Saturday, January 14, 2012

Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly On the Move Again

SELLERS: Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany
LOCATION: New York City, NY
PRICE: $8,495,000
SIZE: 4,096 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: It was only about 3.5 years ago that English-born movie actor Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code, A Knight's Tale) and Brooklyn-bred Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind, Requiem For A Dream, Blood Diamond) paid $6,920,000 for a full floor loft-type penthouse apartment on the edge of New York City's star-stocked TriBeCa neighborhood.

At that time multi-lingual Miz Connelly was rearing one child from a previous relationship, a boy then about 10 and now about 15, as well as a second child she produced with Mister Bettany, another boy then a toddler now about five. In May last year the couple sired a second child together—the third for her—this time a baby girl now not even a year old.

Perhaps (or perhaps not) due to their slow growing family, blond Mister Bettany and brunette Miz Connelly have recently, as first discussed by the kids at Curbed, put their expansive TriBeCa penthouse pad back on the market with an asking price of $8,495,000. Although the penthouse measures in, as per listing information, at a roomy 4,096 square feet, its current configuration only encompasses three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, a count that requires the couple to double up two of their three children in a single bedroom. And who, let's be honest chickens, wants to pay seven million bucks to have their children share a damn bedroom?

Anyhoo, current listing information shows a key-locked elevator slides open to a private vestibule that in turn gives way to a 20-foot long foyer that connects the 45-foot long Hudson River view living room to the 34-foot long open plan kitchen/dining room area that features a sizable center work island, white subway tile back splashes, a black marble farm sink, a full coterie of stainless steel appliances, and two pantry closets.

In between the living room, which has a massive sky light plus a total of 9 windows on three sides, and the kitchen/dining room there are a huge walk-in coat closet, an unusually generous laundry room, and a windowless powder pooper.

Beyond the kitchen/dining room, at the extreme ass end of the apartment, a nearly square 400-ish square foot library/family room has a full wall of custom built maple bookshelves, a vintage wood burning stove that balances the crisp modernity of the loft's imposed architecture, and a spiral staircase that winds tightly up to a small, glass-enclosed sun room and 1,380 square foot roof terrace.

Two of the loft's three bedrooms share a bedroom-sized walk-in closet—a somewhat unusual clothing storage set up to be sure—and window-free, L-shaped bathroom with an awkward column smack in the middle. The master suite, accessible from the living room or from the bedroom corridor, offers a surprisingly petite bedroom with one north facing window, a commodious closet/dressing room, and a surprisingly spacious windowed bathroom with poured concrete floors and double sinks, a free-standing soaking tub, and separate open shower.

The 8-story red brick building, built in 1980 and converted to a co-op in 1984, fronts the very busy, extremely loud, and sometimes wind whipped West Side Highway which will certainly turn off any number of the children, particularly those who don't have an affinity for (often noisy) New York City living. However, the panoramic views up and down the Hudson River and across to Jersey City are most certainly the stuff from which downtown New York City real estate dreams are made.

Before settling in TriBeCa, the Bettany-Connelly clan owned and occupied a spectacular 18-room single family limestone mansion in Brooklyn's baby buggy filled Park Slope neighborhood (above). Property records and previous reports indicate they bought the 5,243 square foot house—or 5,276 or 7,054 square feet depending on which online resource one peeps—in August 2003 for $3,700,000. They listed their former Prospect Park-fronting mansion with its 9 bedrooms, 6 fireplaces and 3.5 bathrooms in the spring of 2008 with an $8,500,000 price tag. It quickly sold it to a computer genius in late 2008 for $8,450,000.

Your Mama, like the industrious kids at Curbed, can't help but wonder if Mister Bettany and Miz Connelly wish they'd never sold their big ol' mansion in Park Slope and will head back over the Brooklyn Bridge or if they're simply seeking larger quarters in Manhattan that will more suitably fit their family of five.

listing photos and floor plan (TriBeCa): Prudential Douglas Elliman
listing photo (Park Slope): Sotheby's International Realty via StreetEasy

10 comments:

WrteStufLA said...

Spectacular views and that oh-so-coveted 10013 zip code, but it's the most remote and least child-friendly location (barely) in Tribeca.

commentator8 said...

looks more like it was built in 1890 than 1980?

angie said...

Maybe it's just the photos, but I don't find the TriBeCa loft or building particular appealing. The Park Slope townhouse on the other hand is as Mama described - spectacular. I so wouldn't have traded it for the loft, Manhattan or not.

Anonymous said...

Maybe they'll buy a townhouse in Manhattan!

lil' gay boy said...

The TriBeCa loft? Meh.

But that Park Slope manse? Oy. There must be a special word for the combination of regret/envy/angst I feel about that place; back in 1895, my great grandparents owned a brownstone on the same stretch facing Prospect Park. In a commissioned set of sepia photos, chock full of Victoriana and exquisite, over-the-top architectural detail, it was astonishing.

No longer in the family, an apartment (mind you they owned the whole thing) in the still-standing structure was last valued in excess of $4M; but Nana left enough to go around, albeit rather thinly . . . (or when Ida Morgenstern tells Rhoda "...we're comfortable," Rhoda replies, "If she says 'we're comfortable,' I think I'm an heiress...")

In comparison, my current suburban digs (although 'comfortable') can best be described like Chris Farley's "van down by the river".

Kill me now.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely think this is a unique and uber sexy floor plan that could be spectacular. I am sure there is a hedge fund gentlemen or gentlelady who wants the zip code the building, the view, the space, and yes mentioning the past owners while sipping Ciroc or Kettle before heading out on the town.

Anonymous said...

Maybe it has to do with this:
http://tribecacitizen.com/2012/01/09/nosy-neighbor-whats-happening-to-my-parking-lot/

marlee said...

Rumor has it the couple have split due to postpartum issues Jennifer has dealt with since the birth of their baby girl. I wonder if that is true and that is why they are moving on.

Anonymous said...

God I loved that townhouse. And Jennifer and Paul are not breaking up, they are photo'd together all the time. I think that might be part of the problem, they get papped in front of that house constantly, literally walking in the door. Lack of privacy and yes they probably want more room. I also wonder if they now regret leaving the Park Slope manse.

Unknown said...

I really love to live that township,i never saw the house from inside. But always heard rumor about that, there a Hollywood Couple a but a full floor. I every time when somebodies talked about The 8-story red brick building, no celebrity saw around that area, Even not in the Tribeca Parking places. I lived very near to the building just two block away. After viewing the images from inside. i am totally admitted, i share a living area with celebrities.