One of the defining characteristics of Manhattan real estate has been the marriage of historic pre-War architectural character and luxury interiors designed for modern living. This full-floor penthouse condominium wedged between New York City’s Flatiron and Gramercy Park pays homage to this tradition in one of NYC’s hottest up-and-coming neighborhoods.
Known as The Bullmoose Condominium, named in honor of Theodore Roosevelt’s birthplace on the block, the private unassuming building was built in 1904 and transformed into condominiums in 2004. With just 22 units, the building retains a sense of privacy and exclusivity that is becoming increasingly scarce in many Manhattan neighborhoods with the construction and conversion of ever-larger (and taller) buildings designed to maximize density.
The heart of this home is the open concept, gourmet chef’s kitchen anchored by a central island wrapped in slabs of Calacatta Paonazzo marble. The custom walnut cabinetry is defined by clean lines and subtle, antique brass allowing the Calacatta marble island (and the chef behind it) to remain the center of attention. Deftly hidden within the cabinetry and away from guests’ primary sight lines are all of the tools a master chef needs for entertaining, including a Bluestar eight-burner range and oven, two Thermador dishwashers, multiple Thermador refrigerators and freezers and custom-designed drawers that provide ingenious storage to keep everything at your fingertips.
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The ultimate entertaining edge of this residence is the urban oenophile’s dream. In most high-end homes today outside of metro areas, a wine cellar is now considered a requirement — not a luxury. In a renovated, pre-War building in the middle of Manhattan, it’s considered a miracle. The custom cedar wine room in this condo can hold 2000 bottles of your finest vintages and is controlled by its own independent HVAC system to maintain temperature and humidity.
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The meticulous renovation of the building, and this residence in particular, continues into the palatial great room, which features imported European fireplaces, 13 foot ceilings, hardwood floors and eight foot windows that bring in ambient light through the day. The custom, solid wood floor-to-ceiling built-ins at one end provide artistic display space for fine china, rare book collections, and sculpture. A separate library offers a quiet domain for less formal entertaining featuring custom built-ins and full-featured wet bar.
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Rarely found in a historic pre-War building but now common in new buildings in NYC is private outdoor space with skyline views on full display. The 4,500 interior square feet of this residence comes with an additional 1,000 square feet of landscaped terrace that is your own private oasis, commanding one-of-a-kind views of Manhattan. The irrigated, elevated planters and custom outdoor lighting create an entirely separate outdoor living and entertaining space that is accessible from two of the five bedrooms and the media room, and it’s linked to the home’s Sonos audio system with four-season outdoor speakers.
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The historic Bullmoose Condominium building offers a rare opportunity to be part of the revival of one of NYC’s most iconic districts; steps from many premiere, up-and-coming gourmet restaurants, cafes, grocers, and retail boutiques. In a city known for constantly reinventing itself block-by-block, there are few better examples of blending history, modernity, and revitalization than this.
Meggen Taylor is a co-founder of FindEverythingHistoric.com.