In Manhattan, even a small building can boast a fascinating history and many notable past residents. And indeed, currently for sale in the West Village is an unassuming townhouse with some extremely well-known past residents. The only original townhouse left on the east side of its Sullivan Street block, the nearly 200-year-old building sits directly across the street from the historic MacDougal-Sullivan Gardens townhouses, while the neighboring building was once the home of the Sullivan Street Playhouse, where “The Fantasticks” played for 42 years, making it the world’s longest-running musical. [Source: Dirt.com]
Originally built in 1835 by an associate of the Rothschild family, the 25-foot-wide townhouse is Greek Revival in style. Initially a single-family residence, it was once home to the notorious robber baron Jay Gould. One of the wealthiest men in 19th-century America, Gould made his money by speculating in railroads. He was also often considered to control the stock market, having once tried to illegally corner the market in gold. As first noted by the New York Post, in more recent times, beloved “Sopranos” actor James Gandolfini rented in the building, as did “The O.C.” actress Misha Baron.
The building was last sold in 2005 to Leah Poller, a world-renowned artist and sculptor who renovated and updated each of the building’s five apartments, along with a floor-through medical office on the garden level and a cellar. There’s the possibility of combining apartments to create larger spaces or returning the building to a single-family residence.
The parlor level, with the original curved staircase and 13.5-foot ceilings, contains a studio unit with floor-to-ceiling sash windows and the original shutters (it’s currently on the rental market at $5,250 per month) and a one-bedroom loft-style unit at the back with a designer kitchen, a mezzanine loft, and a large landscaped terrace. The parlor floor, the formal sitting room and library in Gould’s time, could be restored to a dramatic 77-foot-long expanse by combining the front and back units.
The second-floor unit, which Gandolfini leased and used as a study while he appeared on Broadway in 2009, features 11′ ceilings, two original decorative fireplaces, and a 625-square-foot private terrace; the third-floor one-bedroom has pleasant views over the gardens of the surrounding buildings; and the fourth-floor, flooded with light thanks to skylights, is configured with two bedrooms. Each apartment offers laundry, individually controlled air conditioning, high-end appliances, and marble kitchens and bathrooms.
Altogether, there’s a whopping 2,300 square feet of outdoor space between the various terraces and the flat roof, which could be developed and landscaped.
