Yahoo Lifestyle Inside a $25 Million N.Y.C. Townhouse Renovated to Preserve Its 1930s Charm
Many townhouses in New York City’s Upper East Side have elegant facades, but there is perhaps only one that features a marble staircase set into a curved alcove leading to the front door. Distinction takes priority at this 1930s address on East 78th Street, where a dispute between neighbors ended with an unexpected twist in 2022. Newly refreshed with modern comforts alongside original details, the jaw-dropper of a house is back on the market with a $24.99 million price tag.
Originally built by banker Henry Winthrop in 1931, the Neo-Georgian mansion was designed by the acclaimed Gilded Age architecture firm Delano and Aldrich, whose many commissions across Manhattan include the Knickerbocker Club, considered one of the most exclusive member’s clubs in the United States, along with lavish residences for illustrious families such as the Astors and Rockefellers. Today, the house spans 13,000 square feet over eight elevator-serviced floors.
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The townhouse has actually been on and off the market for over a decade, racking up quite a history. Late publishing giant Richard “Dick” Snyder acquired the home in 1996, about two years after he was unceremoniously fired from Simon & Schuster, which he ran with a famously fearsome hand for decades. He unsuccessfully tried to sell in 2012 with an asking price of $26 million and then re-listed it in 2021 with a $9 million price cut.
In 2014, Snyder filed a lawsuit against his next-door neighbors, Bryan and Meredith Verona, claiming the renovation of their townhouse was making it difficult to sell his, the New York Post reported. The suit was dismissed a year later and though they had no intention of buying the home, the Verona’s began to consider it when the price dropped to $11.5 million. In 2022, they arranged to buy the house for a steeply discounted $9.25 million.
Since then, a complete renovation has been carried, including the addition of central air, updated security systems, and smart home features. Aside from its nine bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, each featuring a heated floor, there are six fireplaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, and restored marble mantels that add a classic flair.
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Among the home’s many ample living and entertaining spaces are a 30-foot living room with a discreet wet bar, a flamboyantly paneled library, and a dining room that spills onto a balcony dining spot. The brand-new kitchen is tucked down into the lower ground floor along with a breakfast room, butler’s pantry and staff suite. There’s another staff or guest suite on the garden level, along with access to the 200-square-foot backyard.
One of the en suite bedrooms is easily incorporated into the primary suite, which means it would span the entire third floor, and at the top of the house, a small kitchen is convenient to a large nearby terrace and a staircase that climbs to a 50-foot-long rooftop patio. One other unique amenity that you don’t come across in UES townhouses is this abode’s private basketball court that’s been added to one of the terraces.
One of the home’s owners, Meredith Verona of Corcoran holds the listing.
Click here for more photos of the Upper East Side townhouse.
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