Legendary actor and director Sidney Poitier, who passed away at age 94 in 2022, is remembered for much more than just his iconic movies such as To Sir, With Love and A Patch of Blue. As the first Black winner of the Academy Awards’ Best Actor category and an activist in the Civil Rights Movement, Poitier was a visible figure for racial justice in the 20th-century. His lead roles in thought-provoking Hollywood films of the 1950s and 1960s, popularity with white audiences, and vocal support for Martin Luther King Jr. all put him in a position to be a unique catalyst for change and a trailblazer for Black representation on screen. Poitier is known to have refused roles that promoted negative stereotypes, for example, and he often played complex, aspirational characters.
The movie star lived in Miami, New York City, and Los Angeles throughout his life, while London may have been in the mix, too. At one point, he called this Fifth Avenue co-op home with his wife, Joanna Shimkus. Light-filled and tranquil with sweeping views of Central Park, the Carnegie Hill duplex is the picture of modern New York City elegance and it’s now up for sale for $11.5 million.
Spanning two levels, the corner unit has 13 rooms, six of which look directly out to the park. All five bedrooms enjoy unobstructed park views, as does the heart of the home: A double living room with a chic wood-burning fireplace. While that is undoubtedly the place to be when hosting, the primary suite is sure to be another dreamy spot for new owners. Seemingly poised for relaxation wherever you are, all the rooms are dressed in neutral tones and furnishings today.
An L.A. Times story from the ’90s reported that Poitier and Shimkus sold their longtime Beverly Hills house and purchased the delightful apartment in 1994. A later New York Magazine story claimed that the duo did so to be closer to their daughters, who were both studying at NYU. Per the magazine, they sold it in 2001 to avid art collectors who already owned one unit in the building. Both are deceased now, so their estate is looking to sell it.
A timeless Manhattan home with a special history, Chris Kann of The Corcoran Group holds the listing.
