A townhouse in New York City began its life as a bachelor pad and has deep ties to the fashion industry, including labels Gucci and Calvin Klein.
The Manhattan property, on the market for $19.5 million according to a listing on Homes.com, is nestled between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue, two major streets lined with restaurants, stores and museums. There's only one way to describe the townhouse, according to listing agent George Vanderploeg of Douglas Elliman.
"You usually don't say this about a building, but it has a lot of charisma," Vanderploeg said in an interview. "It's fun to show."
Part of 16 E. 76th St.'s charisma comes from the people who once lived there.
The property was built in 1902 for Moncure Robinson, a prominent 19th century lawyer and engineer who graduated from college at 16 and helped design and plan many railroad lines across Virginia and Pennsylvania, according to a historical document published by William and Mary College. Robinson sold the building in 1923 and it changed hands many times, including being the home of the Gucci family, Vanderploeg said. The Guccis sold the home to another big name in fashion, designer Calvin Klein, who called it home between 1989 and 1994, he said.
Klein didn't change the property too much during his tenure, according to Vanderploeg, other than adding a penthouse area on top of the structure.
"He used to have disco parties up there," Vanderploeg said. "It had a real Studio 54 vibe," he said, referring to the iconic New York nightclub.
The townhouse — located on the Upper East Side — features six bedrooms and six bathrooms across six floors. The 10,258-square-foot home also has eight fireplaces, a rooftop garden, and a wood-paneled library.
The Upper East Side neighborhood is known for wide, tree-lined streets, white-glove buildings with impeccable service, historic brownstones, and prewar co-ops from the 1920s.
Housing prices run the gamut, but co-ops dominate the market. Small studios start around $400,000, yet it’s possible to find two-bedroom, two-bath spaces in the low million-dollar range. Due to the percentage of multimillion-dollar units, the average price is closer to $3 million.
Klein eventually sold 16 E. 76th to the Italian government, which has been the owner for the past 30 years. Italian officials have been using the property to house United Nations ambassadors, according to Vanderploeg. The space has hosted several diplomatic dinners and other functions.
The next owner could be another government entity or a family, Vanderploeg said. Or, the property could be converted to a meeting place or social club.
"It's a great house for entertaining," he said.