New York provides a steady stream of celebrity real estate
sightings — from Matt Damon’s exhaustive apartment search on the Upper
West Side to Jay-Z and Ralph Lauren peeking at David Walentas’ $25
million ClockTower Building penthouse in Dumbo. Jessica Alba and Blake
Lively were also recently spotted checking out the Fairchild on Vestry
Street.
But celebrity sightings are just a prequel. This month, The Real Deal looks at where the stars are actually putting down roots.
Helped by celeb-heavy condos like Superior Ink and One Morton
Square, the far West Village is, unsurprisingly, holding strong. And
Tribeca and Soho remain popular destinations.
But also creeping onto the radar is far West Chelsea, whose new
condos are already benefiting from the buzz generated by the first
installment of the High Line.
One place you probably won’t find a celebrity purchaser, though, is a co-op.
Celebrity-stacked co-ops like the Dakota are a thing of the past,
said Aaron Shmulewitz, an attorney who represents high-end co-ops and
condos in Manhattan. Many celebrities “would not get into a co-op
nowadays, nor would they want to,” he said. “Celebrities like their
privacy. …They don’t want co-op boards going through their finances.”
Kelsey Grammer: 15 CPW
The ex-Dr. Frasier Crane is in town for his role in The Broadway
revival of “La Cage Aux Folles,” and he’s staying in a three-bedroom
apartment at the almost strictly A-list development during the show’s
run for reportedly just under $29,000 a month. Fellow residents include
Denzel Washington and Sting, who both own units there, and baseball
star Alex Rodriguez.
Darryl Strawberry: Ohm
The former Mets and Yankees slugger recently leased a
1,050-square-foot, two-bedroom unit at Douglaston Development’s new
34-story Building On 11th Avenue And 30th Street, which regularly hosts
bands and D.J.s in its lobby to cater to the party-going crowd.
Will Ferrell: 345 West 13th Street
Funnyman Ferrell closed in May on a $4.2 million loft at this far
West Village condo, which was never officially listed. The previous
owner paid $4.4 million for the 2,699-square-foot home in 2006.
Hilary Swank: Superior Ink
The “Million Dollar Baby” actress paid $3.5 million for a
two-bedroom condo at Related’s popular waterfront factory conversion,
designed by Robert A.M. Stern. Among her neighbors are Marc Jacobs, who
snapped up one of the development’s seven townhouses lining Bethune
Street for $10.4 million, and Kings of Leon crooner Anthony Caleb
Followill, who is renting a 1,246-square-foot, two-bedroom unit that
was listed for roughly $8,000 a month.
Oliver Stone and Julia Roberts: One Morton Square
Roberts reportedly paid $50,000 a month for two units — a
three-bedroom for her family and a two-bedroom for her nanny and staff
— at the West Street building while she was in town last summer
filming “Eat, Pray, Love.” And “Wall Street 2” filmmaker Oliver Stone
paid $1.9 million for a 1,600-square-foot spot in the celeb-friendly
building, where Daniel Radcliffe and Amy Poehler live, and where the
Olsen twins have, after five years of trying, found a buyer for their
$8.45 million penthouse.
Bobbi Brown: 1 Fifth Avenue
The makeup mogul, whose primary home is in Montclair, N.J., bought
a $1.9 million, two-bedroom unit overlooking Washington Square Park in
May with her husband, lawyer and real estate developer Steven Plofker.
The couple also owns properties in East Hampton and Telluride, Colo.
Billy Joel: 211 Elizabeth Street
In March, Joel paid $3.3 million for a spot in this 15-unit Nolita
condo with two bedrooms and 1,600 square feet. But could daughter Alexa
Ray be the one movin’ in? The Downtown girl moved out of her West
Village apartment in January. If so, she would be joined by “In
Treatment” actor Gabriel Byrne, who picked up a $3.36 million,
two-bedroom spread there in April.
Alexander Wang: 39 Worth Street
The young designer bought a one-bedroom, two-bathroom unit at this
landmarked Tribeca co-op for $2 million after selling his 175 East
Second Street loft last year for $750,000. The deal closed last month.
Daniel Craig: 53 Warren Street
The sixth James Bond and his longtime producer girlfriend, Satsuki
Mitchell, paid $1.78 million last month for the one-bedroom duplex
penthouse with three terraces in this Tribeca condo (the deed was filed
in Mitchell’s name). Craig was previously reported to be renting a
$38,000-per-month three-bedroom apartment at Midtown West’s Park
Imperial, a unit once inhabited by Nascar driver Jeff Gordon, who now
owns at 15 Central Park West.
Paul Giamatti: 187 Hicks Street
Earlier this year, the “Sideways” actor paid $1.3 million for a
1,400-square-foot, three-bedroom condo at this building in Brooklyn
Heights, one of the few outer-borough neighborhoods that brokers say
celebrities are checking out these days. Indeed, Icelandic singer Björk
and husband Matthew Barney shelled out $4 million last year for a
four-bedroom co-op at 160 Henry Street after putting their West Houston
Street one-bedroom on the market.