Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka list their five-story Harlem townhouse for $7.3M
All photos courtesy of Will Ellis / DDreps
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka are selling their five-story townhouse in Harlem for $7,325,000. The couple paid $4,000,000 in 2013 for the 19th-century home at 2036 Fifth Avenue, which was renovated by interior designer Trace Lehnhoff in collaboration with architecture firm Povero & Company. Designed for entertaining, the five-bedroom townhouse has a theater, music room, wine cellar, a rear garden, third-floor deck with an outdoor jacuzzi, and an irrigated rooftop.
Measuring 8,000 square feet and 20 feet wide, the townhouse was constructed in 1908. Formerly a bed-and-breakfast, a 14-month renovation reconfigured the rooms to make a single-family home, including expanding the kitchen, as the couple told Architectural Digest in a 2016 interview.
Many 19th-century details, like the molding and millwork, were preserved.
On the parlor floor, there are 12-foot ceilings, original dark-wood wainscoting, and a gas fireplace. There is a music room on one end and a vintage bar sourced from an old hotel and restored to have two built-in taps on the other. A butler’s pantry next to the bar makes serving guests a breeze. Double doors lead to a terraced garden, the first of four outdoor spaces at the home.
On the third floor, there is a massive living room and formal dining room overlooking Fifth Avenue. The chef’s kitchen, which can be closed off thanks to two enviable pocket doors, boasts custom cabinetry, a farmhouse sink, top-of-the-line appliances, and an oversized pantry. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors open onto the outdoor deck, which is equipped with a built-in grill.
The primary bedroom suite is found one level up, with lots of closet space, a gas fireplace, and a marble-adorned bathroom with a double vanity. Perhaps most lovely is the private deck with a Jacuzzi. On the other end of this room is currently a homey library/den that could easily be converted into another bedroom.
Three additional bedrooms, a laundry room, and Harris’ “hidden office” can be found on the top floor. According to Architectural Digest, the room is located behind a trick door that opens when the “eyeball of a magician on a vintage poster is pressed.”
“I come from a Scooby-Doo mentality, where there are secret doors and the eyes on pictures move,” Harris told the magazine.
An impressive roof deck sits atop the townhouse fully furnished with a wood pergola and irrigation system for the landscaping. There’s also a built-in gas grill and enough space for an eight-person dining table.
But wait, there’s more. The couple uses the garden level of the home as a production office and a 10-seat home theater. Below that, there’s a rec room, wine cellar, gym, and storage space.
Located between East 125th and East 126th Streets, the townhouse is near the 2,3 subway trains to the west and the 4,5,6 trains headed east. Marcus Garvey Park is just two blocks away.
[Listing details: 2036 5th Avenue at CityRealty]
[At Compass by Vickey Barron and Pacey Barron]
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All photos courtesy of Will Ellis / DDreps
