Townhouses

Big-time real estate developer and man about town Aby Rosen has put his extravagant Upper East Side townhouse at 16 East 78th Street on the market for $19,950,000, a good deal more than the $8.4 million he paid for it back in 2004. According to LL NYC, the listing comes just a week after his other nearby home at 5 East 80th Street, which he's rented for 15 years for nearly $23,500 a month, narrowly escaped the auction block. Rosen expressed interest in buying the property, which could be why he's decided to part ways with this residence. Listing photos show the art collector's impressive contemporary collection, as well as the full-full master suite, roof deck, and garden.
See it all right here

July 6, 2017

$2.5M Red Hook house has a Cali boho vibe–and an outdoor kitchen

Topanga Canyon retreat? Stinson Beach surf shack? If you guessed either you'd be wrong, but this fully-detached single-family home at 71 Dikeman Street in Red Hook, asking $2.5 million, definitely has a California bohemian vibe that's perfect for the laid-back waterfront neighborhood. In addition to a well-executed renovation, the two-story house has a 50-foot landscaped garden with an outdoor kitchen that's the picture of summer leisure living.
Tour this laid-back beach shack

Distinctive Homes

June 30, 2017

This Stuyvesant Heights brownstone with a perfect Brooklyn back yard asks $4,500/month

This compact brownstone rental in Bed-Stuy's pretty Stuyvesant Heights historic district of awaits summer festivities on a landscaped private back terrace. $4,500 a month gets you three bedrooms on two stories and a finished basement plus covetable private outdoor space in one of the borough's most buzzed-about neighborhoods.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Historic Gramercy townhouse from Bob Dylan album cover sells for $23M

Photo courtesy of Wally Gobetz on Flickr

June 29, 2017

Historic Gramercy townhouse from Bob Dylan album cover sells for $23M

An 1846 townhouse, once owned by former New York City mayor and publisher James Harper, has sold for $23.09 million in an off-market deal. The historic Greek Revival home located along Gramercy Park features sun-filled rooms, high ceilings, and elaborate crown molding, and it comes with a coveted key to the park. But the biggest bragging rights, as the New York Post learned, are that Bob Dylan sat on the stoop of the red-brick house for the cover of his album "Highway 61 Revisited."
See inside

June 27, 2017

Young Projects upended the traditional Brooklyn townhouse design for this Williamsburg renovation

You wouldn't guess it from first glance, but this property on the corner of Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg was originally a modest 1900s brick townhouse. Architecture and design firm Young Projects was tasked with modernizing and expanding the existing structure, for which they took a bold approach that they call "a radical break from Brooklyn’s traditional townhouse typology." The massive rear addition is clad in perforated, corrugated zinc, "subtly playing off the scale, proportion, fenestration and texture of the existing townhouse." The interior is just as dramatic, with a massive, curving staircase that wraps around a double height living room.
You have to take a look inside

June 25, 2017

$850K for this 1899 Victorian home in Ridgewood with a charming front porch

This historic frame home is looking picture perfect in Ridgewood, Queens. It's located at 62-46 61st Street, a block off the neighborhood's main drag of Metropolitan Avenue. The listing says you "step back into 1899 every evening in this beautiful two-story Victorian." We have to admit the property remains impressively intact, from the front porch to the ornate woodwork and pocket doors inside. After selling back in 2014 for $560,000, then getting some modern structural upgrades, it's now on the market for $850,000.
Go inside

Distinctive Homes

June 21, 2017

Brooklyn casual gets colorful in this $2.8M Carroll Gardens townhouse

Starting with a planted front garden of the sort that earned the classic Brooklyn neighborhood of Carroll Gardens its name, this four-bedroom row house at 439 Sackett Street has historic Brooklyn-casual nailed, with charm and warmth throughout–and a bright dose of country caravan whimsy in the kitchen. Built in 1880, this 20-foot-wide home, asking $2.795 million, boasts wide-plank knotty pine floors along with original details like dramatic archways, ceiling medallions, crown molding and ornate stone fireplace surrounds.
Backyard fun, this way

Distinctive Homes

June 20, 2017

For $2.4M, this sun-filled brick Greenpoint townhouse wraps modern comfort in historic charm

Greenpoint has quietly over the past decade become one of Brooklyn's most livable and lovable neighborhoods; its waterfront location, a diverse family-friendly vibe, proximity to McCarren Park and Williamsburg, and exciting new developments on the way are just a few of the reasons why. Townhouses here are rarer than lofts and condos, but they do pop up for lucky buyers, and this three-story home at 184 Calyer Street, asking $2.395 million, is a move-in ready example. The fully-renovated two-family house with a private garden is comprised of a spacious owners' duplex and a good-sized one-bedroom apartment with its own outdoor space.
Give the G line a try

