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    A Dr. Seuss Collaborator’s Former N.Y.C. Townhouse Can Be Yours for $13.5 Million

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    Ever wish walls could talk? If the ones within this Upper East Side townhouse long owned by the late Phyllis Cerf Wagner could indeed speak, they most assuredly would have their share of fascinating tales to spin. Think stories of all the famous guests from Judy Garland to Frank Sinatra who visited the historic premises at some point during a 60-plus-year tenure that saw the Manhattan socialite, onetime movie actress, and collaborator with Dr. Seuss on a series of landmark children’s books outlive not just one but two prominent spouses.

    Records show Wagner purchased the Italianate-style property in 1941 with her first husband Bennett Cerf, co-founder of the Random House publishing company. After he died in 1971, she went on to wed former New York City mayor Robert Wagner Jr., who passed away in in 1991, and then remained in the home until her death in 2006 at age 90. The residence subsequently sold for $8.5 million to jewelry designer Suzanne Sheik, the mother of Barely Breathing singer Duncan Sheik, before going to the current unnamed owner in 2010 for $14 million.

    Now the towering 16-room spread between Lexington and Park avenues in the Lenox Hill neighborhood is being offered for $13.5 million, with the listing shared by James Weiss, Andrew Schwartz, and Ty Mabry of The Corcoran Group.

    Phyllis at work in the 1950s with her first husband Bennett Cerf, the co-founder of Random House.

    Graphic House/Archive Photos/Getty Images

    RELATED: Art Dealer Barbara Gladstone’s Elegant Manhattan Row House Lists for $12 Million

    Designed and built in the 1870s by architect Robert Sexton, the recently renovated brick structure clocks in at 20 feet wide with five bedrooms and seven baths in 7,200 square feet of art deco-inspired living space boasting high ceilings, several wood-burning fireplaces, and a hydraulic elevator to all five levels. A security system and air-conditioning have also been added to the mix.

    Upon entry, a marble-clad foyer flows to an eat-in kitchen flaunting a pricey La Cornue range. From there, a coffered-ceiling sitting and dining area opens to a private trellis-covered garden featuring a water wall, mature plantings, and custom lighting. The parlor level, meanwhile, hosts a reception lounge with a black-and-white-striped living room on one side and a library/dining room on the other.

    A fireside sitting and dining area flows out to a trellis-covered garden with a water wall.

    Lifestyle Production Group

    RELATED: Abraham Lincoln’s Granddaughter Lived in This N.Y.C. Townhouse. Now It Can Be Yours for $10.5 Million.

    The third level lends way to a bay-windowed primary suite outfitted with a morning bar and a pass-through wardrobe that connects to a bath sporting dual vanities, a large glass-encased shower, and a soaking tub alongside window coverings embellished with glass orbs. More bedrooms and a sky-lit den/office can be found on the top two floors, while a wine cellar and laundry room are situated down in the basement.

    When the townhouse was last sold, it came complete with artwork by Andy Warhol, Anish Kapoor, and Roy Lichtenstein; books signed by William Faulkner and Joan Didion; and an oil painting by Frank Sinatra. Those items are currently on display but are not, unfortunately, included in the sale this time around.

    Click here for more photos of the Upper East Side residence.

    Lifestyle Production Group

    Authors

    Wendy Bowman

    Wendy Bowman is a real estate writer at Robb Report. Before that, she was a freelancer for Modern Luxury and several other media outlets, where she primarily covered luxury properties for…

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      One of Ballet’s Greatest Dancers Is Selling His N.Y.C. Townhouse for $2.8 Million

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      Tucked away on a quiet street in Hamilton Heights, this early 1900s townhouse has long been home to a legendary pairing that effortlessly blends athleticism with artistry. Edward Villella, the trailblazing American ballet dancer who reshaped the role of men in ballet, shares the space with his wife, Linda Carbonetto Villella, a former Canadian figure skating champion. Now listed for $2.75 million with the Blumstein Team at Corcoran, this historic home is as compelling as the lives it sheltered. 

      Villella’s impressive dance career includes roles as a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, a muse to George Balanchine, and the star of iconic works like Prodigal Son and Rubies. He performed at JFK’s inauguration, earned the National Medal of Arts and Kennedy Center Honors, and later founded the Miami City Ballet, turning it into a powerhouse company. Meanwhile, Carbonetto made her mark on ice, winning the Canadian national figure skating championship in 1969 and competing in the 1968 Winter Olympics before transitioning to professional skating and later nurturing ballet talent at the Miami City Ballet School.  

