Just months after purchasing a loft in Williamsburg ,”Girls” writer, director, and star Lena Dunham had a change of heart. According to a personal essay she wrote for Domino, she bought the property “in a state of panic” after breaking up with her then-boyfriend, Jack Antonoff. By July 2018, she had already put it on the market for $3 million. Then she took it off the market. In April 2019, she re-listed it for $2.65 million. Finally, she sold the apartment for $2.6275 million in August 2019.
Inside Lena Dunham’s Former Williamsburg Loft
The 3-bedroom, 1,987-square-foot corner unit at 60 Broadway, in the former Gretsch musical instrument factory, sports pretty stellar views of the Williamsburg Bridge, Manhattan, and the East River. The property was converted from its factory roots to modern loft spaces by renowned architect Karl Fischer. Dunham’s unit was recently renovated by architect David Bers and features clever storage space additions and built-ins that don’t impede the airiness of the space.
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The home boasts 13-foot ceilings, a gas fireplace, custom cabinetry, and a gourmet kitchen complete with Carrara marble. The master bedroom was designed with a raised platform for the bed, so residents can take in every angle of those stunning East River and bridge views. There’s a powder room at the entrance plus two full baths, including the massive en suite master bath.
But Dunham Actually Never Lived There
Despite the property’s perfect blend of hipster-meets-luxe, Dunham never lived in the place. She paid $2.9 million for it in April of 2018 and listed it in July — a real estate move predicated on her breakup with musician and producer Antonoff last year. But apparently, Antonoff lives at the $4.8 million apartment they shared at 30 Henry St. in Brooklyn Heights in 2014. Closing documents show that Dunham sold half of her interest in the place to Antonoff in July 2018 for $2,393,750.
Dunham’s “other” Brooklyn condo was in Brooklyn Heights. Jack Antonoff owns it now.
Not too long ago, Dunham seemed to practically own Brooklyn, cable TV, magazine guest appearances, and social media, but she’s pretty well gone missing over the past two years. Now we know why, thanks to the well-written profile of Dunham in “New York” magazine by Allison P. Davis, entitled “Yeah, I’m Not For Everyone: Lena Dunham Comes to Terms With Herself.”
Dunham being Dunham, the 32-year-old writer and actress did not disappoint when it came to revelations or oversharing in the piece, offering details about her hysterectomy. However, New York being New York, and Dunham being a hot hometown celebrity, the biggest news seemed to be that she had given up Brooklyn and moved to an apartment in the West Village.
“My whole identity was, like, Brooklyn, and now I’m like, Thank you, Lord. I’m back amongst my tribe, which is like old people puttering around the health-food store,” Dunham told the magazine.
Dunham grew up in Manhattan, where her parents, Laurie Simmons and Carroll Dunham, were in the thick of the SoHo art world. Her parents also still own a home in Connecticut, where Dunham is building her own place on the property. It’s a place where she will be able to write, and it will include space for other writers to work, too. Additionally, Dunham owns a bungalow in Los Angeles.
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