The Plaza's historic Astor Suite hits the market asking $39.5M

After having success as a $125,000/month rental, the apartment will try its luck at finding a new owner

By Amy Plitt and Ameena Walker Feb 14, 2017, 4:45pm EST

After briefly taking the crown as New York City’s most expensive rental, the Astor Suite at the Plaza Hotel disappeared from the market—presumably because its owner, Esprit founder Jurgen Friedrich, found someone to rent the palatial pad for an eye-popping $125,000/month.

But now, the apartment is back—this time as a sale, and asking an equally eye-popping $39.5 million. It’s not the first time Friedrich has tried to sell the place; he purchased it for $25 million in 2007, and attempted to flip it just one year later for $55.5 million. (He was unsuccessful, obviously.)

Not much has changed here since its last stint on the market. The nearly 4,300-square-foot home is still lavishly bedecked with “hand drawn plaster ceilings, English oak paneling, antique fireplace mantles, and hand-hammered leather walls from France.” The embellished decor the populates the entirety of the three-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom abode can be attributed to architect S.R. Gambrel Inc., who revamped the space around 2011 using “artisans who rebuilt Windsor Castle,” as the listing unabashedly proclaims.

Will the third time be the charm for Friedrich and he’ll finally manage to unload this behemoth of an apartment? Only time will tell.