Thursday, November 10, 2011

Did Sally Field Do It in the West Village?

BUYER: Sally Field
LOCATION: New York City, NY
PRICE: $2,550,000
SIZE: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: A snitchy little birdie told landed outside out window this morning and chirp-chirp-chirped that Oscar-, Emmy-, Golden Globe- and People's Choice-award winning actress Sally Field (may have) recently snatched up a New York City pied-a-terre. Okay, truth is Your Mama actually read it in a barely-there blurb in the Gimme Shelter column of the New York Post this morning like everybody else.


Property records available online reveal that just before Halloween a woman named Sally Field spent $2,550,000 to acquire a two bedroom and two bathroom cooperative apartment in one of the more refined and in-demand buildings in downtown Manhattan's West Village. Your Mama can not confirm, however, the Sally Field who signed her famous name on the deed's dotted line is the very same Sally Field (Gidget, Sybil, Norma Rae, Steel Magnolias) whose long and sometimes hilly Showbiz career has been on fire the last few years with the screaming success of the now canceled family (melo)drama Brothers & Sisters. So, for now anyways, this is just some celebrity real estate rumor and gossip, okay? Thing is, we love us some Sally Field so we can't resist taking her real estate ball and running with it...

The apartment in question sits on a high floor of an august 17-story pre-war building, a red and brown brick edifice of reassuring proportions designed by architect Robert T. Lyons, built by the Bing brothers–that makes it what's known in local parlance as a Bing & Bing building–and completed in 1931. Handsome Art Deco-era architectural flourishes with a Greek key design embellish the facade. Originally an apartment hotel–hello Wikipedia–the building converted to a co-operative apartment house in 1987.

Some of the children may recognize this building as the very same one where it was once widely rumored and reported sit-com and rom-com queen Jennifer Aniston was interested in the possible acquisition of a duplex penthouse then priced at $14,950,000. Miz Aniston did not buy the duplex. She bought, as it turns out, two apartments in another West Village Bing & Bing building. Records show the posh penthouse Miz Aniston didn't buy was actually purchased for $12,500,000 by one of the many daughters of the very philanthropic co-founder of Purdue Pharmaceuticals, the makers of OxyContin.

Anyhoo, we're not here to speak on Miz Aniston's sometimes fickle and inexplicable real estate ways but rather those of a lady named Sally Field who who may or may not be Sally Field and who just paid $2,550,000 for the aforementioned high-floor apartment in a fancy but relaxed pre-war building in New York's West Village.

The always informative real estate website StreetEasy shows the apartment, a successful combination between a studio and a one bedroom apartment, was listed with a price tag of $2,350,000, which means, as per our bejeweled abacus that this Miz Field paid $200,000 over the asking price. And what did her extra two hundred thousand get her y'all might wonder?

Listing information shows 4-room corner apartment, fairly spacious by West Village standards where a puny 300 square foot 5th floor walk up studio apartment can easily cost $1,700 per month, has windowed exposure on four sides and carries hefty monthly maintenance charges of $2,426 per month. A long and narrow entrance hall with an excellently large walk-in coat closet directs traffic into a lofty living/dining area with beamed ceilings, large windows with pretty city views, and the first of two wood burning fireplaces in the apartment. Your Mama hopes somebody tells Miz Field that all that track lighting in the living room needs to be removed. A woman of her stature and eminence probably shouldn't have track lighting in their home(s).

Anyhoodles poodles, the simply designed but decently sized kitchen opens to the dining area over a long counter topped half with marble and half with butcher block. The dishwasher situated directly under the sink causes Your Mama's heart to palpitate uncomfortably How does one rinse and load dishes in a set up like that anyhow? When we take into account this is a kitchen in Manhattan–and one must absolutely take in to account this is a kitchen in Manhattan and not a kitchen in a suburban mcmansion–the ugly dishwasher situation is somewhat mitigated by the full-size fridge/freezer, large window for proper light and ventilation, teeny-tiny walk-in pantry, and impressive amount of counter space.


The living/dining room is flanked by bedrooms, each with two closets (including one walk-in in each room) and an attached bathroom. The master bedroom has a fireplace and a window in the walk-in closet but it's also got green marble tile floors–What the hell?!?–and a petite, window-free bathroom. The second bedroom, only slightly smaller than the master, also has a walk-in closet plus cross-ventilation and a welcomed window in the compact bathroom where, somewhat regrettably, the stacked washer and dryer are installed. That complaint aired, we again recognize this is a New York City apartment where an inconveniently located private washer-dryer stack is immeasurably much better than no private washer-dryer stack at all.

