Celebrities

April 5, 2016

UES Firehouse Studio That Andy Warhol Rented for $150/Month Is Now Listed for $10M

In 1959, just before his career was about to take off, Andy Warhol bought a townhouse at 1342 Lexington Avenue near 89th Street and moved in with his mother. "But after three years there, canvases had begun to fill the ground floor apartment, while Brillo boxes and Campbell’s soup cans were stacked to the ceilings," reports Blouin Art Info. So when a friend tipped him off to a vacant firehouse nearby at 159 East 87th Street, the pop artist saw an opportunity for his first official studio. He wrote a letter to the city and began paying $150/month for the two-story building with no heat or running water (h/t DNAinfo). It's here that Warhol is said to have created his famous "Death and Disaster" series from 1962-63, and now, more than five decades later, the property is on the market for $9,975,000.
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April 4, 2016

Madonna Sues Upper West Side Co-Op Board Because Rules Don’t Apply to Her

Feeling above the law seems to be a new trend for Madonna. Just last week the lately-unpredictable superstar got ousted for posting fake "no parking" signs outside her Upper East Side mansion, and now the Daily News reports she's suing the board of her Upper West co-op "for changing the building rules on her and barring her children, guests and employees from using her apartment unless she is present." Madonna bought the apartment at 1 West 64th Street for $7.3 million in 2008, at which time she says the co-op rules didn't have such a stipulation. So she wants a court order saying the rule doesn't apply to her and her posse.
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March 31, 2016

Rent Governor Cuomo’s Former Douglaston Manor for $6,000/Month

Last year, Governor Cuomo's former mansion in the suburban waterfront enclave of Douglaston, Queens hit the market looking like something straight out of the Great Gatsby. Cuomo lived in the sprawling home with his ex wife Kerry Kennedy, but sold it in 1993, when he joined the Clinton administration. It's a six-bedroom, Mediterranean-style manor that was constructed in the 1920s and was asking $2.7 million. In January, the home sold for a cool $2.4 million. And the new buyers have listed it for rent, asking $6,000 a month. In Manhattan, $6,000 a month could definitely get you a nice apartment, but it couldn't get you a mansion and outdoor space this impressive. It's enough to lure a person way out to Douglaston.
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March 28, 2016

Actor Chris Lowell Sells Double-Height Greenwich Village Loft for $1M

Former "Veronica Mars" actor Chris Lowell listed his Greenwich Village loft for $1.195 million back in November, just three months before buying another loft, this time in Soho, with girlfriend and fellow actor Kerry Bishé (from the AMC drama “Halt and Catch Fire” and the film “Argo”). The cute couple's new home, a triplex with outdoor space and tons of exposed brick, cost almost double at $2.25 million, which is why it's perfect timing that Lowell unloaded his bachelor pad. The Observer reports that he got $1,050,000 for the co-op at 67 East 11th Street, which boats 16-foot ceilings, double-height windows, and cast iron columns.
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March 25, 2016

Actor Stephen Dorff Lists Chelsea Penthouse Loft With Party-Ready Roof Deck for $3M

The Chelsea loft penthouse at 251 West 19th Street belonging to actor Stephen Dorff just hit the market for $3 million, reports the Wall Street Journal. The apartment's best feature is undoubtedly its 850-square-foot private roof terrace with a wet bar/kitchen, outdoor shower and Empire State Building views. Dorff was a teen heartthrob in the '90s–known for the boxing film, "The Power of One" (1992), and the 1998 superhero film “Blade”–and an indie It Boy of sorts in the following decade, appearing in cult films like John Waters' "Cecil B. Demented" and slacker/grunge time capsule "S.F.W.." A stream of typical "evil guy" roles followed until 2010, when he starred in the Sofia Coppola film "Somewhere," which, perhaps ironically, is the tale of a disaffected hotel-dwelling actor. But Dorff has definitely worked hard if nothing else. And he may finally be seeing the benefits: WSJ quotes the actor in a 2013 interview as describing his less-than-savvy spending habits during the early days of his career: "After movies, I would rent these really expensive houses, and then I would run out of money and have to do another movie. I didn't like that feeling of having to take something I didn't want," he says. "Now I'm into buying—forget this renting stuff."
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March 24, 2016

