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NYC's 20 oldest homes for sale right now

Plenty of century-old structures are looking for buyers right now

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Many of New York City's stately townhouses are what could affectionately be called "vintage," dating back decades, or even centuries. (Heck, the oldest home in the city is nearly 400 years old.) While some don't seem as antique as they actually are, thanks to spiffy renovations that have brought modernity into the dated homes, original details that are often thoughtfully left intact, belying the homes' much older origins.

With the help of the good folks at StreetEasy, we've gathered 20 of New York City's oldest homes that are currently listed for sale. The oldest of the bunch, a Nolita townhouse, dates back to 1800, and they've counted Hollywood celebrities, famed authors, and old-school socialites among their residents.

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2 Centre Market Place

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Design duo Bob and Cortney Novogratz once owned this sprawling four-bedroom townhouse, built in 1800, before selling it in 2005 to a former financial executive. The home has been on the market for roughly six months, asking $7.995 million, and offers details that include overhead skylights, glass French doors with Juliette balconies, and even a recording studio.

27 Vandam Street

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Just a few months ago, 27 Vandam Street, a magnificent Federal-style townhouse in Soho, was asking $16.3 million—a reasonable price considering that the house, built in 1823, has been thoroughly renovated over the years. The home has received a slight price chop, now asking $15.95 million.The 19th-century home is said to have once been owned by choreographer Paul Taylor, who split the house into four separate units. The five-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom house has since been redesigned, by Matthew Baird Architects, as a single-family dwelling complete with impeccable details that include three skylights, six wood-burning fireplaces and an outdoor Japanese soaking tub/jacuzzi located on the master bedroom’s private terrace.

24 Middagh Street

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Brooklyn Heights is beloved for its beautiful, often centuries-old homes, and a buyer now has the chance to snap up one of those lovely 19th-century properties. The home at 24 Middagh Street, built around 1829 (making it one of the neighborhood’s oldest townhouses), is officially on the market with an asking price of $7 million. The home itself is a stunner—a well-preserved time capsule from the neighborhood’s earliest days, with many of the charming historic details still entact. It’s more of a compound (per the brokerbabble) than a single home, with a main, four-story home, and a smaller carriage house that has two bedrooms.

121 Washington Place

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The 5,000-square-foot home, now asking $16.8 million, was built in 1831 and acquired by painter Clara Davidge and her husband, poet Edwin Arlington Robinson. It received a renovation in 1925 that introduced Georgian Palladian flare along with six fireplaces, arched windows, an elevator, and other elegant features. From there, the space went on to host many artists as parts of the house were utilized as studios. The listing description gives a full rundown of the many prominent people that have found themselves within the home at one point of another (Mark Twain, Willia Cather, and Hillary Clinton are just a few of them) and let’s just say this place has seen some action.

149 West 10th Street

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This 5,000-square-foot home in the West Village doesn't at all look its age. Built in 1833, the townhouse is 183 years old and sports a new renovation that maintained its fireplaces and wooden archways but introduced modern conveniences like a chef's kitchen and marble bathrooms. It recently lowered its asking price by $1 million to $10.995 million.

230 West 10th Street

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Besides the vintage facade, nothing about this $14.5 million West Village carriage house leads you to believe that it was built in 1834. The ultra-modern interiors have pretty much eradicated all traces of the original 19th-century design, leaving sprawling ceilings and a unique geometric layout. The home expands across 6,700 square feet of space, with five bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and a rooftop terrace.

131 Charles Street

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In true early 19th-century fashion, this Federal-style townhouse on Charles Street comes with a separate two-story carriage home (once occupied by midcentury photographer Diane Arbus) for $12.5 million. Built in 1834, the four-story home is has four bedrooms and many original details, such as five fireplaces and decorative moldings. The carriage house some some neat features of its own, with beamed ceilings, white-painted brick walls, and lots of sunlight.

15 Willow Street

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This landmarked Brooklyn Heights townhouse was asking $14 million back in August but has since chopped the price down to $12.5 million, though it's still one of Brooklyn's priciest listings. Built in 1834, this five-story house features six-bedrooms spread out over 6,200 square feet. It received a swanky renovation and now comes with everything from a skylit staircase and 12-foot ceilings to a 300-bottle wine cellar and rooftop hot tub.

