David Rockefeller’s Upper East Side townhouse hits the market for $32.5M

Philanthropist, banking magnate, and Rockefeller family scion David Rockefeller passed away in March, and now, the townhouse he lived in for 69 years with his wife, Peggy, is on the market. A listing for the townhouse appeared, held by Brown Harris Stevens superbroker Paula del Nunzio, with a price tag of $32.5 million.

That number may seem low considering the home’s pedigree, along with its size; it’s a 40-foot wide townhouse, with eight bedrooms and more than eight bathrooms spread out over an astonishing 9,760 square feet of space. But as the Wall Street Journal explains, the house has a few things working against it. There’s the soft luxury townhouse market, for one, along with the fact that it’s in a “less-prime location” on the Upper East Side, between Lexington and Third avenues.

The home is also in need of some upgrades: As the Journal puts it, “it is genteel, but plain and comfortable rather than extravagant.” The space is a bit outdated, and is lacking some of the amenities you see in new-build townhouses—a gym, ultra-modern finishes, and the like.

The home does, however, have an impressive art collection—paintings by Cezanne, Gauguin, Matisse, and Picasso are among the works in the Rockefellers’ vast collection—which will itself go up for auction at Christie’s next year.

Still, it’s no slouch in the fancy townhouse department: In addition to those eight bedrooms, it also comes with 3,000 feet of outdoor space thanks to the lovely garden on the ground level; a library; eight fireplaces; a temperature-controlled wine room; a formal dining room; and more. There’s also an enormous spiral staircase with a skylight that provides a focal point.

“There is an exceptional calm and beauty to the interior,” per the brokerbabble, and even if it is in need of an upgrade, we’re inclined to agree.

• Listing: 146 East 65th Street [Brown Harris Stevens]
• Historic Rockefeller Townhouse Hits the Market [WSJ]