Celebrities

Yorkville's 10 Gracie Square is considered "one of New York City's most prestigious addresses" and "the most desirable residential building overlooking Carl Schurz Park," over the years attracting the likes of Alexander Woollcott, conductor Andre Kostelanetz, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Madame Chiang Kai-Shek. And now Barack and Michelle Obama may be added to that list, as "multiple sources" told the Post that the former President and First Lady were seen arriving at the Upper East Side building to view apartments. The co-op, located just down the block from the Mayor's residence Gracie Mansion, has plenty of perks that would likely attract the Obamas, including an indoor basketball court for the hoops-loving Prez, pet-friendly policy (we can't imagine they'd leave Bo behind), and a super-secure underground drive-in garage that would allow them to enter privately.
READ MORE

Celebrities

Donald Trump’s Empire State Building doodle expected to fetch $12,000 at auction

Sketch via Julien’s Auctions; Donald Trump via Wiki Commons

September 28, 2017

Donald Trump’s Empire State Building doodle expected to fetch $12,000 at auction

Update 10/20/17: Crain's reports that Trump’s doodle has sold at auction for $16,000. The buyer has not been named, but a portion of the sale will benefit Connecticut National Public Radio station WHDD-FM. He may not have had any formal political experience before taking office, but Donald Trump was certainly well versed in doodling. In July, a 2005 charity auction sketch he made of the NYC skyline, which not surprisingly depicts Trump Tower front and center among anonymous buildings, sold at auction for an incredible $29,184. And now, as reported by the Guardian, a similarly elementary sketch he did of the Empire State Building is also headed to auction, where it's expected to fetch up to $12,000, a portion of which will be donated to National Public Radio (NPR). Interestingly, Trump did the signed drawing in 1995, the year after he began his fraught attempt to take ownership of the landmark building.
Find out more

September 28, 2017

Star of Netflix’s ’13 Reasons Why’ sells cute Ocean Hill townhouse for $1.5M

The star of Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why” series, Tommy Dorfman, has sold his townhouse in Ocean Hill, a subsection of the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn, for $1.495 million. The 25-year-old Atlanta native first purchased the home in the beginning of 2016 for $1.3 million. As the Real Deal learned, the actor’s home at 720 Decatur Street hit the market earlier this month and found a buyer within just 20 days. Recently gut-renovated, the five-bedroom, two-family home features spacious a living and dining area, as well as a private landscaped garden.
See inside

Beyoncé sells swanky Midtown apartment for $10M

Photo of Beyoncé via Wikimedia

September 28, 2017

Beyoncé sells swanky Midtown apartment for $10M

It’s been a busy summer for superstar couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z. The twosome recently purchased an LA estate for $88 million in August and shortly after they bought a home on East Hampton’s Georgica Pond for nearly $26 million. Adding to their real estate hustle, Beyoncé just sold her apartment at 151 East 58th in Midtown East for $9.95 million, as the New York Post reported. The 44th-floor pad is located at One Beacon Court, the exclusive Manhattan skyscraper with a Pantheon-inspired elliptical court. Beyoncé’s former pad features three bedrooms, floor-to-ceiling windows and sweeping views of Central Park.
See inside

September 27, 2017

West Village townhouse of NYC fashion scene veteran hits the market for $13M

By Michelle Cohen

Asking $13 million, this single family Greek Revival home at 57 Bank Street embodies what West Village townhouse dreams are made of. As with most such examples of perfection, original historic details are combined with an eye for color and style, and there's a landscaped garden and three terraces. City records show that the townhouse is owned by Anne McNally, Vanity Fair contributor and ex-wife of restaurateur Brian McNally, so it's not surprising that the five-story home has been featured in the pages of House and Garden, British Vogue, and W.
Tour all five floors

September 27, 2017

No one wants to rent Ivanka Trump’s Park Avenue apartment

After months of being on the market, the Manhattan pad of President Donald Trump’s daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump just won’t rent, despite three substantial price chops. The first daughter first purchased the two-bedroom, two bathroom condo at 502 Park Avenue in 2004 for $1.5 million. Upon her father’s election, Ivanka listed the apartment at Trump Park Avenue in November for $15,000 per month. In February, the price dropped to $13,000 per month. On Tuesday, the asking price was $10,450 per month, a 30 percent price cut since the presidential election, according to Bloomberg.
See inside

Alec Baldwin drops $1.3M on third apartment in Greenwich Village’s Devonshire House