For two and a half million of our clams Your Mama and the Dr. Cooter would hope and pine for a slice of outdoor space. Otherwise and despite it's rather high price this apartment, in our humble and meaningless opinion, reeks of Big Apple desirability and can easily be fashioned into a comfortable urban aerie for part- or full-time living that would appeal to just about everyone perhaps but those poor people afflicted with the dreaded Real Estate Size Queen Syndrome, a disease that often and unfortunately goes hand-in-hand with the even more infectious Real Estate Snobitis.

Until recently Sally Field–the Sally Field–owned a secluded estate nestled into the rolling foothills of Malibu that she first listed in March 2009 for $6,950,000. The estate, complete with swimming pool, tennis court, and equestrian facilities was taken off the market after just months. The private property wasn't re-listed until May 2011 when it popped up with a new, improved and much lower asking price of $5,900,000.

Property records we peeped show was sold within two months. Early reports in the celebrity real estate gossip blogs and publications like the L.A. Times show the property sold for $5,650,000 but a closer examination of online deeds and documents shows it sold for $5,909,000. Make of that what you will. As best as Your Mama can tell the horsey estate was sold to a Malibu gynecologist and a Pacific Palisades-based clinical psychologist who bills herself as a "love and happiness guru."

listing photos: Sotheby's International Realty via StreetEasy

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry but gurl is paying 2.2 million for mismatched appliances? she must be outside of her mind.

Anonymous said...

Boy, that is one ugly apartment for $2.5m

Anonymous said...

I think this has Sally's name all over it!

Anonymous said...

I wonder why she is in such a low price bracket? This girl has been working practicaly since she came out of her Mama. She has to be quite wealthy and then she just sold the Malibu place. THats what makes your blog so fascinating.

Anonymous said...

As an Europian, my biggest problem would be that any visitor have to go trough my bedroom to the terlit. For 2.5m dollar at least i would need an extra toilet!

Madam Pince said...

If this was purchased by THE Sally Field, I'd bet it's for her youngest son.

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking Ms Fields brought this apartment for someone else to live in. This doesn't look like something she would buy to live in herself. She could easily afford something bigger and nicer.

Anonymous said...

That home was purchased with ill-gotten gains. Boniva, which Ms. Fields pimps on television, has more FDA reports of serious adverse reactions than any other drug on the market. Look it up on askapatient.com sometime and read the horror stories. One after another. Shame on you, Sally.

midTN said...

***

BRRRRRRRRR

***

Anonymous said...

Finally a celeb who spends over a million and actually gets a washer and dryer included in the apt. I know..I know...if they afford to spend a mil then they can afford to send the laundry out, but still...I can't see paying that much and not including a washer/dryer. The day girl who comes in to do the cleaning can do the washing as well.

Anonymous said...

I dont like you...i really really don't like you.

Anonymous said...

the culture of no culture

Fukashima

British Petroleum

Jonathan Adler for Target

Das Kapital

Civilization and It's Discontents

Amanda Knox Goes Free

Fracking

The Death of the Species

Fiery Pintos

Nathan said...

With the exception of the missing half bath for guests, this apartment is perfect. I guess it's just not made for entertaining any friends. ...Other than may those "friends" that are entertained in the bedroom, lol.

Anonymous said...

the world is mad....that apartment, 250 thousand, in any other city.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't pay 2.5 for this particular place either but, hey you up there at 3:37, in what other world class city in an industrialized country can you buy an apartment like this for $250,000?

Examples please.

With all due respect, I don't think you know what you're talking about.

Anonymous said...

5.24pm ... "Examples please..."

only too glad to help you out..

AUCKLAND, PERTH, BUENOS AIRES, PARIS IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK, LONDON TOO, SYDNEY WITH A FEW MORE BUCKS THROWN IN, BERLIN, DUBROVNIK, DUBLIN, CARCASONNE, COPENHAGEN, I COULD GO ON.

Sadly, it seems many fail to see/know that there is a world outside the USA where not only can one live with a much better standard of living, but given the need to get a New York fix there are such things as planes and flights taking on average 12 hours - overnight - in a nice comfy bed, to get you there, and happily away again to a more sane, enjoyable liefstyle. INMHO.

With all due respect 5.24, think first before squelching out of your sphincter. Or stay right there in your state of ignorant bliss.

REITII said...

What a beautiful home!

Anonymous said...

She was just spotted in the building's elevator.

Anonymous said...

The Malibu home was to die for, (formerly Olivia Newton-John's for 20 years: ONJ bought it for $350k in 1975)and renovated and added afloor in 85' BUT WHERE IS SALLY IN LA NOW?

She has as on who goes to NYU - maybe the apartment is for him?

Baehr said...

I think this has Sally's name all over it!

Anonymous said...
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