Lydia Hearst, the comely, blonde 23-year-old model and heiress, has bought her first apartment. According to city records filed today, she spent $1.49 million in late December for a high-floor apartment at Sheffield57.
Why did she choose a midtown condo conversion instead of, say, a Village studio? “You know, I do love being downtown,” she told The Observer from Hollywood, “but 57th Street? You have Central Park, and it sort of feels like the real Manhattan, at least the way Manhattan looks in the movies… And, of course, it’s right next-door to the Hearst Corporation,” the triangle-paneled new tower designed by Sir Norman Foster, built above the six-story structure that Ms. Hearst’s maternal great-grandfather, William Randolph Hearst, finished 80 years ago.
But her apartment faces New Jersey and downtown instead of the family firm. “I didn’t really want to look into the offices. It would be a little awkward to wake up and wave to my family across the way.” (Sadly, Hearst actually bought up 109,000 square feet of office space in the Sheffield, too.)
What will her little condo look like? “Everything is very antique. It will be very much a William Randolph Hearst style.” On the other hand, of course, Mr. Hearst’s H-shaped mansion had 29 bedrooms. “Hopefully,” she said, “I can sort of bring that in a two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan.”
The Sheffield’s perks help: “There is a private movie theater and a restaurant for the people that live there, and also a swimming pool and a spa for pets and people.” (Ms. Hearst will bring her Egyptian Mau cat, Anubis Tutankhamun.)
Her home office, among other things, will have a desk from her great-grandfather. “I have a lot of antiques from my family, but I’ve sort of branched out and started my own collection. I have a little bit of everything." The office’s collection of film posters includes Citizen Kane, which, of course, was inspired by her great-grandfather, plus Martin Scorsese’s debut, about a rape, Who’s That Knocking On My Door. “It’s actually really rare, I think I got one of the last one’s remaining.”
Even though Ms. Hearst moved in last week, she still needs to build closets: “I have my fair share of clothes.” One hopes she’ll be done by May, when The Michael Awards will name her model of the year.
