Concert pianist Inon Barnatan looks to unload his Harlem loft for $2.25 million

When concert pianist Inon Barnatan was on the hunt for a Manhattan apartment, it had to satisfy one big requirement: enough space to hold a grand piano. He found this lofty condo at 140 West 124th Street, in Harlem, paying $1.182 million back in 2007, according to a profile in the Wall Street Journal. Located in a former warehouse built in 1906—that was allegedly used as a speakeasy during Prohibition—the two bedroom boasts historic barrel ceilings and a spacious living room fit for a piano.

Barnatan found this pad after about a year of searching—as he told the WSJ, “In New York it wasn’t so easy to find someplace where a 9-foot grand piano can fit and where I could play.” Here, an elevator opens directly into the foyer, which leads you to a great room with 13-foot, barreled terra cotta brick ceilings. The space is dramatically lined by 10 feet of north-facing, double-pane tilt and turn windows, and also decorated with a gas fireplace.

The great room includes an open kitchen that has lots of work space, marble countertops, a stainless steel Sub-Zero refrigerator, dishwasher and 48-bottle built-in wine refrigerator.

A formal dining room is located off the kitchen. Barnatan and his partner added bookshelves in here so it doubles as a library. The couple owns hundreds of books, ranging from history to music scores.

The master bedroom is also decorated by the brick walls and 13-foot barrel ceiling original to the warehouse. During Prohibition, a speakeasy was allegedly outfitted on the second floor, which is the very floor that holds this apartment.

The second bedroom has been outfitted as an office lined with more bookshelves, but a murphy bed makes it a second bedroom as needed.

The 21-story condo has two common roof decks that offer incredible views of Harlem: south towards Central Park, west to Columbia University, east to the Triborough Bridge and Queens, and north up to the Harlem River. The building is located around the corner from the 2/3 express subway stop at 125th Street, not the mention the Whole Foods supermarket slated to open this year.

[Listing: 140 West 124th Street, #2A by Emma Kerins for Halstead]

[At CityRealty]

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Photos courtesy of Halstead