Village penthouse with rooftop ‘country cottage’ is for sale, asking $10.5M
All photos courtesy of Evan Joseph
In 2015, 6sqft featured this charming rooftop cottage, an extension of the penthouse at 719 Greenwich Street. As one of a handful of rooftop cabins and cottages throughout the city, this remarkable residence is now on the market for the first time ever, asking $10,500,000. As part of a penthouse loft co-op, the 3,060-square-foot West Village home combines unique architectural character, cultural history, and peerless outdoor space with downtown Manhattan living in one of the city’s most coveted historic neighborhoods.
Constructed in 1906 as a book depository, the brick loft building sits on a tree-lined West Village block near Hudson River Park.
According to the New York Times, the home’s current owner, developer David Puchkoff, purchased the six-story former warehouse in 1974 for about $220,000 and converted it into a 12-unit co-op.
Puchkoff and his wife, Eileen Stukane, made their home in one of the building’s penthouses; in the early 2000s, inspired by a friend’s lakefront escape in Pennsylvania, Puchkoff and architect Lawrence Tobe undertook the addition of a green roof and a rooftop “cottage” with a welcoming front porch.
Installing the bucolic addition was no easy task. Builders had to use a tube to blow soil onto the roof, for example. The result—a “house on the prairie” surrounded by city lights and protected views over the West Village Historic District—was worth the effort.
A custom wood-and-metal staircase leads to this private rooftop meadow and garden with dazzling skyline views. The covered porch adds outdoor shelter, and the indoor volume invites year-round dining and entertaining.
The loft leaves plenty of room for imagination for future renovations. The space currently holds four bedrooms, including a corner primary suite, two guest chambers, and a sleeping loft.
There is also a separate office/workshop. Beneath ceilings over 10 feet, historic details include structural columns, girders, and exposed brick throughout. A wood-burning fireplace is framed by reclaimed granite pavers from neighborhood streets.
The penthouse has been a focus of wonderment since its construction: It was featured in Woody Allen’s film “Manhattan Murder Mystery” and photographed by acclaimed aerial photographer George Steinmetz. The rooftop meadow, ahead of its time, was featured in a National Geographic story on green roofs around the world in the May 2009 issue.
[Listing details: 719 Greenwich Street, Unit PH at CityRealty]
[At Compass by Jim St. André, Trevor Stephens, and Michael Maniawski]
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