Got a spare $7 million? Sondheim's home up for sale
UPDATE: Sondheim's Turtle Bay home finds a buyer... See below for more.
Sondheim fans curious about the interior of his home in New York's Turtle Bay area can now have a snoop around thanks to the listing on the website of estate agent Michael J Franco... Those with $7 million to play with could well find themselves the new owner of this beautiful five-storey, seven-bedroom, three-bathroom townhouse covering a whopping 5,690 sq ft. Interested parties can register their interests here!
Full listing:
246 East 49th Street is an opportunity for a discerning buyer to own the long-term residence of one of Broadway’s most celebrated composers and lyricists. This townhouse sits among the 20 historic homes that comprise Turtle Bay Gardens, the coveted enclave situated on 48th and 49th Streets between Second and Third Avenues. Created in 1920 from a collection of 1860’s townhouses, the homes share a private communal garden accessible only from one of these storied homes. Previous owners of these homes have included Katharine Hepburn, Garson Kanin, Robert Gottlieb and Maxwell Perkins, to name a few. Enter this 19-foot wide townhouse through a wrought-iron gated forecourt which leads to a wood-paneled foyer with a midnight-blue tiled barrel-vaulted ceiling. The foyer opens into the grand-scale living room, which stretches to 32 feet and provides the perfect setting for gracious living and lavish entertaining. The living room features chevron-patterned wood floors with mahogany inlay and back-lit built-ins. Beyond the living room is the formal dining room, a unique feature of the homes at the four corners of the Gardens. Floor-to-ceiling windows, period mouldings and French doors leading directly into the Garden grace this magnificent room. The renovated chef's kitchen, also on the first floor, features custom steel glass-fronted cabinetry, stainless steel counters and backsplash and a commercial-grade 8-burner range with vented hood. The music studio on the second floor features a music library, wood-burning fireplace and baby grand piano. A gorgeous solarium with a dramatic wood arch and stained-glass windows original to the house leads onto an expansive 30-foot terrace that overlooks the Gardens. Opposite the studio is an additional bedroom or office which also has custom-built cabinetry and wood-burning fireplace. A powder room completes the second floor. The third floor features two grandly-proportioned bedrooms, one with a wood-burning fireplace and en suite bath. A fully-renovated kitchen with Sub Zero fridge and Miele appliances sits between the two bedrooms. The primary suite encompasses the entire fourth floor with a grand-scale bedroom that boasts custom built-ins, wood-burning fireplace and en suite bath with a separate shower and deep soaking tub. A large-scale dressing room with windows overlooking 49th Street completes the primary suite. The fifth floor features a floor-through studio apartment with kitchenette and setback terrace that offers a spectacular view of the Gardens. The newly-renovated bath has floor-to-ceiling tiling and a large rain shower. The cellar is finished, dry and outfitted with laundry and abundant storage. It also houses the mechanicals for the residence. Additional features of this home include multi-zone central AC, solid wood floors – different on every level -- and restored historic details throughout. 246 East 49th Street is located in New York’s Turtle Bay Gardens Historic District, a neighborhood central to every part of Manhattan. The best options for cosmopolitan living include proximity to fine dining, excellent shopping, galleries and all modes of transportation, including Grand Central Terminal.
UPDATE (21 August): A buyer has reportedly been found the apartment, although has not been named. Sondheim bought the six-storey townhouse in 1960, from the proceeds of Gypsy, wrote Donna Olshan, President of Olshan Realty, who reported the news. "It was among 19 luxury Manhattan homes to go into contract last week," she revealed.
