A little more than two decades after Katharine Hepburn passed away at age 96, the Hollywood legend’s New York City townhouse has popped up for sale, asking $7.2 million. As first reported by Crain’s New York, Hepburn acquired the five-story spread in the historic Turtle Bay enclave of Manhattan way back in 1931 and lived there until she passed away in 2003; her estate then sold the place around a year later for almost $4 million to the Astoria Property Group, which is linked to a family from Mexico.
Frequently revered for her “often-imitated voice filled with the vowels of a well-bred New Englander,” Hepburn’s big break came in 1932 with a starring role opposite John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement. She went on to appear in 40-plus films throughout her lengthy career, with the Connecticut-born actress receiving four Oscars for her work in Morning Glory, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter, and On Golden Pond. At the time of her death, she also owned a home on Long Island Sound.
The formal living room has a trio of French doors leading out to a terrace.
Hayley Ellen Day/DD-reps for Sotheby’s International Realty
Originally built in the late 1890s and since restored and renovated, the structure clocks in at 19 feet wide and features four bedrooms and an equal number of baths spread across just over 4,500 square feet. Touted in marketing materials as the “epitome of New York glamour,” the first floor is highlighted by a stone-tiled entry foyer that flows to a gourmet kitchen outfitted with custom cabinetry, stone countertops, top-tier appliances, and a built-in breakfast table and banquette. A wine cooler-equipped butler’s pantry connects to the fireside dining room, which spills out to a 1,000-square-foot bi-level flagstone patio and a garden with access to a private park shared by residents of the 20 surrounding townhouses.
A mirrored vanity Hepburn had installed while she was living in the townhouse remains in the third-floor primary suite.
Hayley Ellen Day/DD-reps for Sotheby’s International Realty
Holding court on the second floor is a formal living room spotlighted by a marble fireplace and a trio of French doors leading out to a terrace, plus a wet bar and a cozy library/media room. Occupying the third level is a primary suite boasting a fireplace, a walk-in closet/dressing room, an updated bath with dual sinks, a clawfoot soaking tub, and a separate shower, as well as a mirrored vanity that Hepburn herself had installed. Another bedroom currently serves as a seating area and an office, with a wood staircase ascending to a top floor holding two more bedrooms with their own baths and walk-in closets.
Rounding out the listing, which is held by Lisa Larson of Sotheby’s International Realty, is a basement hosting a wine cellar, a half-bath, a laundry room, and storage space.
Click here for more photos of Katharine Hepburn’s former Manhattan townhouse.
Hayley Ellen Day/DD-reps for Sotheby’s International Realty
Source: Luxury - robbreport.com
