Kind of like George Washington, George Herman Ruth left behind a slew of dwellings where he allegedly once slept. However, in the case of this Upper West Side apartment, the Babe not only slept there, he lived there. There’s a placard on the side of the building at 345 West 88th Street to remind us!
Now, it appears, New York Yankees fans or anyone who wants to feel closer to the Sultan of Swat can have a crack at it. The apartment where Ruth reportedly lived is now for sale for $1.595 million.
Ruth moved here after he married Claire Hodgson, as this was her apartment — or so we’re told. In some instances, it’s said that Claire and the Babe shared an 11-room apartment in this building, which makes sense considering that each of them had a young daughter and the four lived together at 345 West 88th Street.
In any case, the prewar co-op building sits on a tree-lined street steps from Riverside Park. The “Babe” unit contains 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and a generous kitchen that includes space that used to be the maid’s room. (It was a 6-room unit, originally.) The 1913 building contains the details, room dimensions and hardwoods typical of that era, and it is manned by a part-time doorman and a live-in super. The monthly maintenance fees are $2,864.
Ruth’s first NYC digs after being sold by the Red Sox to the Yankees in 1920 was at the Ansonia, which was a luxury hotel in those days. The tales of Ruth’s late-night carousing are famous — before he married Claire. After they left 345 West 88th Street, Ruth and Claire moved to a large apartment at 110 Riverside Drive.
There’s speculation that during at least one summer, Ruth rented this house in the St. Albans section of Queens so he could be closer to his favorite golf course. Ruth also owned Homeplate Farm at 558 Dutton Road in Sudbury, MA. That property was just sold in 2013 for $1.225 million.
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