Skip to Content
CityRealty Logo
Views from 812 FIfth Avenue and local celebrities busy in the NYC real estate market  (Compass) Views from 812 FIfth Avenue and local celebrities busy in the NYC real estate market (Compass)
It is far too soon to say that the New York real estate market is bouncing back from the coronavirus pandemic, but the past month has seen several high-priced listings come on the market. Some are linked to public figures of all stripes, and we take a look at celebrity listings to come on the market in September 2020.

In this article:

The Gainsborough, 222 Central Park South
The Gainsborough, 222 Central Park South Midtown West
The New Museum Building, 158 Mercer Street
The New Museum Building, 158 Mercer Street SoHo
812 Fifth Avenue
812 Fifth Avenue Park/Fifth Ave. to 79th St.
The Merchant's House, 31-37 North Moore Street
The Merchant's House, 31-37 North Moore Street Tribeca
1060 Fifth Avenue
1060 Fifth Avenue Carnegie Hill

1. Bruce Gelb - Reduced to $24,000,000

1060-Fifth-Avenue-01 1060 Fifth Avenue via Sotheby's International Realty
Before Bruce Gelb was appointed to his post as U.S. Ambassador to Belgium under the George H.W. Bush administration, he was also Commissioner for the United Nations, vice chairman of the board of Bristol-Myers Squibb and president of Clairol. He kept his Fifth Avenue apartment as a home base for decades, and initially listed it for $65 million in April 2016. It has been on and off the market ever since, and returned with a reduced price.

From the listing:
This sprawling 10th floor residence is perched high atop one of Carnegie Hill's most coveted prewar cooperatives and offers stunning views of Central Park and the Reservoir. Designed by the renowned architect JER Carpenter in 1928, this high floor apartment incorporates all of the period architectural elements that distinguish the great buildings of the late 1920s in New York City. The spectacular 15 into 13 room corner residence is perfectly positioned on Fifth Avenue to enjoy the absolutely dazzling views of Central Park and the fabulous sun-lit Southern exposures grace the apartment with amazing light throughout the day. Upon entry, a private elevator landing opens to a beautifully proportioned Gallery which anchors the principal Entertaining Rooms, all overlooking Central Park.

2. Deron Williams - Entered contract for $20,000,000

35-North-Moore-Street-01 Deron Williams via Wiki Commons, The Merchants House via Douglas Elliman
After two Olympic medals and stints with the Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, and Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA star Deron Williams is a free agent. As he plans his next move, he and his family have put their massive Tribeca apartment on the market. It entered contract for $20 million - a fraction of the original listing price of $33.5 million, but nevertheless the second-highest listing price of last week's luxury contracts.

From the listing:
A showplace of private perfection awaits you in this extraordinary trophy penthouse atop the prized Merchant House loft condominium! This enviable penthouse paradise on one of Tribeca's most fabled and coveted streets boasts a massive 7,200-square-foot interior where every inch has been meticulously renovated. Enhancing the allure is an incredible 3,000 square feet of split outdoor space with views that are inarguably among Manhattan's best. One 1,500-square-foot terrace offers a tranquil fireplace and generous seating area, while the other has a BBQ and dog house.
The Merchants House has 2 available listings from $7.65M.

3. Andre Balazs - Listed for $12,000,000

158-Mercer-Street-01 The New Museum Building via Douglas Elliman
Hotelier Andre Balazs' portfolio includes the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, the Mercer Hotel in New York, and Standard Hotels across the country. The Wall Street Journal reports that he used his Soho apartment, which he purchased for $5.75 million in 2003, as a testing ground for hotel design ideas. Now that he is spending more time in Europe, he has listed the apartment with the reasoning that he can just as easily stay at the Mercer Hotel - which is right down the street from his apartment! - when he's back in New York.

From the listing:
Customized by the current owner, famed hotelier André Balazs, this 4,200-square-foot, four-bedroom, two and a half bath home incorporates sophistication and elegance into a contemporary floorplan with one of a kind views overlooking downtown.

A key-locked elevator opens directly into the home where you will find yourself in a spacious foyer before heading down a long gallery that guides you into the enormous and naturally lit great room. Perfect for entertaining, the space includes a living room with a wood-burning fireplace that is encased in black Venetian plaster. A separate dining area is positioned by a corner den facing south and west with views of the Freedom Tower, the perfect setting to watch the sunset. A second sitting area with north & west views provides additional space for relaxation.

4. Nelson Rockefeller - Just listed for $11,500,000

812-Fifth-Avenue-01 812 Fifth Avenue via Compass
When former vice president and New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller lived at 812 Fifth Avenue, he blasted through a wall and installed six shallow steps to connect it to his home at 810 Fifth Avenue, the building directly to the south and a prime example of J.E.R. Carpenter's "sibling buildings." The units were reconfigured and separated after his death in 1979, and the New York Post reports that the 812 Fifth Avenue unit is on the market for the firs time in 57 years.

From the listing:
Situated on the 15th floor of the storied white-glove cooperative, this gracious 3,990-square-foot gem boasts an expansive 295-square-foot terrace. The generous light-filled interiors await your customization.

Boasting 9 rooms, with 4 bedrooms and plans for a 5th, there are several floor plan possibilities available to suit your needs. Your private elevator opens into a spacious gallery introducing an upscale ambience for luxury living and entertaining.

5. Kate Winslet - Listed for $6,995,000

451-West-21st-Street-01 All images of 451 West 21st Street via Brown Harris Stevens
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
  1. Select which properties are of interest to you:

Or call us at (212) 755-5544
451-West-21st-Street-02
451-West-21st-Street-03
Award-winning actress Kate Winslet lives in England now, but spent time on one of Chelsea's most picturesque blocks at the beginning of the 21st century. Her five-story townhouse could easily be mistaken for a British country house, and it is now on the market.

