The Finest House in New York

Last week when Hurricane Sandy hit, I stopped in one of the few Manhattan-area movie theaters with power to see the new Richard Gere movie Arbitrage.  Gere played a Madoff-esque hedge fund manager who lived at the prized Gramercy Park brownstone at 19 Gramercy Park South.  Once called "unquestionably the greatest house remaining in private hands in New York," the five story townhome sold in 2000 to Dr. Henry Jarecki, co-founder of MovieFone, for $16.5 million.  Dr. Jarecki's son directed Arbitrage and filmed on location without having to pay Dr. Jarecki's ordinary $50,000/day fee to shoot at the apartment.

19 Gramercy Park South

The townhome dates back to 1831 when Gramercy Park was mostly farmland.  New York City boosted a population of 191,000 at that time, but most lived south of 14th street according to New York magazine and development of Gramercy Park was slow in its early years because no one wanted to live as far uptown as 20th street.  Gramercy Park was divided into 66 lots and an edifice was constructed on the spot where 19 Gramercy Park now stands.  The townhome underwent a massive restoration in 1887 when railroad tycoon Stuyvesant Fish bought it and paid architect Stanford White $120,000 to transform it into a spot for lavish social parties.  Fish's wife Mamie was a commanding presence and prominent socialite of her day.  According to New York magazine, Mamie was determined to unseat Mrs. William Walter Astor as the grande dame of her time.  The 6-story townhouse overlooks the park with 37 rooms and 18,000 square feet of space.  Stanford White's prized addition was a circular stairway that connects the five floors; this is featured prominently in the film Arbitrage.

Many of the bathrooms are warmed by their own fireplaces (there are 13 fireplaces in total).  The penthouse fifth-floor features a 25 x 40 foot ballroom space complete with a bar and musician raised balcony, perfect for the many fashion shows and dinner parties that have been held at the space.

In 1899, the Fish's moved to the Upper East side but rented rooms of 19 Gramercy Park out to notable tenants for the next 30 years, including actor John Barrymore (great grandfather of Drew Barrymore) and politician Norman Thomson.  In the 1930s, the first two floors were rented out by New York P.R. giant Ben Sonnenberg under the proviso that he could do whatever he wanted with the space.  The other floors continued to be rented out and a restaurant continued to operate in the basement.  In 1945, Sonnenberg purchased the townhome from Fish for $85,000.  Sonnenberg once again revitalized the space and each of the 37 floors took on a whole new character.  The second floor drawing room, for example, was called the William and Mary room after being paneled with 17th century oak from Streatlam Castle in England.  Sonnenberg, a renowned art collector, decorated the walls with paintings from Goya, Seurat, and Cezanne, and Renoir.

Lauren Bacall at a 1959 party at 19 Gramercy Park

Sonnenberg continued the socialite tradition of the home.  Astors, Rockefellers, and Vanderbilts partied in the fifth floor ballroom.  Writers John Steinbeck and Langston Hughes attended his parties, as well as actors Henry Fonda and Lauren Bacall.

A party at 19 Gramercy Park circa 1940

The guest list of one party in 1967 included Bob Dylan, Jackie Kennedy, and Truman Capote.  Sonnenberg is quoted as saying every party should include one actress, one businessman, one artist, and one banker.  Sonnenberg died in 1978 and most of the possessions in the home, including his artwork, were sold.  "Strike the set," he was once quoted as saying regarding what would happen to his showcase home when he died, "the show is over."  In 1979, the home was auctioned off to Dr. Walter Langer, a "baron" and perfume creator, for $1.5 million.  The home continued to be bastion of social elite.  Mia Farrow and Woody Allen were said to stop by every Christmas Eve to celebrate.  In 2000, Dr. Jarecki finally purchased the home for $16.5 million and he remains there today.