One of the NBA's biggest stars is selling the condominium he lived in while playing for the Brooklyn Nets.
Ben Simmons is looking for a buyer for his five-bedroom, seven-bathroom unit at 30 Front St. in Brooklyn, New York. His asking price is $16.9 million, according to a Homes.com listing.
"Walking into the home itself — from the foyer into the main living space — it's breathtaking because of the view," said M. Monica Novo, the listing agent with Douglas Elliman. "You have this open living space with a large kitchen, and you can see through to downtown Brooklyn, Freedom Tower, the Brooklyn Bridge. It's 180 degrees of view; you can see as far as the Verrazano Bridge."
Simmons' home is actually two condo units combined on the 21st floor of Olympia Dumbo, a 76-unit building in Brooklyn's Dumbo neighborhood. The building is about a 10-minute drive to Barclays Center, the home court of the Nets. Simmons, who is 6-foot-10, had both units combined to fit the extra-large space he needed in a home, Novo said.
"He was considering the penthouse but found the main living area too compact for his needs," she said, adding that the ceilings are 11-feet high. "I suggested an alternative approach — combining two units — which not only provided a more expansive living area but also offered additional space exceeding the penthouse." His combined condo is 5,261 square feet.
Dumbo, which stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, is a unique section of Brooklyn that once housed heavy manufacturing but has been transformed into a trendy residential area. Buildings that started as factories have been renovated into condos, and former warehouses have been turned into lofts. The average home value in the neighborhood is $1.9 million, Homes.com data shows.
Simmons hired an interior design team to help map out the combined unit, Novo said. He wanted the unit plotted specifically to create clear separation from his private living area and places where he would entertain guests, she said.
Australian-born Simmons moved into his Dumbo spot in September 2023 after spending six years playing in Philadelphia. He is selling it because he plays in California for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Simmons' unit officially went on sale late Wednesday, according to Novo. Simmons has taken his personal belongings to California, but the furniture house hunters will see in the unit is still his, she added.
"His home is stunning," Novo said. "This is a home that's going to be for anyone — a family, an athlete, a single person — it's going to cater to all walks of life."
Novo should have no problem selling the condo, considering how demand for housing in Brooklyn has been scorching hot in recent months. The borough saw 1,102 closed sales in the fourth quarter, and inventory grew to 1,427 units, up 13% from the fourth quarter of 2023, according to an analysis from Corcoran Real Estate.
"The Brooklyn market wrapped up 2024 on a solid note," Corcoran market researchers said. "Strong demand helped elevate prices, which increased across the board versus a year ago. A greater share of sales over $2 million pushed the average price to its second highest point in two-and-a-half years."
New Yorkers purchased 192 condo units last month, and most of those were in the $1 million to $2 million price range, according to data from brokerage Douglas Elliman.