44 Monroe Place

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Another lovely Brooklyn Heights home does a great job at hiding its true age. This multi-family home, built in 1835, has received a top-to-bottom renovation but did good by way of preserving period details like plaster moldings and six wood-burning fireplaces. Among the many features within the seven bedroom, six-and-a-half bathroom space are herringbone wood floors, a spiral staircase, and a beautiful den that overlooks the private backyard. The place is seeking $8.495 million.

440 West 22nd Street

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Built circa 1835, the 25-foot-wide house still has plenty of original period details, including the "intricate" iron railings, high ceilings, a grand parlor, and seven separate fireplaces. Plus, as the listing notes, the "lovely salmon-colored brick façade" makes a "striking first impression." The current asking price for the seven-bedroom, four-bathroom residence is $8.8 million. It’s just down the block from the so-called oldest house in Chelsea, which is on its way to becoming a megamansion. Right now, the place is configured as a three-family home, with one two-bedroom duplex and two spacious two-bedroom apartments stacked on the upper floors.

269 West 11th Street

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On West 11th Street, a sprawling five-story townhouse, built in 1836, has been struggling to unload for its grand $30 million asking price. Nevertheless, the historic home has already received approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission to undergo a massive renovation from starchitect Annabelle Selldorf that could add to its existing 10,000-square-foot bulk.

27 Monroe Place

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This house was built in 1844 and was one of three former Brooklyn Law School residences before being picked up by Kushner Companies back in 2014 and receiving a complete transformation back into a single-family home. There are five bedrooms and more than eight bathrooms spread out over five stories, in addition to an elevator, roof deck, first-floor patio, and fourth-floor terrace. The house was initially asking $18 million but now wants just $16 million.

136 Clinton Avenue

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It’s not every day that a building with as much history as the Lefferts-Laidlaw House hits the market in New York City, but today is that day—the landmarked Greek Revival structure at 136 Clinton Avenue is now for sale. It was originally asking $4.5 million, but recently got a price chop to $3.98 million. It was built in the 1840s and is now both an individual city landmark (designated as such in 2001) and part of the Wallabout Historic District, comprising several blocks near the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

271 Hicks Street

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Out of all the Brooklyn Heights homes on this list, this one does the best at looking close to its true age. Asking $5.5 million, the townhouse from 1844 doesn't boast any major revamps, opting instead to let its original character shine. With that comes a less spiffy look but plenty of vintage charm. There are two marble fireplace mantles, an open parlor floor with soaring ceilings, three terraces, and a rooftop with views of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

341 West 29th Street

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Offering "multiple opportunities for comfortable living and/or investment purposes for the discerning buyer," this $7.5 million Chelsea townhouse comes divided into two separate condos, but could be converted back into a single-family home. The Greek Revival-style home (with Renaissance revival flourishes) is part of the Lamartine Place Historic District, a mini-development of 12 row houses that dates back to 1847.

70 Cranberry Street

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With a renovation focused more on restoring its 1852 nuances than fully modernizing the space, this four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom townhouse is going for $5.95 million after a small price chop. Amenities include eleven-foot ceilings, two black marble fireplaces, and ceiling-to-floor windows.

119 Vanderbilt Avenue

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Actress Lake Bell and tattoo artist Scott Campbell have reduced the asking price of their 1850s Brooklyn home. The townhouse in the remote Wallabout section of Clinton Hill was first put on the market in July for $3 million, and its asking price is now $2.55 million. The brokerbabble says the house was thoroughly renovated to bring it “a truly Brooklyn style,” but what that renovation consisted of is unclear looking at the bare-bones listing pictures. The listing touts the parlor’s wood-burning fireplace and custom engraved oak floors, the kitchen’s butcher block counter top and stainless steel appliances, a third-floor master suite with a freestanding tub, and a terraced, landscaped garden with an outdoor fireplace and fountain.

192 Columbia Heights

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This designated landmarked is located right above the Brooklyn Heights Promenade (so it has stunning Manhattan skyline views) and is asking $14.5 million. The seven-bedroom home was built in 1859 and boast original oak floors, floor-to-ceiling bay windows, three fireplaces, and even its own gym. There are plenty of modern amenities in place too—a huge eat-in chef's kitchen, built-in sound system, and central air/heat are among them.

3 Pierrepont Place

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At $40 million, this insane 17,354-square-foot mansion on Pierrepont Place easily tops the list of most expensive homes in Brooklyn. The 1857-built structure is currently configured into eight units but has the potential to become a massive 16-bedroom single-family home.