Madonna Caught Posting Fake ‘No Parking’ Signs Outside UES Mansion

Madonna seems to really be going off the rails lately, with multiple reports of wild performance antics and showing up late to concerts. But her questionable behavior isn't just reserved for the stage, as TMZ is reporting that she "concocted a scheme to snag precious parking spots in front of her super expensive NYC apartment, and the authorities came down on them like a brick." Reports say that her people put "Tenant Parking Only" signs along the block, as well as painted the curb yellow and embossed it to say "NO PARKING," despite the fact that these are all public parking spots.
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March 24, 2016

‘Scarface’ Director Brian De Palma Buys Second Co-op in Fifth Avenue Building for $1.8M

Filmmaker Brian De Palma just bought a second unit at 1 Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village according to city records. The famous director of "Scarface" and "Carrie" already owns an apartment on the 23rd floor of the Gold Coast building, where's he's lived since at least 1989, but his latest acquisition is a two-bedroom unit for which he paid $1,750,000.
Find out more about the building's celebrity residents
March 24, 2016

Rent Michael C. Hall’s Greenwich Lane Pad for $15K a Month

"Dexter" star Michael C. Hall (whom you might also love from "Six Feet Under" or David Bowie's "Lazarus") made celebrity real estate news just last week for the purchase of a $4.3 million two-bedroom apartment in the new Greenwich Lane complex at 160 West 12th Street. Now the New York Post reports that the apartment is available for rent for $15,000 a month. The actor, who successfully fought cancer at age 38, recently married longtime girlfriend Morgan Macgregor, an associate editor at the Los Angeles Review of Books. He also recently sold his Los Feliz home for $4.85 million, so while the couple may be warming up to New York City living, it makes sense to put the prime Village property to good use from day one.
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March 21, 2016

Yankee Legend Lou Gehrig’s New Rochelle Family Home Is for Sale for Just $300K

The New York Post reports that Yankee legend Lou Gehrig's former home is for sale. The 2,522-square-foot, four-bedroom New Rochelle house that Gehrig purchased for his parents in 1928–and in which he lived for five years afterward–just hit the market for a surprisingly low $399,999 (assessment rolls list the home's market value as $506,826). According to the Post, the price is so low because it's a short sale, i.e. the seller owes more on the property than the amount of expected profit. Also, the home is being sold “as is.”
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March 21, 2016

Light Installation Artist James Turrell Gets $2.2M for Classic Gramercy Co-op With Park Key

In November, 2014, 6sqft reported that light installation artist James Turrell had sold an apartment at 26 Gramercy Park South for $2.1 million. The famed conceptual artist is based in Flagstaff, Arizona, so the sale didn't come as much of a surprise. However, now it's come to light (no pun intended) that he and his wife Kung Lim-Lee Turrell own more real estate in the neighborhood. According to city records released today, Turrell has sold his personal apartment at 2 Gramercy Park West (an historic Italianate mansion known as the James Pinchot House that's been divided into seven units) for $2,225,000. The artist's former home is a full-floor residence that comes with a much-coveted key to the park, a private garden, and, not surprisingly, an enormous skylight.
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March 21, 2016

Soap Star Cameron Mathison Sells Turn-Key Harlem Brownstone for $3.3M

In September, 6sqft uncovered the listing for 136 West 130th Street, the brownstone owned by Emmy-nominated “All My Children” regular and current "Entertainment Tonight" correspondent Cameron Mathison and his wife, Vanessa. The couple bought the four-bedroom home for $1.2 million in 2004 after house hunting and falling in love with Harlem's "Sesame Street” vibe. It had already been through a substantial developer-led renovation, but Mathison finished up the job, creating an urban oasis that's a mix of classic charm and contemporary fixes. Though the Canadian actor told the Times in 2009 that he “envisioned being in this place forever,” the plans changed when the TV show moved studios to Los Angeles. That same year, the couple listed the four-story home for $2.7 million, followed by a price cut to $2.5 million in 2011. There were no takers, so they rented the property out for $6,900 a month, before re-listing it this past fall for $2.9 million. Despite moving back to NYC, Luxury Listings NYC reports that the soap opera heartthrob has now sold the residence for $3.3 million, pretty significantly over ask.
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March 18, 2016

The Notorious RBG: Exploring Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Brooklyn Roots