Distinctive Homes

June 16, 2017

The Harlem townhouse where Harry Houdini lived is for sale, asking $4.6M

If anyone can convince a buyer to part with $4.6 million for a four-story townhouse in an historic and happening part of Harlem, it's a magician. This four-story 18th century townhouse at 278 West 113th Street, on the market for the first time since 1991, has certainly got one in the form of master escape artist Harry Houdini, illusionist, magician and one of the buzziest celebrities of the early 20th century. Houdini–born Erich Weiss, son of a rabbi from Budapest–and his wife, Bess, lived at the Harlem home for 22 years until his death in 1926 (h/t Curbed).
This house is no illusion

Hilary Swank’s picture-perfect former Village townhouse asks $12M

This historic classic brownstone at 33 Charles Street in the West Village, asking $11.995 million, is the very picture of townhouse charm in a neighborhood that's overflowing with charming brownstones. Adding to the home's cachet is the fact that Hilary Swank lived here with then-husband Chad Lowe from when she purchased it for $3.9 million in 2002 until 2006 when it was sold for $8.25 million (h/t New York Post). The home has been completely updated with central air and new windows throughout and every imaginable modern convenience, though much of its original woodwork has been retained.
See all the rooms of this gorgeous home

June 15, 2017

1920s Hudson Heights cliffside ‘Pumpkin House’ chops price to $4.25M

You may be familiar with the “Pumpkin House,” the extraordinary 1920s townhouse cantilevered across the cliffs at 16 Chittenden Avenue near Manhattan’s highest point in Hudson Heights. The name comes from the home's Jack-o'-lantern countenance, which bestows motorists along the George Washington Bridge with its anthropomorphic leer. Jack first hit the market last August for $5.25 million, the first time listed since 2011. But still without a buyer, the 17-foot-wide, six-bedroom brick home has a fancy new Sotheby's listing and a lower ask of $4.25 million.
Have a look inside

June 14, 2017

$3.95M buys you a four-story townhouse with condo amenities in Dumbo

So...a 2,700-square-foot four-story townhouse with a garden and a roof deck, in a cool Dumbo factory loft complex with condo perks like a gym and cold storage? It sounds like the best of all possible worlds to us. And while the $3.95 million price on this "resplendent mix of modern and industrial charm" at 37 Bridge street might be no small sum by any stretch, you're certainly getting the bonus of not having to choose between location, space, or convenience.
See how the place stacks up

Distinctive Homes

June 5, 2017

Restored Romanesque Revival townhouse asks $2.9M in Hamilton Heights

This Romanesque Revival townhouse was constructed at 103 Hamilton Place, in the historic Harlem neighborhood of Hamilton Heights, back in 1910. In more recent years it's been carefully restored and upgraded, with the goal to bring the home back to its original grandeur. Rooms still hold marble fireplaces as well as pine, mahogany and oak shutters, windows and doors. That's paired with a modern kitchen and bathrooms, although one still holds its original clawfoot tub.
This way for a look inside

Distinctive Homes

May 25, 2017

Beautifully preserved 1827 West Village Federal row house asks $13.9M

One of a pair of Federal-style row houses on the longest unbroken stretch of Federal/Greek Revival homes in New York City, 39 Charlton Street was built in 1827 to exacting standards by a builder-carpenter at a time when the area, now a tony enclave where the West Village meets Soho, was known as Richmond Hill. This 25-foot-wide home has been called one of the city's finest examples of Greek Revival/Federal houses. The house and its neighbor are regarded by the Landmarks Preservation Commission as “the two best (and best preserved) examples...whose exquisitely detailed entrances with original doors and leaded glass sidelights convey many of the style’s most distinctive qualities.” Both the interior and exterior of this unique home, now on the market for $13.85 million, have retained an extraordinary level of original detail.
Tour this historic home

May 19, 2017

$1.6M limestone rowhouse in Bay Ridge is filled with original details

We may not think first of Bay Ridge when we think of barrel-fronted attached limestone row houses lining sun-dappled city blocks. But they do exist, and this one at 456 74th Street asking $1.575 million is a fine example. This turn-of-the-century townhouse is filled with meticulously restored original details like 10-foot ceilings, oak parquet floors with detailed inlaid borders, pocket doors and fluted oak columns while offering a modern kitchen and bath, basement family room and plenty of play space indoors and out.
Tour this Bay Ridge limestone

Distinctive Homes

May 19, 2017

$3M Boerum Hill townhouse is ready for summer with a deck, backyard, and roof deck

With the weather heating up and summer around the corner, it's time to start drooling over private outdoor spaces up for sale. A deck, backyard and roof deck designed by a landscape architect adorn this Boerum Hill townhouse at 459 Pacific Street, now on the market for $2.996 million. The 19th-century townhouse was gut renovated into a modern owner's triplex, with a separate one-bedroom apartment with its own entrance under the stoop. An open floorplan, built-in shelving, and fancy appliances complete the interior.
Check it all out

