As the story goes, publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst and his longtime paramour Marion Davies initially met in the early 1900s when he saw the striking young blonde performing as part of the chorus line in the Ziegfeld Follies. Though he was more than twice her age and married at the time, they began a 34-year relationship that lasted until his death in 1951.
Wielding his influence and substantial wealth, Hearst not only helped Davies become a popular actress known for her comedic wit, but he also scooped up a luxe New York City apartment hotel where he commissioned a swanky 11-room residence for her that he called “nothing less than a palace fit for a movie queen.” Now that Park Avenue pad has just popped up on the market for the first time in the 21st century at $26 million, with Michael Kotler of Douglas Elliman holding the listing.
A handsome bookshelf-lined library/office with a view sits off the 45-foot-long great room.
Eytan Stern Weber/Evan Joseph Studios
RELATED: Liam Neeson Puts a $10.8 Million Price on His Park-View Manhattan Pied-à-Terre
Sited within the 42-story Ritz Tower residential co-op built in the mid-1920s by newspaper editor/real estate investor Arthur Brisbane and designed by noted architect Emery Roth, the 19th and 20th floor unit has four bedrooms and a matching number of baths in two levels of opulent living space outfitted with pegged oak floors, stained-glass windows, doors from an ancient monastery, and a wraparound terrace offering picturesque views of the Manhattan skyline and Central Park.
A private elevator opens into a white marble entry foyer, which leads to a voluminous 45-foot-long great room boasting a hand-painted ceiling culled from a Venetian palace, as well as a Juliet balcony, a seating alcove warmed by a wood-burning fireplace, and access to the expansive terrace. A walnut-clad office/library on one side of the great room leads via a hallway to a powder room, a den/media room, and an en suite bedroom. A door on the other side connects to a formal dining room and a bright, white kitchen equipped with newer appliances and a breakfast nook, plus an adjoining laundry room.
The formal dining room features stained-glass windows and a tented ceiling treatment.
Eytan Stern Weber/Evan Joseph Studios
RELATED: Abraham Lincoln’s Granddaughter Lived in This N.Y.C. Townhouse. Now It Can Be Yours for $10.5 Million.
Upstairs, a gallery hallway overlooking the great room below leads to a private wing hosting a primary bedroom sporting a wall of closets, as well as a spacious tiled bath with a built-in soaking tub and a separate shower. Two additional bedrooms in an opposite wing include one with its own bath and another with a large walk-in closet, and there’s also a second full bath and a pear wood-paneled den/study holding court in between.
A whopping $20,381 monthly maintenance fee allows the new owner to take advantage of numerous hotel-like amenities that encompass a 24-hour doorman and concierge, housekeeping and room service, a conference room, and exercise facilities. An added bonus: Some of the furnishings are also included in the sale, including a century-old Agra carpet, Regency-era tables, and a 10-foot Vanderbilt clock.
Click here for more photos of the Manhattan residence.
Eytan Stern Weber/Evan Joseph Studios
Source: Luxury - robbreport.com