From the listing:
Boasting 4,425 square feet of interior space and an additional 1,950 square feet of exterior space over 5 floors, this home allows for endless possibilities of entertaining and living for any sort of lifestyle. This home is currently configured as a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom in addition to a media/home-theater room, a gym, a stunning garden and terrace, as well as a beautiful landscaped roof-deck with an outdoor shower. Upon entering this home, you will find a beautifully detailed arch inviting you into the warm and spacious open kitchen.

Fitted with top-of-the-line appliances and oversized counter/cooking space, this kitchen provides for the perfect blend of living and hosting. A charming breakfast nook is located just beside the kitchen with massive windows looking onto the lovely front garden. On the home's parlor level, you will also find a large dining area, a bright and airy living room with a wood-burning fireplace, and wide-plank hardwood flooring throughout.

6. John Lennon - Listed for $5,500,000

434-East-52nd-Street-01 Southgate via Halstead
Beatles fans and New Yorkers alike are well aware that John Lennon lived at The Dakota, but his time at an Emery Roth-designed Sutton Place cooperative in the mid-1970's would prove equally attention-grabbing: The musician claimed he saw a UFO from the bedroom, and he would go on the terrace in a "New York City" tank top for an iconic photograph. The New York Post reports that the apartment has since been renovated and listed.

From the listing:
This dramatic home features exquisite renovations and modern design elements to create a timeless space with an inviting, intimate ambience. On the entry level, a luminous and elegant living room invites you in with its high ceilings, wood-burning fireplace, and beautiful inlaid hardwood flooring. Large picture windows frame the cinematic cityscape of bridges and buildings to the south and east and majestic river views all the way to New York Harbor.

A library/media room sits on one side of this space, while a sizeable bedroom/home office and bath are found on the other side. The generous kitchen, which evokes an eclectic French countryside sensibility, is a chef's dream come true. Top-of-the-line appliances, impressive counterspace, and abundant storage offer functionality while the oversized windows and adjoining terrace seamlessly bring the outdoors in.

7. Enrico Donati - Listed for $3,600,000

222-Central-Park-South-01 The Gainsborough via Compass
NYC Central Park apartments
On Central Park South, the Gainsborough Studios was originally built as an apartment hotel for artists in 1908. Surrealist painter and sculptor Enrico Donati was among its notable residents, and he would use his north-facing combination unit as a studio for more than 50 years. Mr. Donati died in 2008; more recently, the New York Post announced that his longtime abode is on the market.

From the listing:
Located on the 14th and 15th floors, the dramatic double-height living room with wood burning fireplace has an 18'8' ceiling and oversized windows with sweeping views of Manhattan's iconic and landmarked 843-acre Central Park. The balcony overlooking the living room provides an even more spectacular view of Fifth Avenue, and the vast pastoral oasis of the Park. The apartment is a beautiful portal through which quintessential New York can best be experienced! Much of the architectural details and original floorplan of the apartment have remained intact. Representing the combination of two apartments, the former living room of the second apartment now serves as the primary bedroom with a handsome inlaid wood burning fireplace.
The Gainsborough has 3 available listings from $1.485M.

8. Annie Leibovitz - Listed for $2,990,000

1255-Fifth-Avenue-01 Annie Leibovitz via Wiki Commons; 1255 Fifth Avenue via Compass
Any photographer worth her salt knows the importance of good light, and this upper Fifth Avenue apartment's oversized windows were surely attractive to Annie Liebovitz. After the famed photographer moved out in 1992, the apartment's new owners combined it with a neighboring unit and undertook some meaningful renovations. The New York Post reports that it is on the market following its current owner's plans to return to Israel.

From the listing:
An artistic type dream, this grand apartment is most accommodating to the conventional user. The 14ft ceilings and over 50' feet of pristine Central Park views allow an abundance of natural light to stream through six oversized west-facing windows.

The park facing space offers wide plank hardwood floors and an entertaining area that flows right into an open dining area and chef's kitchen. The kitchen features top of the line stainless steel appliances, custom white cabinets, and Caesarstone counters. Overlooking this impressive space and facing the park, the mezzanine is enclosed by glass railings and offers the option to be used as a media room, library, or guest room.
1255 Fifth Avenue has 3 available listings from $2.95M.

9. Irving Berlin - Just reduced to $2,325,000

130-East-End-Avenue-01 130 East End Avenue via Warburg Realty
When songwriter Irving Berlin moved into his Yorkville penthouse, he had already made a name for himself with standards like "Blue Skies" and "Putting on the Ritz." In the thirteen years he lived in the apartment, he would write such hits as "Say It Isn't So" and "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm." The grand proportions, stately entrance gallery, and riverfront terrace are still in full glory, and the apartment has just been reduced to $2.325 million.

From the listing:
Once the home of legendary songwriter Irving Berlin, this glamorous one of a kind penthouse duplex apartment has breathtaking views over Carl Schurz Park, the East River and New York City bridges. A gracious entry with circular staircase opens to the 28' corner living room with wood burning fireplace. Sweeping unobstructed views from the five oversized living room windows and the adjoining wrap terrace create the perfect setting for entertaining on a grand scale.

A gracious formal dining room opens to a four seasons room that accesses the terrace. A kitchen and maid's room with bath complete the lower level of the duplex. The circular staircase leads to the master bedroom and a second bedroom, both with stunning views. Two bathrooms and a light filled study complete the second floor. This beautiful apartment has lovely architectural details, high ceilings and is the perfect oasis in the city.
130 East End Avenue has 3 available listings from $2.325M.

Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
  1. Select which properties are of interest to you:

Or call us at (212) 755-5544
Would you like to tour any of these properties?