      RELATED: This $3.2 Million Brooklyn Brownstone Honors Its Past While Embracing Modern Design

      The beautifully preserved townhouse blends early 20th-century charm with period details across five floors.

      Real Estate Production Network; The Blumstein Team at Corcoran

      The townhouse, originally designed as a two-family home but now a singular residence, spans roughly 3,800 square feet across five floors. Walking inside, you’re met with period details that anchor the home in its early 20th-century roots: antique doors, wrought iron railings, hardwood floors, and lofty ceilings create a warm, timeless atmosphere. It’s got three bedrooms and three full baths, with two wood-burning fireplaces for cozy evenings in.

      RELATED: ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Co-Host Julianne Hough Is Seeking $8 Million for Her L.A. Home

      The dining room features inlaid parquet and a wood-burning fireplace.

      Real Estate Production Network; The Blumstein Team at Corcoran

      The primary suite is a standout: a bay window bathes the room in natural light, while a dressing area and walk-in closet provide ample space. The bathroom leans into luxury with a spa-like vibe, complete with a steam shower and a jacuzzi tub wrapped in marble and copper finishes—a perfect place to unwind after a long day, whether rehearsing a pas de deux or trying on clothes at Bergdorf’s.

      The kitchen is bright and inviting, with a balcony that opens to the backyard and plenty of space for casual meals or entertaining. A finished basement adds even more versatility, featuring a wet bar, wine cellar, and direct access to the deep private garden—a rare gem in the city. Modern conveniences like central air conditioning, gas heating, and laundry hookups on multiple floors keep day-to-day life comfortable and effortless. 

      Click here to see more photos of the Hamilton Heights townhouse. 

      Real Estate Production Network; The Blumstein Team at Corcoran

      Authors

      Abby Montanez

      Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, entertainment, dining, travel to…

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      Amy Schumer Lists Her 200-Year-Old Brooklyn Townhouse for $14 Million

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      In early 2022 Amy Schumer hoisted her Manhattan penthouse on the market and picked up a renovated and restored 19th-century townhouse in Brooklyn. Fast forward almost three years, and the comedian and actress has decided to pull up stakes again and return to the Upper West Side, hoisting her Federal-style residence in historic Brooklyn Heights up for sale at $14 million. Adam Modlin of Modlin Group and Karen and Kyle Talbott of Corcoran Group hold the listing.

      Records show The Kinda Pregnant and I Feel Pretty star and her chef husband Chris Fischer acquired the early 1800s property in summer 2022 for nearly $12.3 million and then customized it to suit their personal tastes. 

      Notably featured as the Castorini family’s home in the 1987 Oscar-winning film Moonstruck starring Cher and Nicolas Cage, the brick and mansard-roof structure clocks in at 26 feet wide and has four (and potentially five) bedrooms and four baths spread across a little more than 5,500 square feet on a total of five levels donning a whopping total of 30 windows for an abundance of natural light.

      The fireside double parlor is divided by pilaster-framed pocketing doors.

      Evan Joseph Photography

      Standing out on the first floor is a kitchen outfitted with an exposed beam ceiling, wide-plank floors, vintage wood cabinetry, a marble-topped island, top-tier Gaggenau and Lacanche appliances, a butler’s pantry with a zinc bar sink, and a breakfast nook. An adjacent wood-paneled bedroom-turned-library connects to a mudroom, which opens to a Michael Van Valkenburgh-landscaped backyard that currently holds a turf-clad play area but could easily be repurposed as a private gated parking space.

      The main entrance on the second level leads to a duo of fireside parlors divided by large pocketing doors, plus a powder room and access to an iron-railed terrace with steps descending to the backyard. A grand primary suite occupying the entire third floor has a corner bedroom warmed by an original fireplace, as well as dressing and sitting rooms, an office, and a marble bath flaunting another fireplace, dual vanities, a vintage clawfoot soaking tub, and a floating glass-encased shower.

      The couple converted a former brick patio in the backyard into a turf-clad play area.

      Evan Joseph Photography

      Three more bedrooms that share a penny-tiled bath can be found on the top floor, along with a Miele washer and dryer. Rounding it all out in style is the basement, which hosts a custom wine cellar, an excavated gym, and full laundry facilities.

      Per The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the listing, the New York native has decided to sell because she and her husband want to be closer to their 5-year-old son’s school in Manhattan. “He got into a good school,” she said, “and we’re too lazy to commute 45 minutes to take our son to school every day.”

      Click here for more photos of the Brooklyn residence.

