Like his teammate Thierry Henry, Mexican-born soccer player Rafael Marquez joined the New York Red Bulls last season for two reasons: 1) To increase the visibility of Major League Soccer in the United States, and 2) To go shopping for high-end Manhattan real estate. That second goal is a whole lot easier to achieve, and so, like Henry before him, Marquez has laid down some roots in his new city. The Post reports that the international star has spent less than half of what Henry shelled out for his Soho penthouse, recently closing on this huge pre-war loft at 257 West 17th Street in Chelsea.
It's a 6-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom spread with 4,000 square feet, 10.5' ceilings and 20 oversized windows, but no private outdoor space. The most recent asking price was $6.395 million, down $500,000 from the initial price nine months ago.
The apartment once made both Elle Decor magazine and the Best of Elle Decor book, which are nice achievements, but pale in comparison to Marquez's 12 trophies in 7 seasons at FC Barcelona. The sellers are Jonathan Copplestone and Lisa Pomerantz, who pop up in the occasional Patrick McMullan party photo. They assembled this loft from two smaller apartments, one purchased for just $743,500 in 1996, and the other for $1.6 million in 2000. Check out the Elle spread for even more photos, and here's a look at the floorplan where Marquez will be settling in with his model girlfriend, Jaydy Michel. Maybe soccer moms have the right idea in pushing their kids onto the pitch.
· Listing: 257 West 17th Street #7AB [StreetEasy]
· Red Bulls' Marquez buys $6.4M Chelsea apartment [NYP]
· Sacre Bleu! Soccer Superstar Thierry Henry Buys Penthouse [Curbed]
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