Real Estate

There’s nothing funny about this sale.

Actor Jonah Hill is officially parting with his New York City condo, which recently hit the market for $11 million. Hill scooped up the apartment in 2015 for $9.16, so if sold for the asking price, he’ll make $1.83 million from the sale.
Located in the NoHo neighborhood in the prestigious Schumacher building at 36 Bleecker, Unit 5A boasts soaring, 12-foot barrel-vaulted ceilings with exposed brick. The unit has some of the highest ceilings in the buildings, and the barrel-vaulted style gives it plenty of character.

Dining area and living room 

Will Ellis from DDReps

The prewar building was constructed in 1920, and while many design elements are retained (like the ceilings), the unit has been redesigned to include contemporary features like 7.5-inch wide-plank, white-oak floors, blackened steel accents and custom lime washed walls perfected by an artisan.
The condo was initially built as a four-bedroom loft, but has since been converted to three bedrooms, resulting in extra spacious rooms. The primary bedroom feels like its own separate wing and has four large windows allowing in plenty of natural light. The en suite bathroom is also awash in natural light, as it has two large windows, and there are two Calacatta marble baths.

The primary bedroom 

Will Ellis from DDReps

The bedroom’s seating area can also be converted into another room or lounge space if desired. It looks over the building’s private courtyard garden, which features beautiful landscaping and perfect city views. The courtyard was designed by Ken Smith, known for creating the 17,000-square-foot private rooftop garden at MoMA that is off-limits to the general public.
The expansive 22-foot-by-34-foot great room is a rarity in New York, and it’s perfect for entertaining. The living area has four large windows and ample seating, and also featrues a custom-made projector and screen for theater-like entertainment. Just off the living room is a dining area and the chef’s kitchen with Calacatta marble countertops and a slab stone island with marble waterfall. The custom cabinetry, outfitted in a sleek dove gray hue, is stunning. 

The kitchen features a slab stone island with marble. 

Will Ellis from DDReps

There is also plenty of wall space for an avid art collector in the living areas, foyer and gallery. Keeping in mind today’s discerning buyer, a Crestron smart technology system has been installed within the home, making it easy to control lighting, shades and invisible speakers from a tablet or phone.

The Schumacher has just 20 units and was once a print atelier. The facade still reflects the Romanesque Revival architectural style in which it was originally built. 
Check out more photos of the property below:

The bright bathroom featuring a Calacatta marble tub. 

Will Ellis from DDReps

Secondary bedroom 

Will Ellis from DDReps

There is plenty of space to hang art on the walls. 

Will Ellis from DDReps

There is a custom projector for at-home movie nights. 

Will Ellis from DDReps More

Elvis was in the building. Well, a least on the top floor. It was here, in his fifth floor “creative studio”, that Oscar-winning writer and director Baz Luhrmann is said to have penned the script for his upcoming film Elvis, starring Tom Hanks.

It’s also Elvis who’s partly to blame for Luhrmann and his wife, four-time Oscar-winning set and costume designer Catherine Martin’s decision to put their beloved New York City townhouse on the market, with a $19.995 million asking price. Seems Covid travel restrictions in and out of the couple’s native Australia, where Elvis was filmed, have kept them away from NYC for the past couple of years, leaving the landmark property empty. Add to that, the couple’s two children are said to have reached college age, prompting the difficult decision to sell.

“Homes like this come along once in a lifetime,” Steve Gold, listing agent with the Corcoran Group tells Robb Report. “It is a true unicorn in terms of New York townhouses. Its proportions and grandeur are just exceptional.”

The exterior 

Nina Poon/MW Studio for The Corcoran Group

Luhrmann, who wrote and directed films like Moulin Rouge, The Great Gatsby and Romeo + Juliet, purchased this elegant Anglo-Italian brownstone back in 2017, paying a reported $13.5 million.
Built by a Brooklyn-based merchant in 1850, the home is unique in that its frontage spans 28 feet, making for exceptionally spacious rooms. Corcoran’s Gold says it’s a rarity among New York townhouses. The exterior design only adds to the grandeur, with its full-width second-floor Juliet balcony featuring a delicate, cast-iron railing, lovely arched windows and an imposing front entrance with arched stonework.

The living area 

Nina Poon/MW Studio for The Corcoran Group

Add to that the home’s tony location on East 17th Street overlooking Stuyvesant Square Park in Manhattan’s coveted Gramercy neighborhood, within strolling distance of bustling Union Square. “Stuyvesant Square is one of New York’s oldest parks, and the home faces it almost centerline. It’s also on the north side of the street so has a southern exposure. Almost all of the rooms are flooded with light,” says Gold.
After Luhrmann and Martin bought the home, the couple immediately jumped into a massive, top-to-bottom renovation, converting the former three-family home into a single residence. The complete makeover also reflected the couple’s passion for theatrical design. As featured in the pages of Elle Decor and Vogue Australia magazines, the multitude of rooms are decorated in rich colors and wild-patterned wall coverings, most designed by Martin.

The grand staircase (there’s also an elevator) 

Nina Poon/MW Studio for The Corcoran Group

Spread across those five levels are six bedrooms, five baths and a couple of powder rooms. The highlight here is the second floor’s stark-white parlor, with its soaring 16-foot-high ceilings, floating curved staircase and floor-to-ceiling doors leading out onto the balcony. Through a high-arched door is the adjoining music room where, at least on the listing photos, the couple’s Oscars are lined-up on a shelf.
The decoration for the striking green and ruby red family-room-cum-dining room is said to have been inspired by the green tiles surrounding the original fireplace. That boldly patterned emerald wallpaper is also one of Martin’s own designs. The set designer’s theatrical decorating skills are also on show in the home’s entry hallway, with its blood-red carpeting, black paintwork and wild geometric wall covering.

The kitchen 

Nina Poon/MW Studio for The Corcoran Group

On this level there’s also the oversized Clive Christian-designed kitchen with its professional-grade Viking and Sub-Zero appliances, white marble countertops and huge walk-in pantry.
Take the stairs, or elevator (itself a work of art), down to the cellar level to find a media room with an overstuffed red velvet sofa, plus a studio that could be converted to another bedroom. From there there’s access to the home’s coveted, roughly 1,500-square-foot garden.

The master bedroom 

Nina Poon/MW Studio for The Corcoran Group

Way up on the fifth floor is Luhrmann’s space, which currently features a living room, bar, gym, bedroom and bathroom. For a number of years, the floor was home to renowned jazz tenor saxophonist Sandy Johnson and his wife.
“This entire top floor would make a perfect self-contained primary suite, replacing the current one on the second floor. The owners did have plans to add stairs up to the roof and create a private roof deck. The views from up would be incredible,” adds Gold.
Check out more photos of the townhouse below:

Another view of the parlor 

Nina Poon/MW Studio for The Corcoran Group

Another living area 

Nina Poon/MW Studio for The Corcoran Group

A bathroom 

Nina Poon/MW Studio for The Corcoran Group

The piano room 

Nina Poon/MW Studio for The Corcoran Group More