Celebrities

He may fly under the radar in Hollywood, but when it comes to Brooklyn real estate, Matt Damon seems to be all about high life. This time last year, he toured the historic Brooklyn Heights mansion at 3 Pierrepont Place, which was the borough's most expensive listing ever at $40 million. Though he didn't follow through, it looks like he's still poised to set a record, as Mansion Global reports that sources say the actor has gone into contract on the penthouse at the nearby recent condo conversion The Standish. If the sale closes for its most recent price of $16,645,000, it will take the crown for priciest residential sale ever in Brooklyn, stealing the title from a $15.5 million Cobble Hill townhouse sale in 2015.
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September 11, 2017

Tommy Hilfiger again drops price of his Plaza Hotel penthouse to $50M

After making several attempts to sell his pad, fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger is relisting his lavish penthouse apartment in the Plaza for $50 million. Hilfiger and his wife, Dee Ocleepo, first listed the apartment at 1 Central Park South in 2013 for $80 million. After dropping to $75 million in March 2015 and then $69 million, the most recent relisting had the property on the market for $58.9 million in April (h/t Mansion Global). The couple paid roughly $20 million in renovations for the 5,600-square-foot duplex, which features marble-clad rooms, vintage limestone fireplaces from England and a domed room that features a custom-designed “Elouise” mural designed by the children book’s illustrator Hilary Knight.
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September 8, 2017

Shoe guru Steve Madden steps into a $12.2M Billionaires’ Row condo

Shoe brand honcho Steve Madden put his best foot forward and stepped into an impressive spread at 252 East 57th Street. The Journal reports that the company's founder and former CEO dropped $12.2 million on a five-bedroom condo at the 65-story Billionaires' Row tower designed by designed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill. Not only does his new home have a 38-foot-long living/dining area, balcony, and all the swanky fixtures and finishing one could hope for, but its 61st-floor location affords it incredible north, east, and west exposures with skyline, Central Park, and East River views.
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Yankees’ Aaron Judge may have scored a swanky Murray Hill penthouse

Photo of Aaron Judge via Wiki Commons; interior rendering via Ahead Quarters, LTD

September 5, 2017

Yankees’ Aaron Judge may have scored a swanky Murray Hill penthouse

Where did Yankees' outfielder and home run slugger Aaron Judge go yesterday after becoming the first rookie to get 100 walks in a season since 1953? Quite possibly to his pad at the glassy new rental 237 East 34th Street. A source told The Real Deal that "the Judgement" recently rented a penthouse at the Murray Hill building, and the latest such unit to go off the market is a $13,900/month duplex with two private terraces, a large open kitchen/living room plan, and East River and skyline views.
All Rise!

September 1, 2017

Emily Blunt and John Krasinski list historic townhouse in Park Slope for $8M

Actors Emily Blunt and John Krasinski have put their recently restored four-story Brooklyn townhouse on the market for $8 million, which the couple first purchased for $6 million last fall. The seven-bedroom, 20-room home sits on a prime block in Park Slope at 586 4th Street, just steps away from Prospect Park. According to the Wall Street Journal, Blunt and Krasinski are selling the recently-purchased property because they’ve haven’t spent enough time there because of work.“We’ve been nomads for a while now, but that’s the nature of the business,” Krasinski told the WSJ. “The house is so special—someone who can spend every night there should have it.”
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August 31, 2017

Mod Connecticut home built for an original ‘Mad Men’ exec asks under $1M

Just an hour outside of NYC in Stamford, Connecticut, a mid-century modern gem is available for sale for the first time in 65+ years, and it's got some serious celeb history. The Post reports that the late Oscar-winning actress Luise Rainer and her husband, publisher Robert Knittel, bought a 6.64-acre site in 1950, "where they enjoyed weekend getaways in a 600-square-foot cottage." After just a couple years, though, they sold the property to Lester Rossin, one of the original Madison Avenue "Mad Men" advertising executives. He added a stunning modern home, which was designed to host his "lavish, Hollywood star-lit parties," according to the listing. Both this main home and Rainer's cottage have now hit the market for $995,000.
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August 30, 2017

Katharine Hepburn’s former waterfront Connecticut estate sells for $11.5M

The Old Saybrook, Connecticut home where Katharine Hepburn lived until her death in 2003 has sold for $11.5 million, according to the Post. New York-based developer and builder Frank Sciame paid $6 million for the 3.4-acre waterfront estate in 2004, first listing it for $14.8 million in 2014. The 8,368-square-foot home, built in 1939, sits on 1.5 acres and overlooks a private pond and 220 feet of secluded Long Island Sound beachfront. It also has another claim to fame--in the 1930s and '40s, Howard Hughes would land his seaplane on the property's private dock.
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August 29, 2017

For $1.85M, live in Mark Twain’s former Connecticut farmhouse

Known as “Jean’s Farm,” the 18-acre Connecticut property that literary great Mark Twain bought for his daughter in 1909, is for sale for $1.85 million. Located in Redding, the estate at 325 Redding Road includes a farmhouse built in 1787, an antique barn and a studio. While it has been recently renovated, the sprawling estate maintains its rustic charms (h/t TODAY.com). Residents of the five-bedroom, three and a half bathroom home have access to lots of open space and greenery, as well as a heated gunite pool.
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August 28, 2017

