Barbara Walters' Upper East Side Apartment Lists for $19.75M

When Oprah calls you a “trailblazer,” you know you’ve done something right. Glowing praise and heartfelt tributes poured in after news broke that veteran broadcast journalist Barbara Walters had died in late December 2022. One such tribute mentioned the memorable dinner parties she hosted in her luxurious Manhattan home, which is now on the market for $19.75 million. Barbara Walters’ apartment, a palatial home on the Upper East Side where she lived for nearly 30 years, was listed by Compass on April 20, 2023. Let’s take a look inside the longtime residence of an American icon.

The Price: $19,750,000

At first glance, the price tag is shockingly high, but when you look inside this decadent, full-floor co-op with Central Park views, it may start to make more sense. Only 33% financing is allowed, so purchasing Barbara Walters’ apartment will require a 67% minimum down payment of $13.23 million. The monthly maintenance fees alone are over $19,000.

Inside Barbara Walters’ Apartment

With 11 rooms total, including 5 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms, Barbara Walters’ apartment spans the entire sixth floor of this Fifth Avenue building. When you step off the elevator, you’ll emerge in a stunning entrance gallery with tasteful checkered flooring and openings leading to many of the home’s rooms. 

The enormous living room is one of the apartment’s main attractions. It features a wood-burning fireplace, 10-foot ceilings, a baby grand piano, and three large windows overlooking Central Park. Step through wide openings and you’ll find yourself in the cozy library on one side and the storied dining room on the other. The dining room has an air of grandeur, a place where important conversations took place between important people. Having a meal in here would make you feel like a part of American history.

On the other side of the library sits the elegant, wood-paneled primary bedroom. This gorgeous room has its own wood-burning fireplace and two large windows with Central Park views, providing a tranquil and luxurious respite from the bustle of the city. The bedroom has an en-suite bath and an enormous walk-in closet/dressing room. 

Down the hall from the primary bedroom are three additional bedrooms, each with an attached bath and ample closet space. Barbara Walters used one of these bedrooms, on the opposite end of the apartment from the primary bedroom, as a den/media room. This end of the unit also houses an office, a staff room with an attached bath, and the laundry room.

In the center of the apartment is an eat-in kitchen with a large window over the sink and an outfitted butler’s pantry, perfect for hosting dinner parties or other events.

…And Outside the Apartment

Barbara Walters’ apartment is one of 14 floors inside 944 Fifth Avenue, built in 1925 and designed by architect Nathan Korn in an Italian Renaissance palazzo style. The facade is made of limestone and the four-story base features intricate designs, depicting fountains and urns. The co-op building has just one apartment per floor, and offers residents a high level of privacy, discretion, and white-glove service.

944 Fifth Avenue is located across the street from Central Park between 75th and 76th Streets. Its neighbors include the French Consulate one block south and the Sheffield’s House from The Nanny around the corner. It’s also just one short block from upscale shopping and dining on Madison Avenue.

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