Both Perry Rubenstein and his wife, Sara Fitzmaurice are adept sellers. As an art dealer, Mr. Rubenstein has sold millions of dollars of artwork to collectors across the globe. Ms. Fitzmaurice, the founder of PR mega-company Fitz&Co, sells brands, ideas and campaigns for the art world. It should come as little surprise, therefore, that the two have sold their Chelsea apartment for an incredible profit.
The couple bought their 4-bedroom, 3.5-bath condo at 521 West 23rd Street for $764,000 and just sold it for $5 million, according to city records. To be fair, price-points in West Chelsea were considerably lower when the couple originally bought the 3,280-square-foot pad back in 1998. Still, the power-pair turned an impressive profit on the place.
According to a listing from Corcoran agents Melanie and Kenny Blumstein and David Strah, the home spans a full floor. In between the typical broker-babble adjectives, (“gracious,” “elegant,” “soaring,” “exquisite”) we gleaned that the condo has 13-foot ceilings, an 86-square-foot living room and “an incredibly rich history.”
Mr. Rubenstein and Ms. Fitzmaurice have what we’ll call a distinct aesthetic, if pictures of their condo offer any insight. The kitchen walls are painted neon green, a sort of cephalopod sculpture squirms around the living room, and various amoebic pieces of furniture dot the home. If this sounds like a child’s wonderland, like growing up at Chuck E. Cheese, the home may not be as fun as it seems for the artsy couple’s two kids. As Mr. Rubenstein told The Wall Street Journal, “They grew up with art and were taught not to touch it the way other kids learn not to touch something hot.”
In addition to forking over $5 million for the property, the buyers, Jon and Lisa Goldberg, will be stuck with a $22,000 bill for elevator upgrades, according to the listing. Meanwhile, Mr. Rubenstein and Ms. Fitzmaurice are soaking up the sun in their new Los Angles home.
But apparently they weren’t ready to leave the Chelsea art scene forever. On the deed, the couple list their current address as a penthouse rental in (naturally) The Tate, a luxury building on West 23rd Street.
eknutsen@observer.com