Turns out that it was the late vacuum cleaner inventor Alexander Lewyt who owned 431 East 52nd Street, the customized six-floor mansion near River House, which closed last week for $8 million, or $500K over ask. The Times has some details about the manse and its occupants of six decades, Lewyt and his wife Elisabeth, who lived there until she passed away last year. Namely, he "played a role in introducing the male populace to the joys of clip-on bow ties," and the couple used the townhouse as a pied-a-terre and showcase for a $65 million art collection. No word yet on whether the anonymous new owner, hidden behind an LLC, likes vacuum cleaners, bow ties, or art. [NYT & ACRIS; previously]
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