Ever walk by those opulent townhouses in Greenwich Village and wonder who owns them? Well, for $17 million, you could be among their ranks: the 21-foot-wide townhouse at 50 W. 12th St., formerly owned by David Byrne of the Talking Heads, is for sale. Currently occupied by another artist, it’s a haven for creatives thanks to its in-house artist studio and “magical” treehouse. That’s right, you get a treehouse along with your townhouse. Here’s everything you need to know about this five-floor beauty. (Spoiler: there’s an elevator.)
There are certainly more expensive homes in Manhattan, but this one is definitely among the priciest. In fact, it’s almost nine times the median asking price for a home in Greenwich Village, which was $1.9 million in May according to the StreetEasy Data Dashboard.
Because this is a townhouse, you won’t have any maintenance fees or common charges to pay. You will be on the hook, however, for $4,915 in monthly taxes. After a 20% down payment of $3,400,000, you’ll pay $83,677 per month.
This house was built in 1854 in the Anglo-Italianate style, and has retained much of its original charm. Of course, it’s also been renovated with modern fixtures, including the elevator that can transport you between its five floors, and central A/C to keep you cool. The bottom floor—or English basement—consists of a guest suite, which could make a great in-law unit or a place to house visitors, especially with its separate entrance.
Throughout the house, you’ll find five wood-burning fireplaces, three bedrooms, several full and half baths (featuring clawfoot tubs!), and walk-in closets. Even the staircases are ornate, with mahogany banisters and detailed moldings. You’ll also find a wrought iron staircase leading from the parlor floor to the garden, which contains ample space for entertaining.
And of course, the outdoor space features the treehouse, which could be used as a private relaxation space or children’s play room. A previous owner added the treehouse in 2005 for her three daughters. After an anonymous complaint that it was built without the proper permits, the owner was ultimately allowed to keep the treehouse, as it was granted historical landmark status.
If that’s not enough outdoor space for you, the house also has a private rooftop terrace! The terrace takes up about half the roof, while the other half contains a large, vaulted skylight bringing brightness to the primary bedroom below. It doesn’t get much better than that.
The house is located on a brownstone-lined street between Union Square and Washington Square Park. Countless eateries are within a couple of blocks, including Murray’s Bagels and Rosemary’s. And it’s hard to beat the multitude of transit options, including the F, M, 1, 2, 3, and L trains at the 14th St/6th Ave stop.
Of course, owning a house like this in Greenwich Village comes with a very large price tag. Besides the price, the house could still use some renovations, especially in the kitchen, to bring it up to modern standards. And if you need more than four bedrooms, you’ll likely have to rearrange the floor plan a bit. But with 5,000 square feet of space, that should hardly be a problem.
Check out the listing at 50 W. 12th St. TOWNHOUSE, listed by Richard Orenstein of Brown Harris Stevens.