Thursday, May 16, 2013

The New York City Townhouse Tom Cruise May (or May Not) Own Pops Up For Sale

SELLER: Some say it's Tom Cruise, but y'all should be skeptical of that
LOCATION: New York City, NY
PRICE: $28,000,000
SIZE: 8,300 square feet, 6 bedrooms,

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: In 2009 property gossips in New York City and around the globe went plain ol' berserk over the wildfire celebrity real estate rumor that Tom Cruise and his then third and now ex wife Katie Cruise just might be the mysterious buyers who shelled out $15,075,000 for a stunning six floor townhouse on West 12th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in the heart of the Gold Coast in New York City's Greenwich Village.

The speculation and rumors apparently got started by chit-chatting doormen on the block and they persisted even after both Mister Cruise and Missus Cruise—through their representatives, natch—issued denials of the much-alleged townhouse acquisition. Based on our own research into the scuttlebutt, Your Mama is not now and never was convinced that Mister and ex-Missus Cruise were the real buyers of the elegant1860 townhouse.

Whoever the owner may be, it has come to Your Mama's attention by way of a short missive from our ever-intrepid aide de camp Hot Chocolate that the townhouse long alleged to have been bought by Mister and ex-Missus Cruist back in 2009 has popped back up on the market with an attention getting $28,000,000 price tag, and, well, it's pretty damn spectacular.

Current listing details show the 21-foot wide and approximately 8,300 square foot townhouse, blessed with a magnificent wrought iron railed stoop, stands six stories above ground with an additional finished basement level below grade. There are a total five terraces, seven working fireplaces, 7.5 bathrooms, state of the art built-in surround sound and humidification systems, and an hydraulic elevator that conveniently services all but the penthouse level.  Listing details show the townhouse was worked over but good by accomplished New York City-based architect Steven Harris.

We counted six bedrooms on the floor plan included with online marketing materials, divvied up as follows: a staff suite with kitchenette and roomy full bathroom on the garden level; two ample, full-width bedrooms on the fifth floor, both with relatively compact windowless en suite facilities; two more smaller bedrooms on the fourth floor, one with small private study and puny bathroom and the other with small private terrace and unexpectedly spacious bathroom; and, finally, the master suite on the third floor that encompasses a full-width bedroom, a large walk-in closet plus additional closet space, and a luxuriously appointed but windowless marble bathroom with double sinks and cramped, windowless crapper cubby. The master bedroom connects through to the upper landing of the townhouse's rear stairs where French doors open to a terrace that's probably larger than a typical Greenwich Village studio apartment and the master bathroom has a back door into a street-facing library/private sitting room—also accessible from the stair hall—with built-in bookcases on either side of a fireplace.

The parlor floor hosts the primary public entertaining spaces and includes a vestibule entry and foyer, a cozy front parlor, and, separated by a short gallery that runs behind a well-placed powder pooper and elevator shaft, a more stately-scaled rear parlor. Beyond the rear parlor there's a sunny sun room that could also be used as a formal dining room or den). On the garden level below, a den—or possible dining room—generously spans the full width of the house and has a could-be-awkward attached three-quarter bathroom. A short corridor links the den/dining room to a top quality double-wide galley kitchen that opens at the back through a bank of French doors to a slender garden/terrace that wraps around to an interior courtyard nestled in between the kitchen and the den/dining room.

A glassed in solarium on the penthouse level opens on opposites ends through vast panels of glass to a pair decks that have been well planted for privacy. The smaller, south-facing street-side deck is equipped with an enclosed outdoor shower and—buckle your safety belts for this one—a partially sunken Japanese soaking tub for which Your Mama is living, hunties, living. Not because we like to sit like stew meat in a vat of near boiling water—we decidedly don't—but but The Dr. Cooter sure does, and on a regular basis. Had we a Redwood number like this on a drop-dead deck like that we might never have packed our bags and headed west. Anyways...

Whether Tom Cruise actually owns this show stopping townhouse or—as Your Mama thinks—it's owned by a much less famous but even richer businessman, it's a stunner sure to be a hot property, don'tcha think? Fer chrissakes, kids, about the only thing that might make this place better, really, would be a private garage. And, seriously, a person could suffocate holding their breath for an 8,000-plus square foot townhouse with a mid-block location on a prime street in the Greenwich Village Gold Coast with a private garage, you know? All real estate is a compromise even if it cost $28,000,000.

listing photos and floor plan: Brown Harris Stevens

14 comments:

Unknown said...

I'd like to get a hold of this real estate. But unfortunately, they don't have anything like this in Evanston IL. Or else I would see if I could afford it there.

Unknown said...
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WrteStufLA said...

Not only located on one of the prettiest residential blocks in Greenwich Village, but practically across the street from the oh-so-awesome Butterfield House!

Anonymous said...

he does own this. serviced tommy myself many times in that boudoir. truly an amazing man. wonderful catcher and oh so willing to go the extra mile to make sure his male employees are satisfied. xoxo.

Anonymous said...

Who bought 440 St. Cloud? it sold off market last month for 31,500,000?

Anonymous said...

Lawdalmighty if EVER a place needed that elevator! I'll bet it gets a workout. I see that they have very wisely place an additional laundry on one of the upper floors.

Unknown said...

This is one of the most attractive, best laid-out Manhattan townhouses I've ever seen...not gaudy or over the top, good floorplan, great block, etc...totally worth the price, I imagine this will get snapped up pretty quick.

Anonymous said...

The terrace with the soaking tub faces north. This house is on the south side of 12th Street.

Anonymous said...

I doubt you could replicate this for the asking price...ask Madonna. Bet it goes over list.

Sandpiper said...


Mama, can’t recall when you’ve ever been so blushingly smitten with a property -- penning superlatives like spectacular, magnificent, stunning and blessed -- right out of the gate.

Know you’re frantically doctoring your notarized bank statement and dry cleaning that inappropriately-tight leopard jumpsuit to ace a private showing. Remember to pack smelling salts and Depends. Your secret’s safe with me.

Anonymous said...

Boring interior decoration. Hopefully the new owner can liven it up a bit.

Footie said...

I'm confused by the stairs up to the solarium/roof deck. Surely the roof plan is wrong and they are on the other side? But this place is superb!!

Anonymous said...

It's a lovely townhome, no question.
However, I'm not feeling the arched windows. I, really like rectangular windows on a brownstone. Also, the windows on the parlor level should be 8 paned not 6 paned, with the levels above it having 6 paned windows.
The other issue, for me, is the interior finishing. I love repurposing an old townhome into a modern living dwelling. That said, it should pay homage to it's ancestors. Where are the plaster mouldings, medallions and trim? Get the can of frosting out. The floors, scream for detailed parquetry, using multiple species of exotic woods. Get the craftsmen in there.
Otherwise, and it may seem picky, it's just a modern townhouse, in an old shell located on a really really nice street.

Anonymous said...

Is this the W 12st house that Meryl Steep owned at one point?