NYC carriage houses for sale

By CityRealty Staff | From Goldilocks Blocks Wednesday, July 8, 2020

163 East 70th Street and 78 Irving Place are among two carriage house for sale in Manhattan

Over the past several weeks, New York streets have been closed to car traffic to allow pedestrians to practice safe social distancing and let restaurants provide outdoor dining. It is too soon to say whether these changes will become permanent or what effect they will have on the city. However, this would not be the first time New York City has adapted to changing street use - witness the ripple effects of the shift from carriages to cars.

During the days when the city streets were dominated by horse-drawn carriages, New York's wealthiest could own single-family homes with a separate stable for the family's horses, often accessed through a side passage or tunnel through the house. As time passed and modes of transportation changed, these individual stables tended to fare better than the full-block mews. These could be converted to garages for the automobiles that would come to replace carriages, but were more frequently transformed into residences known in today's parlance as carriage houses.

"Show horses and fine harness horses are transitory. Stables, on the other hand, are permanent." - The Brooklyn Eagle, 1900

10 Bedford Street, townhouse (l) with hidden read carriage house (r), via Compass

As many remaining carriage houses are located in historic districts, their exteriors tend to look much as they did when they were first built. However, appearances can be deceiving - today's owners are free to bring the interiors up to contemporary standards with infrastructure, appliance, finish, and layout upgrades. There was a time that artists were drawn to these spaces (past residents of New York's carriage houses include Jackson Pollock, Edward Albee, Diane Arbus, and Bob Dylan), but today's buyers tend to be mostly moguls and mega-stars (e.g., investor David Aldea who bought a carriage house Taylor Swift once rented).

↓ 163 East 70th Street, #TH – $17,950,000

Lenox Hill | Townhouse | 4 beds, 3.5 baths | 7,500 ft²

All images of 163 East 70th Street via Compass

Carriage house once owned by John D. Rockefeller Jr. is currently configured as a single-family townhouse with a ground-floor medical office, but the possibilities are endless. Inside, a skylit sculptural staircase fills the residence with incredible natural light. Features include a gracious living room with wood-burning fireplace, a formal dining room, an eat-in kitchen with private terrace access, a full-floor master suite, a glass-roofed solarium, and enormous finished cellar that could accommodate a media lounge, home gym, and pool. See floor plan and full details here.

↓ 180 East 73rd Street, #TH – $13,750,000

Lenox Hill | Townhouse | 6 beds, 2.5 baths | 6,800 ft²

All images of 180 East 73rd Street via Leslie J. Garfield

Three-story carriage house is located on a landmarked Upper East Side block and was built in 1890 by the acclaimed architecture William Schnickel & Co. The home features a curb cut and two separate entrances. Interiors boast soaring ceilings, grand proportions, a full basement, and access to private outdoor space. See floor plan and full details here.

↓ 208 East 20th Street, #TH – $8,000,000

Gramercy Park | Co-op | 3 beds, 2 baths

All images of 208 East 20th Street via The Corcoran Group

Down the street from Gramercy Park, this carriage house-turned-art school immediately attracts attention for its eye-catching architecture and horse heads in the facade. Interiors boast 20' ceilings, exposed brick and stone, a wood-burning fireplace, and skylights that flood the space with natural light. Its two units are also being offered for rent for $5,000 and $12,000/month. See floor plan and full details here.

↓ 10 Bedford Street, #TH – $7,000,000

Greenwich Village | Townhouse | 5 beds, 5.5 baths | 3,780 ft²

All images of 10 Bedford Street via Compass

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Located on a cobblestone-lined Village street, this townhouse dating back to 1830 is configured as a 3-unit condominium, but could easily be converted to a single-family townhouse. A separate carriage house on the property is accessible via tunnel or walkway, and makes for a gorgeous guest house. Both buildings are bathed in natural light and enjoy excellent proportions. A virtual tour is available for this home. See floor plan and full details here.

↓ 78 Irving Place, #CARRIAGE – $6,350,000

Gramercy | Townhouse | 2 beds, 2.5 baths | 2,423 ft²

All images of 78 Irving Place via Compass

Carriage house on a tree-lined townhouse block is reached via an exclusive entrance gate, yet offers access to a white-glove condominium's staff and services. Interiors feature a flexible layout, exposed brick two ethanol fireplaces, recently refinished floors, and west-facing master suite with custom walk-in dressing room and windowed bath. The kitchen is furnished with high-end appliances and flooded with light from a 20' vaulted skylight. Virtual tours are available upon request. See floor plan and full details here.

↓ 197 Waverly Avenue, #TH – $3,995,000

Clinton Hill | Condo | 3 beds, 3 baths

All images of 197 Waverly Avenue via The Corcoran Group

Carriage house on a charming Brooklyn block comes with parking for multiple cars, commercial loft space that can be incorporated back into the house, a fully finished basement, and a private roof deck. Interiors have recently been renovated with new electricity and plumbing, central heating and cooling throughout, new kitchen, and new baths. See floor plan and full details here.

↓ 309 West 20th Street, #2R – $1,385,000

Chelsea | Co-op | 2 beds, 2 baths | 1,050 ft²

All images of 309 West 20th Street via Halstead

Located on a landmarked Chelsea block, this carriage house apartment is reached on a hidden mews and overlooks a planted courtyard with grill and tables. Interiors are filled with light from seven oversized windows, and all room dividing walls include oversized sliding panel doors that can be used in a variety of creative layouts. The open plan kitchen features a breakfast bar and top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances. See floor plan and full details here.