Rent a triplex in the townhouse where Jack Kerouac wrote ‘On the Road’ for $12.5K a month
The loft-like, rustic-modern interiors in this renovated triplex could be straight out of a hip Brooklyn brownstone–except they can be found on a serene Seminary block amid the galleries and condos of prime West Chelsea. But the townhouse at 454 West 20th Street has some cool cred beyond its on-trend finishes: Original hipster Jack Kerouac reportedly composed his seminal novel “On the Road” in 1951 while in residence here.
The Guardian tells us that Kerouac typed out the Beat bible while chugging coffee at the red brick townhouse as the “Mad Men” era was dawning. “In interviews, Kerouac painted a jocular portrait of his time there–of writing during the day, his wife coming home to be entertained by what her husband had created at night.” The building has since been divided into separate condo units; the two-bedroom, two-bath upper triplex is for rent, fully furnished, asking $12,500 per month.
On the first level, a floor-through living room with double-height ceilings hides a separate office area, complete with Beat-era Eames Aluminum Group chair. On the next floor, a concrete-and-Corian-accented open kitchen is ready to host a gathering of modern-day hipsters with top-grade appliances from Miele, SubZero and Gaggenau. There are two wood-burning fireplaces and two terraces for entertaining all seasons of the year.
Above, a full-floor master suite offers an oversized soaking tub and separate shower and a spacious walk-in closet/dressing area. This top-floor paradise is wrapped in glass with double-height ceilings and skylights to bring in plenty of sunlight.
One of the unit’s two terraces has a sitting area, a gas grill and a retractable awning,
Additional creature comforts include Brazilian walnut and poured concrete floors with radiant heat, central air, a Crestron/iPad system, and Apple TV ready to go on your jumbo flatscreen. The triplex is available for a 12-24 month lease, though we can’t imagine you’d ever want to hit the road after staying here.
[Listing: 454 West 20th Street, Triplex by Bill Roche for Brown Harris Stevens]
[At CityRealty.com]
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Images courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens.
