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Bulletproof Class
Even if the recession has ushered in an era of austerity, inconspicuousness and modesty, there are certain pockets of New York City where hilarious sumptuousness still thrives.
Consider the 25-foot-wide, 14-room East 10th Street townhouse that Corcoran’s Eileen Robert just listed for $19.9 million. The 1846 house, between Fifth Avenue and University Place, has a six-machine laundry, a wine cooler, a playroom, a vault and a bathroom once used for washing three large dogs—all in the basement alone, which isn’t even shown here. Upstairs, there’s a very large tub by a very large fireplace; a wet bar by a bulletproof door; a lot of phone lines; an amusingly large magazine rack; and some nice shelving for a kid’s toys.
In other words, the house—which, according to city records, is owned by the media entrepreneur Clive Ng and his wife, the ex-model Farrah Summerford—is a nice little relic of the go-go days. - Max Abelson
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The Entry
The entry under the stoop takes you to a welcoming area paved with antique stones quarried between 1820 and 1900. Classy.
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Staff Bedroom with Non-Working Fireplace
The only fireplace in the house that doesn’t work is in this staff bedroom, but its gold-flecked mantel is original, at least.
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Bulletproof Back Door
The back door is bulletproof; better yet, the house’s five-camera video security system has something called “24 hour time lapse recording.”
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This Used to Be a Yoga Room
This used to be a “yoga/massage” room. Now it’s a child’s bedroom with separate sleeping and play areas (and a closet with “built-in shelving for toy storage”).
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Bar Built from Dark Walnut
The wet bar is built from dark walnut, of course, and has a fridge and wine cooler.
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Master Bathroom Tub Next To a Fireplace
The master bathroom’s tub (“large, sensual, oval,” the listing coos) is next to a fireplace whose stone mantel is from Chesney’s in London, just like the stone mantel in the master bedroom.
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50 Feet of Bookcases
The entire top floor of the house is one media room with 50 feet of bookcases, a custom-made magazine rack, a built-in entertainment system and, of course, skylights.
