FiDi Birkinstock penthouse on the rental market for $20K, international antiquities included
This 3,500-square-foot penthouse atop the Setai Wall Street at 40 Broad Street in the Financial District is a stunning home by NYC standards, but the condominium also includes a world tour’s worth of collected fixtures. The two-bedroom penthouse belongs to Alex Birkenstock–scion of the trendy-crunchy European sandal family–who bought the posh pad in 2011 for just under $6 million. An attempt was made in 2104 to sell the apartment for $13 million as 6sqft previously reported. But even after being eventually chopped to $9 million, the pad still doesn’t appear to have changed hands. Now it’s for rent for $19,995 a month, amazing spin-the-compass collections and all. For starters, there’s a 1,000-pound steel and brass safe bought from the Bank of France…
The fully-furnished apartment features a wall of windows that spans 50 feet, which means plenty of light along with those Statue of Liberty and World Trade Center vistas. Motorized blinds that spring into action at the touch of a button are one among many custom touches, courtesy of Steve Harivel, one of the designers behind the famous Soho House hotel.
As you enter the apartment from either of two entrances, you’ll be treading on reclaimed hardwood floors from the Portuguese embassy in Paris. The home’s open layout is divided by a pair of industrial glass doors on either side. One door separates the living room and the master suite; the other door divides a corner living and lounging area.
A huge living room has those views and is surrounded by a dizzying collection of international ephemera, antiques and antiquities including Napoleon III chairs, tufted mohair sofas, vintage French leather club chairs, haberdashery from a Boston shirt and tie store, industrial factory lights and tables, 1920s street lights from Brussels and more.
The kitchen is entered via stainless steel 1920s Art Deco doors salvaged from a Hawaiian theater. High-end appliances include a Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer and a Miele gas stove and dishwasher. Custom zinc and brass cabinetry has been given an aged patina. The kitchen ceiling is crafted of reclaimed factory tin. Readily accessible from this culinary powerhouse are a pair of floor-to-ceiling wine refrigerators and a custom 16-foot metal bar.
A custom-built sauna bathroom–designed to evoke the beauty of a 15th-century church in Palma, Italy–features reclaimed 1930s stone tiles from Belgium and a solid stone tub imported from Mexico.
The apartment’s lighting is no less epic, including a 1908 two-tier converted gas reflective chandelier and two 20th century Murano glass chandeliers hung from beamed ceilings that also yield a 50-inch integrated TV at the push of a button. Custom-commissioned furniture and European antiquities, of course, are in every room–and are yours to enjoy.
While the interiors, views and perks within this unique home may amaze, the full-service building is known for its gracious amenities (which we’ll assume are available to renters), like 44,000 square feet of hotel services including a roof deck, a fitness center, the Setai Club and Spa and dining at the Exchange Restaurant.
[Listing: 40 Broad Street #Ph5a by Daniel Hedaya and Khashy Eyn for Platinum Properties]
[At CityRealty.com]
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[Photos by Evan Joseph, courtesy of Platinum Properties.]
