Celebs aren’t immune from the pandemic shift. The multitalented entertainer Neil Patrick Harris and his family are spending less time at home in New York City, and more time at their country digs. So Harris and his hubby have decided to let go of their famous, light-filled Harlem brownstone. It’s now on the market for $7,325,000.
The Italianate style-building is far from a cramped city dwelling—it encompasses six stories, four-plus bedrooms, and six bathrooms in a generous 8,000 square feet of space.
The 20-foot-wide structure also has a fascinating history. Built back in 1910, it previously served as a speakeasy for millworkers, a music school for girls, as well as a bed-and-breakfast.
Harris and his husband, David Burtka, worked with the L.A.-based interior designer Trace Lehnhoff and the New York architect Jeffery Povero to convert the massive building into a grand single-family residence. The result was so spectacular, the residence was featured in Architectural Digest in 2016.
There are so many fabulous facets to the home, it’s hard to pick a single stand-out.
Vickey Barron, who has the listing with Pacey Barron of Compass, says, “The quantity of special features of this home is astounding. It’s genuinely impossible to pick one element that overrides the others. From the built-out custom bar to the 2,000 square feet of outdoor space, this brownstone is a true oasis, with tremendous character.”
Enter onto the “parlor level,” and look up to see 20-foot ceilings and original dark-wood wainscoting. On that level, there’s also a striking vintage bar sourced from an old hotel and updated with new fixtures, including two built-in taps. A fully outfitted butler’s pantry makes this level ideal for entertaining.
Head up a lovingly restored wooden staircase, and you’ll find more space for family and friends. There’s a sunny living and dining area that overlooks Fifth Avenue, plus a lavish kitchen with custom cabinetry, an island with a farmhouse sink, two Wolf ranges, a Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer, a beverage refrigerator, wine refrigerator, and a large pantry.
That kitchen was a very important place in the household, since Burtka is a Le Cordon Bleu-educated chef and cookbook author, in addition to being a successful actor.
The third floor is dedicated to a spacious master bedroom suite that features a fireplace, custom walk-in-closet, and a special bathroom with Nero Marquina marble. The floor also includes an intimate library/den with a copper-paneled ceiling.
On the top floor are three additional bedrooms and two bathrooms, which were ideal for the couple’s twins. Another highlight of this level is a magical office hidden behind a secret door, which opens when you press the eyeball of a magician on a vintage poster.
Harris, a well-known magic enthusiast, has decorated the room with original art from the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, as well as various other magic posters and props. Don’t expect those items to convey with the sale.
The other two stories are semisubterranean. There’s a garden level currently being used as a production office, along with a 10-seat home theater.
Below that, the basement features a gym, wine cellar, and storage galore.
There is also a surprising amount of outdoor space — 2,000 square feet of it, to be exact, which includes a 500-square-foot terraced garden, a third-floor deck, an outdoor hot tub off the master bedroom suite, and a roof deck with a pergola, built-in gas grill barbecue, and a dining table for eight.
The fact that the family already has another stately home in the Hamptons will make it easier for them to leave this remarkable dwelling behind. Their East Hamptons…
Read More:Neil Patrick Harris Selling His Haute Harlem Home for $7.3M
2021-08-27 19:05:00