This $7.25M Sutton Place co-op was Greta Garbo’s home for 40 years

This elegant fifth-floor co-op at 450 East 52nd Street has a rare level of star cachet; Swedish-born Hollywood screen legend Greta Garbo called the pre-war apartment home for 40 years, from 1954 until her death in 1990. The three-bedroom Sutton Place co-op last changed hands in 2017, when it was purchased by John and Marjorie McGraw. John is the former chairman of the publishing house McGraw-Hill. The couple is a fan of Garbo, which may be the reason they purchased the apartment for $8.5 million–$2.5 million over its $5.95 million ask. The east side aerie is now back on the market for $7.25 million.

The McGraws renovated the kitchen and modernized the HVAC system, but did nothing to alter the Garbo-esque glamour of the sumptuous home. The walls of windows and East River and city views have a cinematic presence on their own, even without the Hollywood pedigree.

A private elevator lobby opens into a formal central gallery. A vast, wood-paneled living room includes a den area and a working gas fireplace. The space is framed by picture windows and majestic sunset, bridge, and river views. At one end, French doors open onto a balcony.

At the opposite end of the floor-through co-op is a renovated chef’s kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances including a Miele side-by-side refrigerator/freezer and a Thermador five-burner range. A custom center island and cabinetry provide plenty of workspace and storage. Adjacent is a formal dining room; a laundry and utility room help separates work from play.

The lush primary bedroom offers breathtaking river views. Walls–and the bed’s headboard–are done in Garbo’s favorite rose-hued Fortuny silk.

A second bedroom offers East River views and an en-suite bath. A large study with an en-suite bath can also be a third bedroom.

A compact home office with lots of built-in shelving is just off the center gallery, concealed behind pocket doors. For anything you can’t fit in this sprawling home, additional storage is available in the building’s basement.

Garbo is said to have loved the apartment high above the East River because the boats passing by reminded her of her native Stockholm. The Campanile is a legend in its own right: The 1927 residence in the heart of Beekman Place exudes Manhattan glamour.

[Listing details: 450 East 52nd Street, Apt 5FL at CityRealty]

[At Compass by Brian K. Lewis; at The Corcoran Group by Will Kerr and Woody Kerr]

RELATED: 

• Greta Garbo fans buy the actress’ longtime Sutton Place co-op for $2.5M over ask
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• After a colorful makeover and price chops, Judy Garland’s former Dakota co-op finds a $10M buyer
• Historic UES mansion with Michael Jackson and ‘Gossip Girl’ ties asks $39M

Photo credits: Rob Bregman/Flashframe Productions; DDreps