Though news this week has been focused on President Obama choosing Merrick Garland as the next Supreme Court justice, it's Ruth Bader Ginsburg who's been grabbing headlines for most of the recent past. And as Brownstoner recently pointed out, "the Notorious RBG, as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is known to her fans, shares a home borough with the original Notorious title holder — the late rapper Biggie Smalls, aka the Notorious B.I.G."
Learn all about RBG's Brooklyn roots
March 17, 2016

Richard Gere Picks Up $2.25M Old-World Condo With Keys to Gramercy Park

Last week, news hit that Richard Gere's former Noho apartment in the Silk Building had finally found a renter. It took eight months to get a tenant in to the sprawling live/work space, which was last listed at $20,000/month. Good thing the transaction went through, because the Post is now reporting that the actor turned activist picked up a $2.25 million Gramercy condo. The sale at 34 Gramercy Park East, which comes with a coveted key to the park, actually went through back in July, according to city records, but apparently Gere is extensively renovating the two-bedroom home and has only stopped by a few times since the summer. Sources say that he found out about the apartment through his friend Jimmy Fallon, who owns a whopping five units in the building.
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March 17, 2016

Aaron Dessner of Brooklyn Band The National Gets $2.3M for Ditmas Park Beauty

There's lots of big-name news happening in Ditmas Park this week. Just yesterday, 6sqft found out about Michelle Williams' plans to renovate her Colonial Revival mansion in the neighborhood, and now the Observer reports that Aaron Dessner of Brooklyn-based band The National has sold his beautiful, historic home for $2.35 million. The sale will affect the whole Grammy-nominated band, since their studio space is located in the converted garage. As the Observer notes, "A three-story Victorian-style house isn’t exactly where we pictured an indie rock band recording their album," but nonetheless Dressner bought the 3,282-square-foot residence for $700,000 in 2003. He then renovated and restored it extensively, doing most of the work himself. He configured it as a two-family home and at one point rented out the top apartment to band co-founder Matt Berninger, who now lives in Prospect Heights.
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March 16, 2016

Michelle Williams Submits Plans to Renovate Historic Prospect Park South Mansion

When word got around this past June that Michelle Williams had bought a $2.5 million Colonial Revival mansion in Prospect Park South, 6sqft noted that the grand home was in need of some TLC. So, not surprisingly, the Brooklyn-loving actress submitted a proposal to the Landmarks Preservation Commission yesterday, reports Brownstoner. Williams enlisted Matiz Architecture & Design (who have worked on numerous historic projects across the city) to draw up the plans for 1440 Albemarle Road, which include restoring the original clapboard siding, replacing a door with a stained glass window, fencing in the rear yard, and transforming the small back porch with four columns into a porch twice the size with three columns.
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March 14, 2016

Famed Fashion Photographer Steven Klein Snaps Up a $12.5M Condo at 150 Charles Street

The rich, famous and those who love photographing the rich and famous are quickly flocking to 150 Charles Street, creating a modern-day celeb hideout in the heart of the Village. According to city records just released, famed fashion photographer Steven Klein has just purchased an eight-room condo for $12.5 million (the home was originally listed for $14 million). Klein joins other high-profile names including supermodel Irina Shayk who scooped up an apartment at the same address for $6 million just last month, and rocker Jon Bon Jovi, who paid $12.88 million for a 10-room spread in September. Fun side fact: In addition to shooting ads for the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton and Balenciaga, as well as editorials for Vogue and W magazines, Klein has also photographed new neighbor Bon Jovi!
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March 14, 2016

Actor Michael C. Hall Buys $4.3M Apartment in Greenwich Lane Complex

“Dexter” and “Six Feet Under” co-star Michael C. Hall recently turned up in city records as the buyer of a two-bedroom apartment at 160 West 12th Street for $4.3 million, according to Luxury Listings. The 1,586-square-foot condominium in the Greenwich Lane complex has beamed ceilings, a chef’s kitchen, marble mosaic flooring in the bath, and a view of the pretty Greenwich Village street. Hall recently married longtime girlfriend Morgan Macgregor, an associate editor at the Los Angeles Review of Books, and he also recently sold his Los Feliz home for $4.85 million, so it seems the couple may be warming up to New York City living.
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March 11, 2016

