Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony was traded to the New York Knicks in 2011, but it has taken superstar NBA baller a pretty long time to really settle in for the long haul. Maybe time off for rehabbing his injured knee has given “Melo” the impetus he needed to dig down and ink an ownership deal.

After renting a series of luxury apartments the past four years with his wife, La La, and their young son, it looks as if the king of the Madison Square Garden hardwoods has made the big commitment with a purchase of a West Chelsea condo.

> See West Chelsea Apartments for Sale

According to the New York Post, “Melo” closed on an $11 million unit at 508 West 24th Street in a new building that puts a modern spin on the industrial flavor of the happening neighborhood that’s boom is being fueled by the High Line elevated park. Curbed identifies two units — 5N and 5S — that Anthony will allegedly combine; there are only 10 units in the building developed by Cary Tamarkin.

In the wake of that purchase, Melo’s uptown condo rental in the 1212 Fifth Avenue building has hit the for-sale market at $12 million. According to Curbed, which has a nice archive of posts chronicling Melo’s long and winding NYC housing search, the monthly rent was $29,000 $43,500. And what a sweet rental it was: A private elevator landing opens directly into the 15th-floor apartment, which tops 4,000 square feet. It has 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths plus living, dining and library rooms, as well as a versatile media room and office space.

The home boasts high ceilings, solid oak floors and a gas fireplace. Individual thermostats control the temperature in each room, and the bathrooms have radiant heated floors. The luxury kitchen features Dornbracht fixtures, Miele and Bertazzoni appliances, custom Italian cabinetry and Caesarstone counter tops.

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