      Evan Joseph Photography

      Authors

      Wendy Bowman

      Wendy Bowman is a real estate writer at Robb Report. Before that, she was a freelancer for Modern Luxury and several other media outlets, where she primarily covered luxury properties for…

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      Baz Luhrmann Just Relisted His Dramatic N.Y.C. Townhouse for $16 Million

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      Baz Luhrmann’s New York City townhouse is back on the market, but you might not recognize it.  

      The Hollywood filmmaker and his wife, costume designer Catherine Martin, have treated the stately Manhattan residence to an epic makeover and relisted it for just under $16 million. The palatial pad was first listed for $20 million in March 2022, then returned to the market in September 2023 with a price tag of $18 million. (In between, an unnamed tenant rented the house for a whopping $75,000 a month.) The current asking price seems like a bargain, then.

      “Whether you are looking for a home to entertain like Gatsby, or a tranquil and private abode to unwind and relax, No. 243 provides a unique opportunity to acquire a rare and significant piece of New York City real estate,” the Corcoran Group writes. 

      A formal dining room is located on the garden level.

      Nina Poon for Corcoran

      The Luhrmann’s have actually been working on the Stuyvesant Park brownstone for quite some time. The couple originally bought the 8,500-square-foot property in 2017 for $13.5 million. Two years later, they gave the place a makeover so impressive (and so massive) that it earned a spot in Robb Report’s annual Best of the Best issue. The five-story home was recently transformed from top to bottom by New York-based Interior Marketing Group. The historic Anglo-Italianate abode features six bedrooms, five full bathrooms, two powder rooms, an ivy-clad backyard, and an elevator. Highlights include soaring 16-foot ceilings, arched doorways, original moldings, five fireplaces, and a grand floating staircase.

      The primary suite has a private terrace.

      Nina Poon for Corcoran

      On the main parlor level, full-length windows and a cast-iron Juliet balcony overlook the park. To the rear, the primary suite is equipped with an en suite, a huge walk-in closet, and a private terrace. Elsewhere, the 28-foot-wide townhouse sports a Clive Christian-designed kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances from Viking and Sub-Zero, marble countertops, and painted pine cabinets.

      Down below, the basement is configured as a media room where you can perhaps screen one of the Tony Award-winning director’s famous flicks. Speaking of which, the uppermost floor used to be occupied by renowned jazz tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan and later served as Luhrmann’s studio where he’s said to have penned the script for Elvis. The floor is now set up as a standalone one-bedroom, one-bathroom suite with a living room, a bar, and a gym. Talk about theatrical charm.

      Broker Steve Gold of the Corcoran Group holds the listing. 

      Click here to see more photos of Baz Luhrmann’s townhouse. 

      Nina Poon for Corcoran

       

      Authors

      Abby Montanez

      Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, entertainment, dining, travel to…

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      An Emmy-Winning TV Host Is Selling Her N.Y.C. Townhouse for $25 Million

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      Emmy Award-winning TV host and producer Yue-Sai Kan has been at the helm of hit shows including Looking East, and now she’s put her longtime New York City townhouse back up for sale. Kan, who’s earned the title “Oprah of China,” is also a bestselling author and beauty mogul.

      Located on the Upper East Side, the six-story spread is nestled within the affluent Sutton Place neighborhood—one of the most exclusive enclaves in all of Manhattan. The historic residence is asking just shy of $25 million, which is $5 million less than the pad was listed for last year. According to The Wall Street Journal, Kan originally bought the place back in 1989 for $4.5 million. The home was previously owned by Peter Sprague, the former co-owner of Aston Martin, and also by the late literary editor Jean Stein. 

      The rooftop terrace overlooks the East River.

      Allan Pollack

      Altogether, the 8,500-square-foot property measures 33 feet wide and comprises a whopping seven bedrooms and six full bathrooms. Over the last 35 years, the red brick abode has been through several renovations. The most recent update was completed in 2015 and resulted in a brand-new rooftop terrace with an outdoor kitchen, perfect for entertaining or taking in the views of the East River.  

      “When you walk in the house, you immediately feel comfortable energy. In Chinese it means very good feng shui,” Kan told The New York Post. “In numerology, six is the luckiest number. It’s the planet of Jupiter which is the planet of luck and abundance. This could be why it has been a good house for me. Since I lived in the house, my business just flew off the chart.” 

      A gold mural of a dragon is painted on the ceiling of the library.