Katie Couric Buys $12M Upper East Side Condo

News anchor darling Katie Couric and her husband of nearly two years, financier John Molner, have purchased a lavish Upper East Side condo for $12,168,087, according to city records released today. The five-bedroom, full-floor spread is located at 151 East 78th Street, a recently-completed building by Peter Pennoyer Architects that has only 14 residences spread across its 16 floors. Couric's new 3,966-square-foot digs are classically elegant, as the architect took a modern interpretation of the Rosario Candela-designed residences on Park and Fifth Avenues. The home begins in a private entry gallery and then opens to the entertaining and bedroom wings.
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March 11, 2016

Former Nets Star Deron Williams’ Tribeca Penthouse Priced to Move at $31M

Mavericks point guard Deron Williams slashed the ask on his trophy pad at 35 North Moore Street by 7.5 percent or $2.5 million from last July's original listing price of $33.5 million, reports The Real Deal. The listing broker for the 7,200 square-foot Merchants House condo says that Williams is "ready to move" on a sale opportunity since his move to the Dallas team. Williams has been renting out the apartment for the past six months.
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March 10, 2016

Joan Rivers’ Opulent Personal Effects Head for Christie’s Auction This Summer

When the beloved comedian Joan Rivers passed away in 2014, she left behind a lavish Upper East Side penthouse at 1 East 62nd Street packed with a collection of glittering designer gowns, gilded furnishings, jewelry and collected items that reflected a lifetime love of pretty things. Rivers herself once described the decor of the 5,100-square-foot triplex as “Louis XIV meets Fred and Ginger.” Her apartment sold last summer for its asking price of $28 million to 65-year-old Saudi prince Muhammad bin Fahd, who reportedly plans to do a complete gut renovation. So, this summer, the contents of her Manhattan home will come up for auction at Christie's, where 200 lots will be available in a live sale, and 80 lots will be included in an online auction from June 16-23.
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March 10, 2016

Conservative Queen Ann Coulter Buys $577K Upper East Side Co-op

Most residents of the Upper East Side are Hillary supporters, but that didn't stop outspoken conservative political commentator Ann Coulter from buying a co-op in the 'hood. According to city records released today, she bought the two-bedroom home at 12 East 87th Street for $577,000. Interestingly, the sale is significantly under its $1.8 million market value, but it does have a tenant in place who's paying $1,600 a month, and the cash-only listing states that it's for "investors only."
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March 9, 2016

Gwyneth Paltrow Lists Tribeca Penthouse With Fuzzy Nap Zones for $14M

The celeb-spotters at Curbed just discovered that actress, lifestyle guru and best-selling cookbook author Gwyneth Paltrow has just put the penthouse she owns with ex-hubby Chris Martin on the market for $14.25 million. The couple bought the 4,400-square-foot loft atop Tribeca's River Lofts in 2007 for $5.1 million and had architects du jour Roman and Williams design them a heavenly pied-a-terre.
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March 8, 2016

Norah Jones Gets Approval to Renovate ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ Carriage House

According to plans filed with the Department of Buildings, singer/musician/actress Norah Jones is planning to renovate the historic and charming Cobble Hill stable she purchased last fall. Back in September 6sqft reported that Ms. Jones was the buyer of the $6.25 million converted 1840s firehouse that had a cameo role in the Julia Roberts film "Eat, Pray, Love." Permit documentation shows that Ben Baxt of Baxt Ingui Architects has drawn up plans to convert the two-family home into a single-family dwelling and replace an existing rear addition (including the existing solarium) with a new back wall that features a full-height door and sliding glass door on the ground floor and two sets of French doors with Juliette balconies on the floor above. Plans also include six skylights and roof access, among other updates. Landmarks has also given the green light to the proposed rear-facade renovations (h/t Brownstoner).
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March 4, 2016

Roman Abramovich’s $80M UES Makeshift Mansion Gets Turned Down By the DOB

A little over a year ago, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich "secretly" purchased two sizable Upper East Side townhouse at 11 East 75th Street and 15 East 75th Street, for $29.7 million and $18.3 million respectively. It was quite obvious that the steel magnate had plans to create his very own makeshift mansion by snatching up the home in between, and this past summer he did just that, dropping $30 million on 13 East 75th Street, which brought the total to $78 million. But now Abramovich may have to alter his grand plans, since the Post reports that the Department of Buildings rejected his $6 million proposal to combine the Queen Anne-style townhouses. Prepared by architect Stephen Wang, the plan called for an 18,255-square-foot mansion with a six-foot front yard, 30-foot backyard, and pool in the cellar.
So, what's next?