Former UWS home of jazz legend Billie Holiday asks $14M
All photos courtesy of Evan Joseph Photography
The Upper West Side townhouse where legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday lived until her untimely death in 1959 is for sale. Located a block from Central Park at 26 West 87th Street, the historic Renaissance Revival-style brownstone measures over 6,300 square feet and has seven bedrooms and a rear garden. The home, which sold for $9,475,000 in 2017, is now on the market for $13,995,000 following a renovation by architect Amie Sachs, previously of Annabelle Selldorf Architects.
Holiday, also known as Lady Day, lived in apartment 1B at the 87th Street address. While living there, she released “Lady in Satin,” the last album released during her lifetime. Now a single-family home, the six-story townhouse has undergone an extensive renovation that maintained historical details.
Up the two landscaped landings of the L-shaped stoop and through fantastic mahogany doors, you’ll enter the home’s parlor level. With detailed paneling and herringbone oak floors, the foyer makes a statement that continues throughout the rest of this level.
Facing the street is a formal dining room, which boasts oversized windows, a dome ceiling, and enough space for a large dinner party. A marble-clad kitchen has been totally upgraded for convenient modern living, with a SubZero fridge, a six-top gas range, two dishwashers, and two sinks. A wet bar and a wine fridge only add to the kitchen’s stylishness.
Off the kitchen is a stately living room that features 12-foot carved plaster ceilings and a wooden fireplace mantel.
Currently, the third floor is set up as the primary suite, with roughly 1,100 square feet of space to relax. This space includes a fireplace, a dressing room, and an elegant marble bathroom with heated floors, a soaking tub, and a spa shower. An adjacent private library has a gas fireplace and large windows overlooking the treetops.
The additional, substantially-sized bedrooms are found on the fourth and fifth levels of the home, all with en-suite bathrooms and storage space. One of the bedrooms is presently designed as a bright home office.
Decked out with vibrant wallpaper designed by Lenny Kravitz and equipped with an open kitchen, the garden level is perfect for entertaining. Plus, there’s another bedroom with an en-suite bath, furnished with heated floors and a rain shower. This space also has direct access to the rear garden, which is set up with a dining and lounge area, barbecue, and even heat lamps to make the garden enjoyable year-round.
In the basement, find a temperature-controlled wine room, laundry room, extra storage, and a half bathroom. Upgrades to the historic property include new plumbing and electrical systems, an intercom, and recessed lighting.
[Listing details: 26 West 87th Street at CityRealty]
[At Douglas Elliman by Kelly Killoren Bensimon and Lynne Mazin]
RELATED:
- Billie Holiday’s last home on the Upper West Side sells for $9.5M
- Apartment in Miles Davis’ Old Upper West Side Townhouse Sells for $500K
- Historic Charlie Parker Townhouse in Alphabet City Hits the Market for $9M
All photos courtesy of Evan Joseph Photography