      Allan Pollack

      Inside, the Neo-Georgian building is brimming with style and flooded with natural light thanks to an abundance of oversized windows. The foyer sports a carved teak door and marble mosaic floors, while a gold dragon mural embellishes the ceiling in the library. Other highlights include a formal sitting room and a mahogany-clad formal dining room that both open to a garden-level terrace, and a 32-foot-long grand salon with a fireplace on the third floor. Elsewhere, the spacious primary suite occupies the entire fifth floor and is decked out with a sitting area, a fitted dressing room (plus a walk-in closet), and a spa area complete with a sauna and a morning bar. A tiny elevator services all six floors, plus the basement.

      The best perk in a city where most people are starved for outdoor space, however, is that 6 Sutton Square is one of just 14 neighboring townhouses that have shared access to Jones Wood Garden, a 12,000-square-foot private park. “This is an amazing amenity that is not available anywhere else,” Sonia Bendt of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New York Properties told The Post. “The open vistas of the East River and bridge are magical.” 

      Click here to see all the photos of Yue-Sai Kan’s N.Y.C. townhouse.

      Allan Pollack

      Authors

      Abby Montanez

      Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, dining, travel and topics…

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      A Fashion Designer Seeks to Sew Up a $6 Million Deal for a 19th-Century Townhouse in Brooklyn

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      Darryl Kerrigan, more familiarly known to the sartorially inclined as Daryl K, helped to define the lower Manhattan fashion scene during much of the 1990s with her effortless, rock-and-roll-inspired looks and signature stretch leather leggings that she first hawked from a tiny shop on East Sixth Street and then, until 2012, from a larger Bond Street boutique. 

      Like droves of downtown hipsters in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Kerrigan and her partner Paul Leonard, both born and raised in Ireland, decamped their “unfancy East Village loft” and moved to Brooklyn, where records show Kerrigan acquired a 19th-century townhouse in the Boerum Hill neighborhood in 2000. The townhouse is now on the market for $6 million, down from the $6.5 million that was initially asked for. Terry Naini and Emila Sultan of Brown Harris Stevens hold the listing.

      The State Street townhouse is fronted by a classic raised-stoop entrance.

      Stefano Ukmar for Brown Harris Stevens

      The handsome brick townhouse, part of the State Street Houses National Register Historic District, dates to the late 1800s and stands four stories atop a full basement with an embellished metal cornice and a classic raised-stoop entrance. Easily used as a single-family home, the property is zoned as a two-family residence, with a garden-level apartment below a spacious three-bedroom and two-and-a-half-bath triplex. (The upper-level triplex was available for rent last year, first at $22,500 per month and then later at $18,500 per month.)

      The upper three floors feature tons of period details, including the original staircase, crown moldings, and wood floors, with parquet throughout the parlor floor and wide planks on the upper levels. There are six vintage marble mantels, two of which can be wood burning. The classic raised-stoop entrance leads to a lengthy foyer, a 25-foot-long living room, and an eat-in kitchen.

      There are three bedrooms, plus a small study with a bay window; the primary suite occupies the entire top floor and stretches more than 42 feet end to end with numerous closets and a vintage-style updated bathroom. 

      The eat-in kitchen features original parquet flooring and a view into the rear garden.

      Stefano Ukmar for Brown Harris Stevens

      The garden-level apartment can be accessed from within the triplex unit but can also operate as an independent two-bedroom and one-bath rental or guest apartment with a private outside entrance, an open-plan great room and kitchen, and French doors to a 40-foot-deep garden.

      Kerrigan moved to New York in the mid-1980s and soon began designing costumes for Jim Jarmusch’s films, including “My Cousin Vinny,” starring Marisa Tomei. Though she closed her boutique back in 2012, she has collaborated with mainstream brands like Urban Outfitters, Calvin Klein, and Madewell. She also continues to sell her own designs through her Daryl K website.

      Click here for more photos of 324 State Street.

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      Rex Tillerson Seeks $6.5 Million Deal for an Elegant Washington, D.C., Townhouse

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      When veteran oil and gas man Rex Tillerson went to Washington, D.C., to serve as the 69th U.S. secretary of state under former president Donald Trump, the cowboy boot-wearing Texan dropped $5.5 million on an 1920s-era townhouse in the prestigious Kalorama neighborhood.

      The former Exxon Mobile CEO’s tenure as secretary of state was tumultuous and short, barely more than a year, and in the years after his unceremonious dismissal in March of 2018 (he claims he found out he was fired by a tweet!), he and the former president traded insults in the media. But it’s only now, some six years later, that Tillerson and his wife Renda have put their stately four-floor D.C. home on the market. The $6.5 million price buys more than 5,700 square feet of traditional elegance with three (and potentially four) bedrooms and three bathrooms, plus three more powder rooms.

