Art-filled Harlem home of a celebrity doorman and collector seeks $1.275M

By day, Ron Dominguez worked as a doorman at some of the Upper East Side’s finest addresses—including 1040 Fifth Avenue, the building Jackie Kennedy Onassis called home. At his home in Harlem, he focused on his passion: collecting pop-surrealist art. “I don’t know any other doorman that happens to be a psychotic art collector,” he told the Wall Street Journal in 2014. “I was hustling a full-time job in one [building] and part-time in two others to support my art habit.” After a long career, Dominguez is moving to Cuba—the country his family fled in 1971—and his two-bedroom apartment is now on the market for $1.275 million, art not included.

The residence at 2056 5th Avenue is located in a restored Beaux-Arts building from 1920, with red brick and limestone details on the exterior and modern renovations inside. The building was originally a meeting hall for the Finnish community in Harlem during the first half of the 20th Century and is right across the street from St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.

Dominguez’s collection is comprised primarily of “low-brow” pieces—many of which he commissioned himself, including the living room’s centerpiece, a large painting of a rhino by artist Martin Wittfooth. The art is tastefully arranged among mid-century furniture. At the time of his interview with the Journal, he was beginning to consider that his collection might be complete. “I think I’m done. In a good way…I don’t want this place looking like a salon,” he said.

The corner unit features high ceilings, over-sized windows with northern and eastern exposures, and a convenient plan. There’s a chef’s kitchen open to the living room, a master bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, and a smaller second bedroom that’s currently being used as a den. The unit comes with a dishwasher and a washer/dryer.

Amenities in the building include a virtual doorman, a fitness center, bike storage, and a common courtyard. The unit has the additional benefit of a tax abatement until 2025.

[Listing: 2056 5th Avenue, Unit 6B by Fabienne Lecole of Compass]

[At CityRealty]

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Listing images by Rise Media; courtesy of Compass