Alexander Skarsgärd lands Parker Posey’s former East Village co-op for $2.3M

Alexander Skarsgärd, an Emmy-nominee for his role in “Big Little Lies” and star of “True Blood,” has just purchased a co-op at 119 East 10th Street for $2.3 million, $300,000 over the asking price (h/t LLNYC). The East Village apartment once belonged to actress Parker Posey who sold it in 2008 for $1.3 million. Chloe Sevigny also lived in the same building for a few years before making the move to Brooklyn in 2013. The newly-single Swedish actor, who first looked at a penthouse at 415 East 6th Street back in December, chose the historic loft-like one-bedroom, which features wood-beamed ceilings, oversized windows and a communal garden, instead.
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‘National Lampoon’s’ child actress lists grown-up East Village duplex for $800K

Best known for her role as daughter Audrey Griswold in the classic 1983 comedy “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” Dana Barron has listed her East Village duplex for $799,000. The small but adorable pad sits on a tree-lined block near Tompkins Square Park at 418 ½ East Ninth Street, and, as the New York Post reported, the one-bedroom apartment boasts a working fireplace, walk-in-closet and classic spiral staircase.
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August 24, 2017

Hamptons estate that was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s inspiration for ‘The Great Gatsby’ asks $17M

F. Scott Fitzgerald's cult-classic novel "The Great Gatsby," about hard-partying Long Island millionaires in the '20s, was inspired by actual soirees the author attended at mansions along the North Shore, aka the Gold Coast. One such locale, a French Normandy-style residence on Sands Point known as the Rumsey-Harriman Estate, is said to have inspired the book's fictional East Egg, and as the Post first reported it's just hit the market for $16,880,000. Designed in 1928 by none other than McKim, Mead & White, the 5.3-acre waterfront property was owned by Junior League founder Mary Harriman Rumsey, whose father was railroad tycoon E.H. Harriman and brother New York governor W. Averell Harriman. Fitzgerald spent a good deal of time at the home with Rumsey and her family, widely believed to have inspired Gatsby.
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August 16, 2017

Actor Stephen Dorff gets $2.7M for bachelor-friendly Chelsea penthouse

When actor Stephen Dorff put his Chelsea penthouse on the market for $3 million in March of last year, 6sqft described it as "party-ready," thanks to an 850-square-foot roof terrace complete with wet bar/kitchen and outdoor shower. But it looks like "The Power of One," "Blade," and "Somewhere" star is officially saying goodbye to his bachelor pad days, as the Observer reports that he's unloaded the duplex at 251 West 19th Street for $2.7 million.
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August 14, 2017

$8M Mediterranean villa in Connecticut was built for composer Frank La Forge

By Michelle Cohen

This 1930s home built in the style of a Mediterranean villa for the prolific composer Frank LaForge is a detail-filled masterpiece in a storybook setting (h/t Circa). Renovated with care over the years, the result is a seamless blend of original details with modern style and comfort. The 11-room riverfront house in Darien, CT spans 8,220 square feet, with a gorgeous terrace surrounded by an oasis of dreamy landscaping and pond and river views. We wish it could be bought for a song, but it's asking $7.995 million.
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Donald Trump’s childhood home in Queens is renting for $725/night on Airbnb

Photo courtesy of Laffey Fine Homes from a previous listing

August 9, 2017

Donald Trump’s childhood home in Queens is renting for $725/night on Airbnb

President Trump, who is currently in New Jersey on a 17-day vacation, announced that he will travel to Trump Tower this Sunday. While his Midtown penthouse will be getting a lot of attention this weekend, his childhood home in Queens is also making headlines. The home at 85-15 Wareham Place is up for rent on Airbnb, according to a recent listing on the company’s website (h/t NY Post). The modest Tudor style home in Jamaica Estates is listed for as much as $725 per night. The home features five bedrooms, sleeps 20 people, and includes a life-size cut out of POTUS in the living room. Even though the president only lived there until he was four years old, according to the listing, “this is a unique and special opportunity to stay in the home of a sitting president.”
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Celebrities

August 4, 2017

Celebrity chef Rachael Ray is selling her Southampton home for $5M

Food Network star and cookbook author Rachael Ray has put her Southampton home on the market for $4.9 million. According to the Wall Street Journal, the 3,650-square foot home sits on six acres and includes three bedrooms, state of the art kitchen and a pool with a pool house. Ray and her husband, John Cusimano, paid $2.6 million for the home in 2008. The couple thoroughly renovated the pad after buying it, filling it with the star’s own furniture brand. The home connects to the Southampton Golf Club, providing plenty of trees and beautiful gardens.
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After lease dispute, Secret Service vacates Trump Tower for trailer outside