      The listing is held by Mark McFadden and Hunter McFadden at Compass.

      The 1920s residence stands four floors above the tree-lined street.

      Carlo Russo with HD Bros

      A few heads of state and untold numbers of West Wing movers and shakers no doubt passed under the front door’s carved stone pediment and made their way to the ground-floor library for a private tête a tête or perhaps took the whimsically muraled elevator to the parlor level, where a spacious fireside living room has three huge windows overlooking the street and the adjacent dining room is lit by a delicate Venetian glass chandelier. Elsewhere, the parlor floor includes an up-to-date kitchen with a pantry large enough to accommodate a desk and a family room.

      The Texas-sized primary suite sits on the third floor and includes several mirrored wardrobes, a couple of fitted walk-in closets, a separate dressing room, and a large, compartmentalized marble bathroom. A cozy study that features custom built-ins and paisley wall coverings completes the third floor, while two more bedrooms on the uppermost floor each have an ensuite bath.

      Back on the ground floor, along with an oversized laundry room and a dedicated office with built-in desk space, there’s an airy lounge that opens the courtyard-style back garden. A lower terrace alongside the detached two-car garage includes a built-in barbecue for summertime grilling and chilling.

      A cozy study wrapped in paisley wallpaper includes a floor-to-ceiling bank of custom built-ins.

      Carlo Russo with HD Bros

      Kalorama, aka the Beverly Hills of Washington, D.C., is cheek-to-jowl with foreign embassies and luxury homes owned by some of the most influential and powerful people in the country and the world, including Jeff Bezos, the Obamas, Fox News anchorman Chris Wallace, and one of Washington’s most beloved and famous hostesses, philanthropist Esther Coopersmith.

      The Tillersons have long made their primary home in Fort Worth, Texas, where records indicate they still own a 5,400-square-foot home bought in 2014 near the swanky River Crest Country Club. However, they substantially upsized in 2019 with the purchase of a 16,000-square-foot mansion that had been custom-built for Major League Baseball great Vernon Wells in the nearby suburban town of Westlake.

      Click here for more photos of Rex Tillerson’s home in Washington, D.C.

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      A London Townhouse Once Owned by the Manager of The Beatles Just Listed for $10.6 Million

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      Not only did Brian Epstein launch The Beatles into superstardom, he also offered up his home in London as a hideout for the Fab Four to escape their hordes of screaming fans. Fast forward to today, and the late manager’s Mayfair townhouse has hit the market for £8.75 million (or roughly $10.7 million).

      The Grade II-listed Georgian dwelling measures 3,800 square feet and features five bedrooms plus an adjoining mews house. The latter is connected to the main house through the basement and is where Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr used to hang. It’s also believed to be the place where they worked on their eighth studio album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

      Originally built in the 1750s, Epstein acquired the swank abode in the 1960s as his private residence. He later turned the townhouse into an early version of the Apple Corps headquarters before he died of an accidental overdose in 1967. Following Epstein’s passing, the residence was purchased by author and politician Norman St John-Stevas, Lord St John of Fawsley, a close advisor to Margaret Thatcher.

      The Beatles used to hide out and hang out in the home’s adjoining mews house.

      Wetherell

      “This Charles Street townhouse and mews was the Mayfair base of two famous showmen, firstly Beatles manager Brian Epstein, who allowed the Fab Four to use the mews as their bolthole, and later Norman St John-Stevas, one of British politics’ most colorful characters,” explains Peter Wetherell, founder and executive chairman of Wetherell, in a press statement. 

      The Charles Street townhouse dates to the 1750s.

      Wetherell

      The 18th-century pad spans six floors and was designed by master carpenter John Phillips. On the outside, you’ll find tons of period details like a slate roof, sash windows, and wrought-iron railings. Internally, the reception spaces are decked out with parquet flooring, fireplaces, plaster paneling, and gilded ceiling motifs. The various living and entertaining spaces include a drawing room, a home office, a modern kitchen, and a roof terrace. Fun fact: Lennon once tagged the kitchen tiles with graffiti, but they were later removed and sold at auction. 

      “It is extremely rare to find a Grade II listed townhouse in the heart of Mayfair that has not only retained so many wonderful traditional Georgian features but comes with its original mews house intact and several private outdoor spaces,” adds Wetherell. 

      Click here to see all the photos of Brian Epstein’s Charles Street townhouse. 

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