If you want to live the high-life in New York, and you need the place for that, why don’t consider this lavish 10.911 square-foot penthouse in the TriBeCa area. The home which was built atop a 19th century warehouse is now listed on sale by Sotheby’s International Realty for $28 million.
The owner of this five-story, fully renovated penthouse in Tribeca is Edward Bazinet, the retired multimillionaire, who made his fortune selling ceramic Christmas houses. He bought the penthouse on Warren Street as a shell, with raw exterior siding and insulation, just two weeks before 9/11, and paid it $8.5 million. It took three years to renovate.
“It was like starting from scratch,” Mr. Bazinet said. “It would have been easier if 9/11 had knocked it down.”
This five-story haven for art features 19 rooms, including seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, plus three large terraces and a roof garden that overlooks Manhattan, the Financial District skyline to the south and the Hudson River to the west. A beautiful stainless steel and glass staircase connects the five floors, as well as a private elevator. Full floor master suite boasts fireplace, and enormous bathroom adorned with ceramic mural of Napoleon’s bust made of 57,245 tiles. A greenhouse planted with greenery and orchids is connected to the kitchen, which is packed with a breakfast room, its own fireplace, gorgeous granite countertops and very elegant hardwood flooring. The space is full of modern art, including a 700-piece custom glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly that hangs as a chandelier in the dining room. Other amenities: rooftop home gym, separate Jacuzzi room, hot tub, library, as well as 1000-bottle wine cellar. The privacy of townhouse-style living with the convenience and security of doorman service.
Mr. Bazinet first listed the property in 2006 for $28.5 million, but took it off the market because of construction on the Smyth hotel. Last month, he put the property up for sale again, saying he’s tired of the city’s “razzle-dazzle.” He plans to relocate to a country home he has recently remodeled in Bucks County, Pa.
New York “can be a tough place at times,” says Mr. Bazinet, who is originally from Minnesota. “Everything that makes it great and unique 24/7 can, for a country person, make you want to go back to the country.”