Distinctive Homes

May 15, 2017

French-inspired townhouse asks $8.5M on Sutton Place

This $8.5 million townhouse at 19 Sutton Place boasts an interesting backstory dating to the 1920s. The home--like most others in the area--was built as an unassuming brownstone in the late 1800s. In 1920, the wealthy literary agent Elisabeth Marbury, with her partner Elsie de Wolfe, a well-known decorator, moved to the block and hired an architect to transform a nearby townhouse into a neo-Georgian townhouse. Millionaires followed suit, moving in and redesigning the homes of Sutton Place. At 19 Sutton, banker B. Stafford Mantz transformed the brownstone into a "provincial Louis XVI townhouse of grey and brown brick" according to Daytonian in Manhattan. And today, the interior boasts elegant spaces with high ceilings, five wood-burning fireplaces, and its own elevator.
Take a look around

May 14, 2017

$3M SHoP Architects-designed Red Hook townhouse is clad in zinc, concrete, and a hardwood screen

While we're used to seeing headline-stealing buildings from innovative design firm SHoP Architects–Barclays Center, the American Copper Buildings, and what will be Brooklyn's tallest tower, to name a modest few–we don't see SHoP-designed townhouses every day. This particular two-family home at 87 Dikeman Street in the heart of creative and laid-back Red Hook has at least four bedrooms and consists of an owners' triplex and a rental unit plus a garden and off-street parking. But it's the home's design that will likely attract the most attention, with an exterior comprised of zinc panels juxtaposed with polar white concrete planks and accented by a hardwood slat screen and full-height peerless windows. This 3,080-square-foot home, its innovative design–and design pedigree–can be yours for $3.15 million.
Tour this unique Brooklyn home

May 12, 2017

Extravagant limestone mansion asks a whooping $13.25M in Park Slope

This 1890s limestone and brick mansion at 45 Montgomery Place, in Park Slope was built--and renovated--to impress. It's also asking an impressive $13.25 million after last selling a few years back for $10.775 million. (The last asking price, in 2013, was set at $14 million.) An impeccable renovation covers all 7,500 square feet of the 30-foot-wide home; everything from a refurbished, classic Otis elevator to restored stained glass to a wine cellar awaits in this townhouse, which was featured in the April issue of the French publication Marie Claire Maison.
Now see it for yourself

Distinctive Homes

May 11, 2017

Ryan Seacrest is renting a posh Lenox Hill townhouse for $75K/month

Welcome to New York, Ryan Seacrest. The former American Idol emcee and now Kelly Ripa’s co-host on ABC’s morning show “Live,” moved to the city and recently landed luxurious new digs on the Upper East Side. Seacrest’s rental is at 34 East 68th Street in Lenox Hill and runs him $75,000 per month. The architects of the townhouse, Michael Chen Architects, rebuilt an entirely new structure inside of a 19th-century mansion, preserving its historic character while adding cool modern touches such as a 30-foot-tall vertical living garden, elevator, and sculptural staircase. As reported by the Daily Mail, the 11,000-square-foot home features 15 rooms with six bedrooms and five+-plus bathrooms.
See inside his new digs

Celebrities

May 10, 2017

This cute turn-key Greenwood home asks an ambitious $2.5M

It's houses like this renovated two-family brick townhouse at 213 29th Street in lovely Greenwood, Brooklyn, that make us stop and think about the current real estate market. The home is asking $2.5 million. Sure, it's a 2,379-square-foot townhouse–bigger than most apartments. And there are four bedrooms if you count the rental unit, though most of them are pretty small–and there's that rental income, of course. But though Greenwood is a solid choice for townhouse living, a 17-foot-wide, three-story house is a tough sell in any neighborhood–and a two-and-a-half million dollar property is a tough sell in this one. Also: The house has no cellar (less storage and other downsides). But it's awfully cute. And the crazy thing about home buyers is that it only takes one.
See more details

Distinctive Homes

May 9, 2017

You can rent this magical Clinton Hill townhouse with a renovation from loft heaven for a celestial $16K a month

There's no question about it, this Clinton Hill townhouse at 121 Saint James Place is a standout. The historic brownstone, offered for rent at $16,000, recently emerged from a complete renovation by Murdock Solon Architects, underscored by "an artist’s eye and architect’s mind" that incorporates industrial and rustic chic, open and casual loft style and the tall ceilings and endless rooms of a four-story 3,000 square-foot townhouse. Extra-magical additions include 22.5 feet high ceilings, double-height industrial framed windows and reclaimed wood throughout. The home offers four bedrooms, a home office, and a 1,500 square-foot landscaped backyard (which may or may not "make you feel you are in Narnia"). In addition to the stunning triplex, a one-bedroom garden apartment is included, great for guests.
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May 8, 2017

$2.75M Park Slope townhouse has a sky-lit glass extension and a wealth of options

Behind the classic red brick facade of this 1910-era townhouse at 79 Saint Marks Place at the enviable crossroads between Park Slope and Boerum Hill, modern and industrial styles meet the home's original townhouse charm in features like a dramatic glass-and steel-extension that opens to a landscaped patio. Currently configured with three apartments, the 3,000-square-foot home could easily be combined into one single-family house with room for everyone–or one or both of the well-renovated apartments could be used to generate a sizable rental income while retaining one or both of the lower floors.
Take the tour, consider the possibilities

Distinctive Homes

May 4, 2017

Mark Ruffalo sells charming Carroll Gardens townhouse at a loss