Strand Bookstore Owner Lists Elegant 1848 Gramercy Townhouse for $7.5M
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Strand Bookstore Owner Lists Elegant 1848 Gramercy Townhouse for $7.5M

May 20, 2016

If you’re a lover of timelessly elegant Manhattan living and you’re lucky enough to live in Gramercy, you probably love your home just that much more. And if your Gramercy spot is anything like this classically lovely townhouse at 236 East 19th Street, on the market for $7.5 million, we’d say that’s a bit like hitting the jackpot. Built in 1848, the four-story Anglo-Italianate home was owned by the Baer family from the 1860s until the current owner, Nancy Bass Wyden, co-owner of the famous Strand bookstore, purchased it for $4,700,000 in 2011. We’re guessing Mrs. Wyden—she co-owns the store with her father, Fred Bass, whose father, Ben, founded the Strand in 1927—may be selling the house to spend more time in Oregon with her husband, Senator Ron Wyden, who is that state’s senior U.S. senator.

The couple have several small children, and if the house looks this good we’d say it must be child-proof. There’s a luxurious wood-paneled library–fitting for the first family of one of the city’s most iconic bookstores–and though there’s plenty of play space and five bedrooms, the home’s intricate historic details have been restored beautifully with added finishes (like walls of glass and several private outdoor spaces) for modern-day livability.

236 East 19th Street

236 East 19th Street  Dining

236 East 19th Street  Deck Yard

Delicate ironwork, high ceilings, ornate molding and several decorative marble fireplaces highlight the home’s parlor living area which provides a full floor of entertaining space, framed by original arched entryways. Through stained glass French doors, the dining room opens onto a balcony overlooking the private backyard garden.

236 East 19th Street  Kitchen

236 East 19th Street  Breakfast Room

The garden level with its own separate entrance is a private entertaining and family space with a windowed kitchen, a study and, currently, a children’s playroom; this floor opens directly onto the aforementioned garden, of course.

236 East 19th Street  Library

236 East 19th Street  Bedroom 1

Up on the third floor, a suitably grand master suite offers another decorative black marble fireplace, four mirrored closets and a spacious master bathroom. An elegant library with enough built-in shelves to collect half a bookstore (though maybe not one the size of the Strand), another bedroom and a half bath are up here as well.

236 East 19th Street  Office

236 East 19th Street  Bedroom 2

The top floor has been configured as private family space with a bathroom, an office with a skylight and roof access; the south-facing bedroom has access to a private patio through a sliding door.

236 East 19th Street  Facade

Unique details–like a 100-year-old ailanthus tree in the backyard and a cherry tree in the front garden–are the result of this house having been a home for well over a century, which tends to works surprisingly well even for those looking to create their own dream home. And the neighborhood speaks for itself. Let Uma move uptown, who needs her when you’ve got pretty townhouses like this one (and Jimmy Fallon, Richard Gere and Jesse Tyler Ferguson).

[Listing: 236 East 19th Street by Emily Beare and David Beare for CORE]

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Images courtesy of CORE.

 

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All information furnished regarding property for sale, rental or financing is from sources deemed reliable, but no warranty or representation is made as to the accuracy thereof and same is submitted subject to errors, omissions, change of price, rental or other conditions, prior sale, lease or financing or withdrawal without notice. All dimensions are approximate. For exact dimensions, you must hire your own architect or engineer and for no listing shall the number of bedrooms listed be considered a legal conclusion.

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