16 West 130th Street

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Built in 1880, this four-bedroom townhouse is one of the 28 that make up Astor Row, a stretch of landmarked homes on 130th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues in Harlem. In 2014, this particular home was being offered as-is for $1.7 million but re-appeared on the market less than two years later with a brand-new renovation and a $4.25 million price tag. The space touts coffered ceilings, herringbone oak floors, custom kitchen cabinetry, built-in storage shelves, and a lower asking price of $3.995 million.

2 Centre Market Place

Design duo Bob and Cortney Novogratz once owned this sprawling four-bedroom townhouse, built in 1800, before selling it in 2005 to a former financial executive. The home has been on the market for roughly six months, asking $7.995 million, and offers details that include overhead skylights, glass French doors with Juliette balconies, and even a recording studio.

27 Vandam Street

Just a few months ago, 27 Vandam Street, a magnificent Federal-style townhouse in Soho, was asking $16.3 million—a reasonable price considering that the house, built in 1823, has been thoroughly renovated over the years. The home has received a slight price chop, now asking $15.95 million.The 19th-century home is said to have once been owned by choreographer Paul Taylor, who split the house into four separate units. The five-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom house has since been redesigned, by Matthew Baird Architects, as a single-family dwelling complete with impeccable details that include three skylights, six wood-burning fireplaces and an outdoor Japanese soaking tub/jacuzzi located on the master bedroom’s private terrace.

24 Middagh Street

Brooklyn Heights is beloved for its beautiful, often centuries-old homes, and a buyer now has the chance to snap up one of those lovely 19th-century properties. The home at 24 Middagh Street, built around 1829 (making it one of the neighborhood’s oldest townhouses), is officially on the market with an asking price of $7 million. The home itself is a stunner—a well-preserved time capsule from the neighborhood’s earliest days, with many of the charming historic details still entact. It’s more of a compound (per the brokerbabble) than a single home, with a main, four-story home, and a smaller carriage house that has two bedrooms.

121 Washington Place

The 5,000-square-foot home, now asking $16.8 million, was built in 1831 and acquired by painter Clara Davidge and her husband, poet Edwin Arlington Robinson. It received a renovation in 1925 that introduced Georgian Palladian flare along with six fireplaces, arched windows, an elevator, and other elegant features. From there, the space went on to host many artists as parts of the house were utilized as studios. The listing description gives a full rundown of the many prominent people that have found themselves within the home at one point of another (Mark Twain, Willia Cather, and Hillary Clinton are just a few of them) and let’s just say this place has seen some action.

149 West 10th Street

This 5,000-square-foot home in the West Village doesn't at all look its age. Built in 1833, the townhouse is 183 years old and sports a new renovation that maintained its fireplaces and wooden archways but introduced modern conveniences like a chef's kitchen and marble bathrooms. It recently lowered its asking price by $1 million to $10.995 million.

230 West 10th Street

Besides the vintage facade, nothing about this $14.5 million West Village carriage house leads you to believe that it was built in 1834. The ultra-modern interiors have pretty much eradicated all traces of the original 19th-century design, leaving sprawling ceilings and a unique geometric layout. The home expands across 6,700 square feet of space, with five bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and a rooftop terrace.

131 Charles Street

In true early 19th-century fashion, this Federal-style townhouse on Charles Street comes with a separate two-story carriage home (once occupied by midcentury photographer Diane Arbus) for $12.5 million. Built in 1834, the four-story home is has four bedrooms and many original details, such as five fireplaces and decorative moldings. The carriage house some some neat features of its own, with beamed ceilings, white-painted brick walls, and lots of sunlight.

15 Willow Street

This landmarked Brooklyn Heights townhouse was asking $14 million back in August but has since chopped the price down to $12.5 million, though it's still one of Brooklyn's priciest listings. Built in 1834, this five-story house features six-bedrooms spread out over 6,200 square feet. It received a swanky renovation and now comes with everything from a skylit staircase and 12-foot ceilings to a 300-bottle wine cellar and rooftop hot tub.

44 Monroe Place

Another lovely Brooklyn Heights home does a great job at hiding its true age. This multi-family home, built in 1835, has received a top-to-bottom renovation but did good by way of preserving period details like plaster moldings and six wood-burning fireplaces. Among the many features within the seven bedroom, six-and-a-half bathroom space are herringbone wood floors, a spiral staircase, and a beautiful den that overlooks the private backyard. The place is seeking $8.495 million.

