Behind this $9.9M Chelsea townhouse, a secret path leads to a backyard carriage house

If you love the idea of an 1848 brick townhouse restored to its original glory, with a back garden, a roof terrace, and a pretty carriage house down a hidden “horse walk,” the middle of Manhattan might not be the first place you’d look. This three-unit townhouse at 331 West 20th Street, asking $9,900,000, is like having a private country estate right in the heart of Chelsea. The 25-foot-wide, five-story Greek Revival home is large enough to contain three large private units. A two-story rear carriage house is an unexpected surprise.

The 6,300-square-foot main townhouse is comprised of two four-bedroom duplexes and a finished garden-level flat. Up the stoop is the lower duplex, which begins on the parlor floor. The open, loft-like living room has ceilings of nearly 10 feet, a wood-burning fireplace, and tall townhouse windows overlooking the colorful Chelsea street. This downstairs duplex has retained many of its 19th-century architectural details, including floors of inlaid parquet and wide-plank pine, and decorative moldings.

A sophisticated, well-equipped kitchen joins the living room and dining room. Also on this level is a powder room, a washer/dryer, and lots of storage space. A back entrance leads to the property’s lovely paved garden and matching brick carriage house beyond.

On the third floor of this duplex are four bedrooms and two baths. The primary bedroom boasts a large dressing room and an en-suite bath.

Above is a second duplex apartment. This “upside down” unit puts the open living area on the topmost floor, with a wood-burning fireplace framed by original wide-plank floorboards.

Three skylights fill the open, loft-like space with light, and north-facing windows offer an open view of Hudson Yards to help you fully appreciate the prime New York City location. Another bonus: access to a private roof deck with amazing city views. The lower floor of the upper duplex offers four spacious bedrooms (one with a wood-burning fireplace), three bathrooms, and a laundry room.

Back down on the garden level, accessed via a separate entrance under the front stoop or from the lower duplex, you’ll find a convenient flat with a south-facing living/dining room and a wood-burning fireplace. Past the tidy kitchen is a large bedroom and a full bath. This unit also gets a washer/dryer and direct access to the patio and garden.

Just to the right of the home’s front stoop, a door leads to a garden pathway down a former horse walk to the carriage house. The two-story rear building is framed by a stylish navy blue center door and five windows, all overlooking the garden. On the first floor is a kitchenette and a full bath. Up a spiral staircase is a loft-like open space currently being used as an office.

The 1846 home stands on a tree-lined townhouse block in a historic district. You won’t forget you’re in a vibrant Manhattan neighborhood, with the High Line park, The Whitney, Chelsea Piers and dozens of galleries just steps away.

[Listing details: 331 West 20th Street at CityRealty]

[At Brown Harris Stevens by Jennifer H. Cooke and John Daniel Tamasi]

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