NYC’s most beautiful houses that hit the market in 2016

It's time to make up a bunch of awards and hand them out to the most deserving people, places and things in the real estate, architecture and neighborhood universes of New York City! Yep, it's time for the 13th Annual Curbed Awards! Up now: the prettiest homes that hit the market this year.

We see plenty of pretty properties for sale in New York City, but today, we’ve chosen to focus on one particular type of residence: houses. Because really, who doesn’t love gawking at a bit of townhouse porn? Check out 12 of the most beautiful houses that we spotted this year, encompassing everything from a grand Bronx mansion with Palisades views, to a charming Ditmas Park Victorian that’s gotten a thoroughly modern update.

↑ With its sprawling grounds and scenic vistas, the Greek Revival house at 5501 Palisade Avenue (pictured above) looks like it’s about 100 miles away from New York City. But nope—this puppy is nestled right in the Bronx, just a five-minute walk away from Riverdale’s Metro North station. The six-bedroom, five-and-a-half bathroom house hit the market asking $3.2 million.

↑ Can you say "dream home"? This mansion, which hit the market for $11 million back in April—and is now asking $9.85 million—is basically the Platonic ideal of Brooklyn townhouses: It's enormous, sitting on a large lot and spread out over 7,000 square feet; it has a ton of original details (all that wood, pocket doors, etc.); and it's perfectly situated on Prospect Park West, with views of Litchfield Villa. Yes, it’s really expensive, but it’s the rare home that almost seems worth it.

↑ A resplendent mid-block townhouse on a stretch of East 79th Street off of Park Avenue returned to the market asking 781 percent more than it last sold for. The early 20th-century townhouse, owned by Simon Oren of the Five Napkin Burger chainlet, traded to the restaurateur for $2.1 million in 1997; it’s now seeking $18.5 million.

↑ It’s hardly the most expensive Brooklyn house for sale, but it just might be the most unique: the 4,300-square-foot carriage house at 173 Pacific Street between Court and Clinton streets. The stable was converted into a house, and it’s an enchanting one at that. The 25-foot property is currently set up as a two-bedroom owner’s triplex with a second-floor rental. Both the triplex and rental come with wood-burning fireplaces, northern and/or southern exposures, and private outdoor space. The property is on the market for $5.6 million.

↑ The 1901 Colonial Revival-style house at 130 Tysen Street in Staten Island not only has a backyard that, in listing parlance, would "inspire any impressionist artist," but also sidles up to verdant Sailors’ Snug Harbor. The six bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom house still boasts lovely period details like inlaid floors, and tin and coffered ceilings. The property was asking $749,000, 200-foot deep backyard with fountain, ambling pathways, and all.

↑ Standout features in this palatial Chelsea townhouse include skylights and large windows on the upper floors, original moldings, a screening room, several terraces, and one of the largest private gardens in the city. Built in 1854, with an addition in 1930, the townhouse was once home to poet Wallace Stevens, who is believed to have penned his iconic poem, “Sunday Morning,” at this home. In the 1990s, the townhouse got another artistic resident, gallerist Paula Cooper.

↑ A ridiculously charming five-bedroom Victorian townhouse on Wellington Court that spans 1,700 square feet hit the market this spring, asking $2.179 million. The house has a lot going in its favor starting with the adorable front porch, which is adjacent to a private driveway that fits two cars. The design tries to blend the house’s historic character with modern finishings, and it pulls it off pretty well.

↑ This four-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom Williamsburg townhouse has huge windows, walnut cabinets and closets, a modern fireplace, a skylight, and a massive wooden and metal staircase that travels up to each floor. The living room has its own wet bar and one of the bathrooms has been dubbed the "wet room," with three showers and a freestanding tub. The most over-the-top feature? The flooring was apparently manufactured using salvaged beams from the Domino Sugar Factory.

↑ This townhouse at 336 West 12th Street comes with "its own carriage house [and] horse walk," per the listing. It was originally built in the 1850s, but got a revamp that turned the carriage house into a two-story office, and added a "handcrafted elliptical staircase," among other, more boring updates (new A/C, security system, and the like). Other features include a private patio between the two houses; enormous windows that let in tons of light; and a revamped basement with a wine cellar and a playroom, which also has a connection to the carriage house.

↑ One of NYC’s most expensive townhouses hit the market this year, asking $84.5 million. The home, owned by developer Keith Rubenstein, was designed by the architect of Grant's Tomb, and has been outfitted with some seriously lavish amenities including a plunge pool, sauna, a master bedroom boudoir, and a private dressing room with a temperature-controlled vault for furs. A media room on the 15,000-square-foot townhouse's fifth floor, meanwhile, features walls bedecked in red Hermès leather. Talk about over-the-top.

↑ This Queens Tudor in Murray Hill is loaded with original details "lovingly preserved by one family for over 80 years," and while some of the interiors are a bit dated, it is a beauty. Notable highlights include stained glass windows, decorate hardwood floors, and "wood details taken from the English Pavilion of the 1939 World’s Fair." That is cool. Listed at $2 million, the 2,140-square-foot home comes with plenty of outdoor space, too: it’s nestled on a pleasantly green triple-wide corner lot.

The "elegant and grand" townhouse at 215 East 12th Street first hit the market earlier this year for $16 million, but recently got a price chop, and now wants “just” $12 million. The gorgeous townhouse is located on a pretty block, with lots of original details and a huge garden. The owner, one of the four founders of the Kate Spade brand, furnished the space with many appropriately preppy decor touches—colorful, quirky wallpaper, comfy-but-elegant furniture, and more.