[Photos courtesy of Modlin Group.]
It should come as no surprise that Keith Rubenstein, one of the partners behind the South Bronx's controversial Piano District development, has a house as plucky as his real estate portfolio. The bigwig just listed his Upper East Side townhouse for a massive $84.5 million, making it the fourth most expensive listing in New York City (h/t WSJ). Even with a pricetag that big, the townhouse does not disappoint; the 1903 Beaux-Arts mansion at 8 East 62nd Street was designed by the architect of Grant's Tomb, and has been outfitted with some seriously lavish amenities in the past century including a plunge pool, sauna, and a master bedroom boudoir for her lined in steam-resistant mirrors and featuring a gas fireplace, soaking tub, and a Biszet cosmetics refrigerator. Yes, a cosmetics refrigerator. The luxury doesn't stop there. A private dressing room features a temperature-controlled vault for furs, and a media room on the 15,000-square-foot townhouse's fifth floor features walls bedecked in red Hermès leather.
Responsible for all of this over-the-top glitz and glamour is interior designer William T. Georgis of 100 East 53rd Street fame, the Midtown condo developed by art collector Aby Rosen in part for fellow collectors. Georgis is right at home staging bonkers artworks: a sculpture by artist KAWS towers over the townhouse's living room, a light-up sign reading "Forever" graces the mansion's exquisite marble, malachite and mosaic foyer. The townhouse's three-year renovation also brought it marquetry floors in the dining room inspired by the floors of Pavlovsk Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. The townhouse would not be complete, of course, without a fully decked-out rooftop, including a lounge area, dining area, full outdoor kitchen with a built-in barbecue, and a zen rock garden.
Why would anyone want to leave such extravagant digs behind? "[W]e like to move every now and then," Rubenstein told the Wall Street Journal. "We like projects." The Rubensteins, whose youngest is about to fly the nest, said they may head downtown next.
· Listing: 8 East 62nd Street [Modlin Group via StreetEasy]
· Real-Estate Developer Keith Rubenstein's Manhattan Mansion Seeks $84.5 Million [WSJ]
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