Katharine Hepburn’s longtime home in Turtle Bay Gardens asks $7.2M
![Katharine Hepburn’s longtime home in Turtle Bay Gardens asks $7.2M Katharine Hepburn’s longtime home in Turtle Bay Gardens asks $7.2M](https://thumbs.6sqft.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/03055937/S6ZXVD-244-East-49th-Street1.jpg?w=1560&format=webp)
Photo credit: DDreps for Sotheby’s International Realty
Set within the covetable enclave of Turtle Bay Gardens, the stately turn-of-the-19th-century townhouse at 244 East 49th Street has a historic cachet beyond its location and provenance. For many decades, the four-story, single-family property was the New York City home of actress Katharine Hepburn, whose elegant mirrored vanity still graces its primary bedroom suite. The 4,600-square-foot townhouse, asking $7,200,00, offers a mix of elegant interiors and architectural beauty in a private East Side enclave whose residents have included Bob Dylan, Stephen Sondheim, and E. B. White. The property includes a 1,000-square-foot rear garden for a true Manhattan oasis.
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The 19-foot-wide townhouse offers details like six fireplaces throughout, complementing interior spaces that have been painstakingly updated in recent years for 21st-century living. The home’s garden level begins with a gated forecourt. Open the door to a tiled foyer and the kitchen and dining room beyond.
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The classic eat-in kitchen has top-of-the-line appliances including a 48-inch Thermador six-burner vented range and double ovens, a SubZero refrigerator, and a Miele dishwasher, framed by bespoke millwork and stone worktops. A built-in banquette allows easy casual dining. A butler’s pantry with a wine fridge makes entertaining easy. The sun-filled dining room features a wood-burning fireplace.
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Step outside to the rear garden, where a two-level flagstone patio showcases a landscaped and irrigated garden with mature trees, flowering bushes, and a fountain. Through a wooden gate lies the lovely garden room–part of the “gardens” of Turtle Bay Gardens. This hidden private park is accessible only to residents of the enclave’s 20 homes.
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The home’s parlor floor is framed by 11-foot ceilings and beautifully restored hardwood floors. The formal living is enhanced by a marble fireplace and French doors that access a Juliet balcony. This level also offers a wet bar and an intimate library overlooking the gardens through floor-to-ceiling windows.
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The third floor is home to a diva-worthy primary bedroom suite, which can accommodate a glamorous sitting room or an additional bedroom. The bedroom boasts another wood-burning fireplace and overlooks the rear gardens. A renovated bath has a claw-foot soaking tub, step-in shower, and double sinks. Through the bath is a dressing room, which is where you’ll find Katharine Hepburn’s mirrored vanity.
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On the skylit fourth floor are two more large bedrooms. Each chamber has an ensuite bath and capacious walk-in closets; the rear bedroom has a fireplace.
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Every space is put to use: On the lowest level, you’ll find a wine cellar, laundry room, half bath, and lots of storage space. Modern enhancements include multi-zoned central air-conditioning and heating, as well as A/V and security systems.
[Listing details: 244 East 49th Street at CityRealty]
[At Sotheby’s International Realty-East Side Manhattan Brokerage by Lisa Larson and Angela Wu]
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