designer Thomas Juul Hansen, you enter through the 24-hour attended art-filled lobby dramatically nestled beneath the Highline. Two key-locked elevators open directly into either the gracious entry foyer or the service entry on the other side.
Immediately you are enraptured by walls of floor-to-ceiling casement windows that illuminate the space with light all day long to the west, east, north, and south, framing equally impressive views of West Chelsea, a neighborhood with the single greatest concentration of the world’s greatest architects' work. The entry leads past the library and large west-facing main terrace - almost 65 feet in length - to the main living room resplendent with a fireplace and southwestern light and views.
From the Listing:
This grandly scaled single-floor private-floor penthouse with two terraces in the heart of West Chelsea soars above the Highline Park, just moments from The Hudson River Park and equidistant to the West Village/Meatpacking District to the South and Hudson Yards to the North. Expertly designed and laid out by Architectural Digest 100 architect and designer Thomas Juul Hansen, you enter through the 24-hour attended art-filled lobby dramatically nestled beneath the Highline. Two key-locked elevators open directly into either the gracious entry foyer or the service entry on the other side.
Immediately you are enraptured by walls of floor-to-ceiling casement windows that illuminate the space with light all day long to the west, east, north, and south, framing equally impressive views of West Chelsea, a neighborhood with the single greatest concentration of the world’s greatest architects' work. The entry leads past the library and large west-facing main terrace - almost 65 feet in length - to the main living room resplendent with a fireplace and southwestern light and views.
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Taylor Swift — Listed for $17,995,000
23 Cornelia Street (The Corcoran Group); Taylor Swift (Toglenn (Glenn Francis) - This file has been extracted from another file, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81523364)
As of this writing, Taylor Swift is in the middle of her Eras tour all over the country. She has a custom-designed Tribeca apartment waiting for her in New York; however, her temporary residence in Greenwich Village is the one fans know best, thanks to it inspiring a hit song. It hit the rental market for $45,000/month last fall; while there is still the option to rent, it has recently been listed for sale (h/t 6sqft).
From the Listing:
Built in 1870 as a carriage house and transformed into a spectacular home with a modernist flair with a celebrity tested, drive-right-in garage and pool, nestled in the heart of the West Village. This 21’ wide townhouse with a classic brick facade has 4 bedrooms, 5 full baths and 2 half baths with dramatic double heights ceilings, 3 gas fireplaces, and beautiful hardwood floors throughout. Drive right in, open a side door, and walk right into the guest suite on the first floor.
Below, is the pool level with soaring 27’ ceilings, Basalt stone tile floor and lounge area. The pool itself measures approximately 30’ by 15’ and 5.5’ deep. Behind the pool, you and your many guests can longue in front of the gas fireplace and open the doors out to an exterior patio. The second floor opens into a spacious living room with beamed ceilings, blond parquet Russian Ipe wood floors, leaded glass windows and a wood-burning fireplace with a marble hearth. The kitchen with Wolf range, Sub-Zero refrigerator and wine fridge, a Fisher & Paykal double drawer dishwasher and granite counter tops opens into the dining area with floor-to-ceiling casement windows open onto tranquil West Village backyard views.
From the Listing:
Built in 1870 as a carriage house and transformed into a spectacular home with a modernist flair with a celebrity tested, drive-right-in garage and pool, nestled in the heart of the West Village. This 21’ wide townhouse with a classic brick facade has 4 bedrooms, 5 full baths and 2 half baths with dramatic double heights ceilings, 3 gas fireplaces, and beautiful hardwood floors throughout. Drive right in, open a side door, and walk right into the guest suite on the first floor.
Below, is the pool level with soaring 27’ ceilings, Basalt stone tile floor and lounge area. The pool itself measures approximately 30’ by 15’ and 5.5’ deep. Behind the pool, you and your many guests can longue in front of the gas fireplace and open the doors out to an exterior patio. The second floor opens into a spacious living room with beamed ceilings, blond parquet Russian Ipe wood floors, leaded glass windows and a wood-burning fireplace with a marble hearth. The kitchen with Wolf range, Sub-Zero refrigerator and wine fridge, a Fisher & Paykal double drawer dishwasher and granite counter tops opens into the dining area with floor-to-ceiling casement windows open onto tranquil West Village backyard views.
Lorraine Hansberry — Listed for $15,500,000
112 Waverly Place (The Corcoran Group); Lorraine Hansberry (Flickr - Susan DeMark)
112 Waverly Place is on the market as a single-family home now, but was originally built as a theater in the 19th century; appropriately enough, it has attracted dramatic types among residents. At a time when The Sign on Sidney Brustein’s Window is in the middle of a successful Broadway run, the listing touts playwright Lorraine Hansberry as a past resident; the New York Post also identified it as the former home of then-couple Kate Moss and Johnny Depp in the 1990s.
From the Listing:
This Federal style townhouse built in 1826, was reimagined in the early 1900s with an elegant brick facade. Spanning 22 feet wide by 97 feet, this over 6,300-square-foot home, with nearly an additional 1,200 exterior square feet, is currently configured as four income-producing rentals each with large windows, private outdoor space, and wood-burning fireplaces. The building is impeccably maintained, featuring new foundations, reinforced steel, and updated plumbing and electric.
As you step through the front door, you will immediately be captivated by the home’s historic charm, highlighted by exquisite original details including hardwood floors, mahogany molding, exposed brick, and high ceilings. The ground floor garden level duplex boasts a spacious living area with fireplace and oversized windows, two full baths, lower level bedroom that looks out into the private outdoor terrace. The second-floor unit features two bedrooms, a full kitchen, a spacious living room, and full bath.
