It’s not unusual for many luxury properties, despite their beauty and even celeb appeal, to linger on the market for months before finding a buyer. That has been the case with Amy Schumer’s Brooklyn townhouse and Kris Jenner’s L.A. mansion, for example, which are both still waiting for someone to nab them. But, that’s not the story of this sun-filled Manhattan duplex at 130 East 67th Street.
Long the home of acclaimed sculptor Joel Shapiro and abstract painter Ellen Phelan, who married in 1978, the three-bedroom residence listed in mid-October and went into contract just before Halloween. Shapiro, who is considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th-century, passed away this June. According to the New York Post, his Brooklyn-based daughter, who is an art advisor, is the executor dealing with the sale.
So, what are some of the attributes that reeled a buyer in so fast? Well, the two-level home sits in a circa-1907, Italian Renaissance palazzo-style building designed by Charles A. Platt. Beyond its limestone facade, this co-op in particular impresses with a 20-foot ceiling in the main living space, a lovely mezzanine upstairs, and immense natural light (isn’t that essential for artists?).
While the apartment was staged to list, it was once filled with Shapiro and Phelan’s personal art collection. However, the duo didn’t just adorn it with their items. They left their mark by masterfully renovating it in the 2000s. Most notably, they even designed the eye-catching staircase with wavy railings. With Shapiro’s sculptures once sitting atop The Met nearby, in the MoMA, and in museums around the world, just imagine how cool it is to walk that staircase knowing he helped conceptualize it.
Eileen Angelo and Max Collins of Sotheby’s International Realty held the listing.