440 West 22nd Street

Built circa 1835, the 25-foot-wide house still has plenty of original period details, including the "intricate" iron railings, high ceilings, a grand parlor, and seven separate fireplaces. Plus, as the listing notes, the "lovely salmon-colored brick façade" makes a "striking first impression." The current asking price for the seven-bedroom, four-bathroom residence is $8.8 million. It’s just down the block from the so-called oldest house in Chelsea, which is on its way to becoming a megamansion. Right now, the place is configured as a three-family home, with one two-bedroom duplex and two spacious two-bedroom apartments stacked on the upper floors.

269 West 11th Street

On West 11th Street, a sprawling five-story townhouse, built in 1836, has been struggling to unload for its grand $30 million asking price. Nevertheless, the historic home has already received approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission to undergo a massive renovation from starchitect Annabelle Selldorf that could add to its existing 10,000-square-foot bulk.

27 Monroe Place

This house was built in 1844 and was one of three former Brooklyn Law School residences before being picked up by Kushner Companies back in 2014 and receiving a complete transformation back into a single-family home. There are five bedrooms and more than eight bathrooms spread out over five stories, in addition to an elevator, roof deck, first-floor patio, and fourth-floor terrace. The house was initially asking $18 million but now wants just $16 million.

136 Clinton Avenue

It’s not every day that a building with as much history as the Lefferts-Laidlaw House hits the market in New York City, but today is that day—the landmarked Greek Revival structure at 136 Clinton Avenue is now for sale. It was originally asking $4.5 million, but recently got a price chop to $3.98 million. It was built in the 1840s and is now both an individual city landmark (designated as such in 2001) and part of the Wallabout Historic District, comprising several blocks near the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

271 Hicks Street

Out of all the Brooklyn Heights homes on this list, this one does the best at looking close to its true age. Asking $5.5 million, the townhouse from 1844 doesn't boast any major revamps, opting instead to let its original character shine. With that comes a less spiffy look but plenty of vintage charm. There are two marble fireplace mantles, an open parlor floor with soaring ceilings, three terraces, and a rooftop with views of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

341 West 29th Street

Offering "multiple opportunities for comfortable living and/or investment purposes for the discerning buyer," this $7.5 million Chelsea townhouse comes divided into two separate condos, but could be converted back into a single-family home. The Greek Revival-style home (with Renaissance revival flourishes) is part of the Lamartine Place Historic District, a mini-development of 12 row houses that dates back to 1847.

70 Cranberry Street

With a renovation focused more on restoring its 1852 nuances than fully modernizing the space, this four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom townhouse is going for $5.95 million after a small price chop. Amenities include eleven-foot ceilings, two black marble fireplaces, and ceiling-to-floor windows.

119 Vanderbilt Avenue

Actress Lake Bell and tattoo artist Scott Campbell have reduced the asking price of their 1850s Brooklyn home. The townhouse in the remote Wallabout section of Clinton Hill was first put on the market in July for $3 million, and its asking price is now $2.55 million. The brokerbabble says the house was thoroughly renovated to bring it “a truly Brooklyn style,” but what that renovation consisted of is unclear looking at the bare-bones listing pictures. The listing touts the parlor’s wood-burning fireplace and custom engraved oak floors, the kitchen’s butcher block counter top and stainless steel appliances, a third-floor master suite with a freestanding tub, and a terraced, landscaped garden with an outdoor fireplace and fountain.

192 Columbia Heights

This designated landmarked is located right above the Brooklyn Heights Promenade (so it has stunning Manhattan skyline views) and is asking $14.5 million. The seven-bedroom home was built in 1859 and boast original oak floors, floor-to-ceiling bay windows, three fireplaces, and even its own gym. There are plenty of modern amenities in place too—a huge eat-in chef's kitchen, built-in sound system, and central air/heat are among them.

3 Pierrepont Place

At $40 million, this insane 17,354-square-foot mansion on Pierrepont Place easily tops the list of most expensive homes in Brooklyn. The 1857-built structure is currently configured into eight units but has the potential to become a massive 16-bedroom single-family home.

16 West 130th Street

Built in 1880, this four-bedroom townhouse is one of the 28 that make up Astor Row, a stretch of landmarked homes on 130th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues in Harlem. In 2014, this particular home was being offered as-is for $1.7 million but re-appeared on the market less than two years later with a brand-new renovation and a $4.25 million price tag. The space touts coffered ceilings, herringbone oak floors, custom kitchen cabinetry, built-in storage shelves, and a lower asking price of $3.995 million.