Devonshire House via CityRealty; Alec Baldwin via Gage Skidmore/Flickr

September 27, 2017

Alec Baldwin drops $1.3M on third apartment in Greenwich Village’s Devonshire House

It's like musical chairs for Alec Baldwin and his apartments at the Devonshire House. He bought the Greenwich Village building's penthouse for $11.7 million in October 2011; in June 2012, his wife Hilaria bought the unit next door in her name; and the following year, they scooped up an eighth-floor unit for $2.25 million. Two years ago, however, Baldwin sold this last apartment at a loss for $2.1 million, and this past May, he also unloaded the Eldorado apartment he shared in the '90s with ex-wife Kim Bassinger, both transactions leading many to believe the Emmy-winning Trump portrayer would be departing NYC. But Mansion Global now reports that he's bought another Devonshire unit for $1.3 million. It's on the same floor as his other two units, so it's likely that he'll combine the three into one massive spread.
READ MORE

Jon Bon Jovi scores Greenwich Village condo for $19M

Photo of Jon Bon Jovi courtesy of Wikimedia

September 25, 2017

Jon Bon Jovi scores Greenwich Village condo for $19M

New Jersey rock star Jon Bon Jovi has purchased an apartment in the Greenwich Lane, a condominium project in the West Village, for $18.94 million (h/t WSJ). The complex stretches almost a full city block between 12th and 11th Streets off Seventh Avenue and features 198 one- to five-bedroom homes. The musician's new pad at 155 West 11th Street includes four-bedrooms, incredible views of Downtown Manhattan and the Hudson River and direct elevator access. As 6sqft reported in July, Bon Jovi listed his spacious three-bedroom at 150 Charles Street for $17.25 million, later combining the pad with the neighboring duplex for $29.95 million for both.
See inside

Sarah Jessica Parker to lead NYC shoe-shopping tour for Airbnb

Bloomingdales via Wiki Commons; Sarah Jessica Parker via Wiki Commons

September 25, 2017

Sarah Jessica Parker to lead NYC shoe-shopping tour for Airbnb

If there are two things Sarah Jessica Parker loves they're New York City and shoes, and she's now teamed up with Airbnb (yes, you read that right) to share her combined passions with the general public. Last year, the home sharing company launched its Social Impact Experiences, nonprofit-led tours and excursions for which the proceeds go back to the host organization, and recently, they expanded the program in NYC to feature celebrity-hosted events. Parker's October 6th experience--Sole of the City with SJP--will have only four open spots, each for $400 (h/t NYP). Guests will join the actress at Bloomingdales, where they'll get a pair of shoes from her collection that's sold there, eat frozen yogurt at the department store's Forty Carrots, and then head to Lincoln Center for the New York City Ballet. SJP is an NYC Ballet board member and the proceeds will benefit the dance company.
More right here

Judge throws out Madonna’s lawsuit against Upper West Side co-op

Madonna’s real estate saga may finally be coming to an end after a Manhattan judge on Thursday threw out the lawsuit the pop star filed against her Upper West Side apartment building, known as Harperley Hall. The “Vogue” singer sued the co-op board of her building at 1 West 64th Street in April of 2016 after they attempted to enforce a rule that prohibited members of her family or staff to be in the home without Madonna physically present (h/t Page Six). The judge dismissed the star’s suit because she filed two years after the co-op created the rule, in April of 2014, missing the deadline to proceed with legal action.
Find out more

Celebrities

September 18, 2017

Former NBA player and coach Phil Jackson lists historic Osborne co-op for $5M

Shortly after taking over as president of the Knicks in 2014, NBA legend Phil Jackson rewarded himself with a gorgeous, historic apartment at The Osborne. But now that he's left the team (he and the Knicks "mutually parted ways" in June after a disagreement over player Carmelo Anthony's status) and lost his $12 million/year contract, he's decided to also part ways with the Billionaires' Row residence. Curbed reports that Jackson listed the three-bedroom apartment for $4,950,000, barely above the $4,895,000 that he bought it for.
Take a look

Trump is claiming a $45K tax break by calling Trump Tower his primary residence

Photo of Trump Tower courtesy of Krystal T’s Flickr

September 18, 2017

Trump is claiming a $45K tax break by calling Trump Tower his primary residence

While this week marks just the third time President Donald Trump has visited New York City since his January inauguration, property taxes he filed after the election designate Trump Tower as his primary residence. As the Real Deal reported, Trump will save $45,000 by calling his penthouse his main home, utilizing a tax credit known as the “coop condo abatement.” The credit can be used by owner-occupied co-ops and condos and takes off 28.1 percent of property taxes for the unit. Because of the tax abatement, the president has saved a little under $200,000 on his taxes over the last five years.
More this way

