(Armani: Peter White/Getty Images)
To meet the style standards of a designer like Giorgio Armani, an apartment must be chic with a capital C. Your name doesn’t become practically synonymous with haute couture (“Oh this? Armani, darling”) if you don’t have impeccable taste, after all. So it’s no surprise that a home as gorgeous as this would be bought by a person with the very highest level of fashion cred.
Peek Inside Giorgio Armani’s NYC Penthouse
Armani closed on Penthouse A at 91 Central Park West at the end of November for $17.5 million. He purchased it from John Legere, the soon-to-depart CEO of T-Mobile, who bought the home in 2015 for $18 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. Apparently Legere had been looking for a buyer since 2018, but the apartment was not actually on the market at the time of the sale. And because Armani is more fabulous than most, it turns out that he was actually Legere’s neighbor all along: The designer already owned the other penthouse, which now gives him the entire floor.
The interiors evoke a medieval castle, or even a cathedral, with elaborate leaded and stained-glass windows in nearly every room that look out to breathtaking Central Park and skyline views. Highlights include 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms; an extraordinary 1,700 square feet of wraparound terrace space; and an intricately plastered ceiling in the living room, which is lorded over by a massively imposing fireplace and accessed via double oak doors in the vaulted-ceiling gallery. Even the elevator is adorned with inlaid marquetry reminiscent of King Arthur’s knights.
But the pièce de résistance, beyond any doubt, is the tower. It’s every bit as regal as it sounds, surrounded on all sides by majestic stained glass and dark, heavy wood, with a corner fireplace and a bar that must be seen to be believed. What a perfect place for a bar, too, because this might be the single most picturesque place to have a drink in all of New York City.
About 91 Central Park West
One of many prestigious prewar buildings in the area, 91 Central Park West is on the corner of West 69th Street, directly facing the park. The 16-story co-op was built in 1929 in the Neo-Renaissance style with a facade of brick, stone, and terra-cotta. Amenities include a full-time doorman, a bike room, a gym, and a children’s playroom.
Upper West Side Apartments With Fireplaces Article continues below
A fascinating side note: Legend has it that this historic address, and in fact the very penthouse in question, was the former home of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. Hearst allegedly lived there with his mistress, the actress Marion Davies — and if you don’t know the rest of the story, you might want to check out a little film called “Citizen Kane.”
That’s some serious NYC history! I’m sure Armani will be a most elegant steward, and I hope he watches the Orson Welles classic in his stained-glass tower, while sipping a drink from the bar. Check out more photos of this magnificent home on StreetEasy.
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