Photo of Trump Tower via Krystal T’s Flickr

August 4, 2017

After lease dispute, Secret Service vacates Trump Tower for trailer outside

The Secret Service has left its central command post inside Trump Tower after an argument between the agency and the Trump Organization over the lease agreement for the space. While the Secret Service previously placed its supervisors and backup agents one floor below the president's apartment, the Washington Post reported that in early July, the agents were relegated to a trailer on the sidewalk. Although President Trump has not been to his eponymous tower since he was inaugurated in January, the Secret Service still treats Trump Tower as the president’s permanent residence.
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Celebrities

August 2, 2017

News anchor Lester Holt breaks with posh Nomad apartment for $6.4M

Breaking: Lester Holt has sold his classy Nomad apartment for $6.4 million, just under the $6.6 million he listed it for in April, reports the Post. The NBC Nightly News and Dateline NBC anchor bought the three-bedroom spread at 225 Fifth Avenue for $3.3 million in 2007. Along with the impressive views of Madison Square Park and the Flatiron Building and a private terrace, the sale was likely helped along by the fact that Holt's wife, Carol Hagen-Holt, was one of the listing brokers.
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August 2, 2017

After four years on the market, $125M Pierre penthouse sells for a paltry $44M

The 16 room triplex that takes up the 41st, 42nd and 43rd floors of the legendary Pierre Hotel has finally sold for $44 million, a huge drop from its original $125 million asking price. Located at 795 Fifth Avenue, the penthouse was owned by Barbara Zweig, the widow of financier Martin Zweig, who first listed the property in 2013 after her husband’s death. According to The Real Deal, the pad features a library, four terraces, private elevator and costs $51,840 per month to maintain.
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August 2, 2017

One-time Long Island mansion of former Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos hits the market for $4.9M

A sprawling 8.2-acre estate in Center Moriches once owned by the deceased Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda has hit the market for $4.99 million. The massive Long Island property, known as the Lindenmere Estate, at 16 Sedgemere Road features 14 bedrooms, 17-and-a-half baths, a glass-enclosed Pagoda pool house, and incredible views of the Moriches Bay. According to the New York Post, after a brokerage switch, the listing’s price dropped from $5.99 million last year.
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August 1, 2017

Clive Davis chops the price of his ritzy Midtown duplex to $6.996M

Back in 2015, five-time Grammy Award-winning producer and Sony Music Entertainment's chief creative officer Clive Davis bought two units at 465 Park Avenue for $3.4 million, combining them to create a contemporary, art-filled duplex for an unknown family member. However, just a year later, "things changed" for this relative, and he listed the pad for $7.8 million. Despite the super-swanky design and ritzy decor, he's had a hard time unloading the home, and Mansion Global now reports that he's chopped the price by 10 percent to $6,995,000.
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July 31, 2017

Mr. Big (a.k.a. actor Chris Noth) snags little Upper East Side co-op for $1.8M

While he is known for playing hot shot New Yorker Mr. Big on "Sex and the City," actor Chris Noth has called New York City his home in real life since the 1970s. And since 1994, Noth has owned his apartment at 45 East 9th Street, the same building where Candace Bushnell lived, the writer behind the newspaper column and book that inspired the popular TV show. Recently, "The Good Wife" actor purchased a co-op at 139 East 66th Street on the Upper East Side for $1.85 million, reported LL NYC. The pre-war pad boasts just two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a bit on the small side for Mr. Big.
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Donald Trump’s sketch of the Manhattan skyline sells for $29,184 at auction

Donald Trump’s 2005 Manhattan skyline sketch with Trump Tower in the center. (Nate D. Sanders Auctions)

July 28, 2017

Donald Trump’s sketch of the Manhattan skyline sells for $29,184 at auction

By Michelle Cohen

Update 7/28/17: Artnet reports that Trump's doodle has sold at auction for $29,184. “It’s a piece of art from a U.S. President, so it’s attracted interest from not just Trump followers, but also presidential memorabilia collectors,” Michael Kirk of Nate D. Sanders auctioneers told the art site. “It’s received a lot of global press, so the interest level has been high. The piece has received some five times more than our normal auction traffic." A charity auction sketch made by future president Donald Trump in 2005 will be headed for the auction block once again, according to the Washington Post. The drawing shows the artist's rendition of the Manhattan skyline with Trump Tower anchoring the center spot in a crowd of anonymous buildings.
What's the starting bid?

July 27, 2017

Live in the French Country-style home where Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe married for $1.7M

Although the marriage between Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe didn’t last long, the home where the two held their 1956 wedding certainly stood the test of time. The charming French Country-style home at 122 East Ridge Road in Waccabuc, New York has hit the market for $1.675 million (h/t LLYNC). Sitting on over four acres of land, the home features four bedrooms and five bathrooms. The sprawling pad features a pool and pool house, as well as scenic views of Lake Waccabuc. Last year, the Miller and Monroe's former NYC pad just off Sutton Place at 444 East 57th Street, hit the market at an asking price of $6.75 million.
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July 26, 2017

‘Hercules’ actor Kevin Sorbo chops the price of his giant Hamptons estate to $6.5M