Refugees are renting out Trump’s childhood home during this week’s UN General Assembly

Photo courtesy of Laffey Fine Homes from a previous listing

September 18, 2017

Refugees are renting out Trump’s childhood home during this week’s UN General Assembly

With President Donald Trump back in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly this week, a group of refugees is staying at the president’s childhood home, renting the Queens property through Airbnb. The Jamacia Estates home at 85-15 Wareham Place is being rented by Oxfam, an anti-poverty organization, to bring attention to the refugee crisis (h/t NY Post). The group invited four refugees to talk with journalists at the rental, highlighting their concern with Trump’s travel ban on people from six Muslim-majority countries and all refugees that was introduced in January. After facing multiple legal challenges, the Supreme Court allowed the refugee policy to remain temporarily, but justices will hear arguments about the travel ban on Oct. 10.
Find out more

September 18, 2017

‘Late Night’ host Seth Meyers lists one of his Village apartments for $4.5M

Seth Meyers seems to be taking a "closer look" at his West Village real estate holdings, as Mansion Global reports that that the "Late Night" host has listed a condo that he owns with his wife Alexi at 302 West 12th Street for $4.5 million. They bought the unit, a lovely little two-bedroom spread, for $3.5 million in 2013, but last summer they dropped $7.5 million on a much larger, five-bedroom co-op at 32 Washington Square West, which, interestingly, was previously owned by actress Mary Louise Parker.
READ MORE

September 18, 2017

‘American Horror Story’ actor Denis O’Hare lists Fort Greene carriage house condo for $1.6M

By Michelle Cohen

Actor Denis O'Hare might be known for taking roles in creepy shows like "American Horror Story" and "True Blood," but his Fort Greene home is anything but. He bought the unique duplex at 159 Carlton Avenue, a landmarked 2,015-square-foot carriage house that was once the Feuchtwanger Stable, for just $175,000 in 1998 when he was still acting on Broadway (h/t WSJ). Over the past 19 years, his husband, interior designer Hugo Redwood, completely renovated the condo, preserving its amazing arched windows that once allowed horses and carriages to enter but creating a more open, loft-like space. And it's now on the market for $1,595,000.
Check out the layout

OTD in 1954, Marilyn Monroe’s dress famously flew up above a random NYC subway grate

The iconic shot of Marilyn Monroe via Wikimedia; subway via Steven Pisano/flickr cc

September 15, 2017

OTD in 1954, Marilyn Monroe’s dress famously flew up above a random NYC subway grate

Sixty-three years ago today, one of the most iconic moments in cinematic history happened on the corner of Lexington Avenue and 52nd Street, above a gritty subway grate. On September 15, 1954, Marilyn Monroe’s white halter dress blew up over her hips while filming "The Seven Year Itch." The shot was taken after midnight, with thousands of fans looking at the Hollywood starlet standing on the grate, with the uptown 6 train running underneath. While the scene appears effortless, it took roughly three hours to film and 14 takes to get it just right. Despite the multiple takes, the scene was later re-shot in California, with the original shots used just for ads.
More this way

September 14, 2017

Ben Affleck scopes out Mark Wahlberg’s former 15 Central Park West rental, now asking $39K/month

It's been over two years since newly single Ben Affleck started apartment hunting in NYC, and now that he has a new love interest, he's back at it. The Post reports that the actor and girlfriend Lindsay Shookus, a “Saturday Night Live” producer, checked out unit 26C in the Robert A.M. Stern-designed, celeb-filled 15 Central Park West. The three-bedroom unit, asking $39,000 a month, was rented by Mark Wahlberg in 2009 for $32,000 a month; Alex Rodriguez also bid on the unit last year, despite being banned from the building for allegedly hosting too many prostitutes while renting another apartment. Not known for any partying antics, Affleck will likely have better luck should he want to move forward with living in the city's most expensive condo.
See more of the apartment

Matt Damon may set record for Brooklyn’s priciest sale with $16.6M penthouse buy

The building via DDG; Matt Damon via Wiki Commons

September 13, 2017

Matt Damon may set record for Brooklyn’s priciest sale with $16.6M penthouse buy

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.
READ MORE

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.
See inside

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.
READ MORE

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.”
See inside

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.
Take a look around

August 30, 2017

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