From the Listing:
This Federal style townhouse built in 1826, was reimagined in the early 1900s with an elegant brick facade. Spanning 22 feet wide by 97 feet, this over 6,300-square-foot home, with nearly an additional 1,200 exterior square feet, is currently configured as four income-producing rentals each with large windows, private outdoor space, and wood-burning fireplaces. The building is impeccably maintained, featuring new foundations, reinforced steel, and updated plumbing and electric.
As you step through the front door, you will immediately be captivated by the home’s historic charm, highlighted by exquisite original details including hardwood floors, mahogany molding, exposed brick, and high ceilings. The ground floor garden level duplex boasts a spacious living area with fireplace and oversized windows, two full baths, lower level bedroom that looks out into the private outdoor terrace. The second-floor unit features two bedrooms, a full kitchen, a spacious living room, and full bath.
Rosie O'Donnell — Listed for $8,300,000
Sterling Plaza, #PHA (Brown Harris Stevens); Rosie O'Donnell (David Shankbone - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3937757)
After decades in New York, stage and screen actress Rosie O’Donnell is relocating to the West Coast and has put her turn-key penthouse on the market. The New York Times announced the listing and noted that it is her last Manhattan home standing; she has also sold an apartment in The Greenwich Lane and a Hell’s Kitchen pied-a-terre.
From the Listing:
Welcome home to your extraordinary 4-bed, 3-bath duplex penthouse perched high in the Manhattan sky, with access to your very own private rooftop terrace and breathtaking views of the East River. The nearly 3,600 square foot trophy home opens up to an immaculate great room, with honed black granite wood burning fireplace, imported Russian wide plank oak floors, and flowing seamlessly into the glass enclosed dining room featuring stunning city and river views. The adjacent wet bar features a light-up onyx stone surface and professionally-installed sound system.
The impressive great room is the perfect space for entertaining. The chef’s kitchen is a gorgeous 33-foot-long Italian Boffi kitchen, featuring seamless white Corian countertops, a sprawling eat-in island, and floor to ceiling windows which showcase stunning views to the north and west. The Gaggenau and Miele appliances feature a 70-bottle wine refrigerator, two dishwashers, two ovens, refrigerator with separate freezer drawers, gas cooktop, and two integrated sinks.
From the Listing:
Welcome home to your extraordinary 4-bed, 3-bath duplex penthouse perched high in the Manhattan sky, with access to your very own private rooftop terrace and breathtaking views of the East River. The nearly 3,600 square foot trophy home opens up to an immaculate great room, with honed black granite wood burning fireplace, imported Russian wide plank oak floors, and flowing seamlessly into the glass enclosed dining room featuring stunning city and river views. The adjacent wet bar features a light-up onyx stone surface and professionally-installed sound system.
The impressive great room is the perfect space for entertaining. The chef’s kitchen is a gorgeous 33-foot-long Italian Boffi kitchen, featuring seamless white Corian countertops, a sprawling eat-in island, and floor to ceiling windows which showcase stunning views to the north and west. The Gaggenau and Miele appliances feature a 70-bottle wine refrigerator, two dishwashers, two ovens, refrigerator with separate freezer drawers, gas cooktop, and two integrated sinks.
Joan Didion — Price reduced to $6,500,000
33 East 70th Street, #5A (Sotheby's International Realty); Joan Didion (By David Shankbone - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=123431823)
At the beginning of the year, the Upper East Side apartment that author Joan Didion shared with husband John Gregory Dunne (not pictured) went on the market shortly after her estate auction. Items like furniture, art, and sunglasses were quickly snapped up and generated over $1.9 million (h/t Los Angeles Times), but the apartment didn’t move so quickly: The New York Post announced that the price was reduced by $1 million in mid-May 2023.
From the Listing:
This splendid 11-room residence is located in one of Manhattan’s finest white-glove cooperatives. Perfectly located on East 71st Street and Madison Avenue, it is moments to Central Park and to many of the city’s best museums, galleries, boutiques, and restaurants on the Upper East Side. This pre-war apartment’s gracious and versatile layout offers distinct areas for living and entertaining, and its very spacious and elegant rooms are enhanced by beautiful herringbone hardwood floors and many original details.
Accessed via a semi-private elevator landing, the entrance hall opens to a marvelously spacious gallery, which serves as a fulcrum to the apartment. A grand living room with a wood-burning fireplace is currently open to the library, which is a step above and equipped with a wet bar. Both rooms benefit from open and very charming northern outlooks of the majestic spire and roofline of St. James’ Church. Nearby, the gracious dining room is also accessed from the gallery, as are a den and powder room. The gallery offers two ample coat closets.
From the Listing:
This splendid 11-room residence is located in one of Manhattan’s finest white-glove cooperatives. Perfectly located on East 71st Street and Madison Avenue, it is moments to Central Park and to many of the city’s best museums, galleries, boutiques, and restaurants on the Upper East Side. This pre-war apartment’s gracious and versatile layout offers distinct areas for living and entertaining, and its very spacious and elegant rooms are enhanced by beautiful herringbone hardwood floors and many original details.
Accessed via a semi-private elevator landing, the entrance hall opens to a marvelously spacious gallery, which serves as a fulcrum to the apartment. A grand living room with a wood-burning fireplace is currently open to the library, which is a step above and equipped with a wet bar. Both rooms benefit from open and very charming northern outlooks of the majestic spire and roofline of St. James’ Church. Nearby, the gracious dining room is also accessed from the gallery, as are a den and powder room. The gallery offers two ample coat closets.
3 Available Listings for Sale from $3,495,000
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