The views from the windows are so awesome and perfect that you could almost wonder if they're wallpaper - unbelievably beautiful home and views. It doesn't get any better.
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This article just blew my fav daydream into the stratosphere! I'm walking along 5th Avenue and I notice that a crane is about to
drop something heavy on to the sidewalk. The woman ahead of me is in danger! I run ahead and stop her, covering the front of her body with mine. There is a big crash but no one is hurt! Are you ok? I cry out! Lo and behold it's Bette!! She is ecstatic, I'm dumbfounded! We go to the Russian Tea Room! We go all over the ciy, everyone loves her, and I'm the heroine of the day! Now I know how the day ends!! We wind up at this mind blowing extraordinary place and she plays the piano and sings all my fav Bette songs to me. Now I have photos to make my daydream complete! My mom and sister were big Bette fans going way back, may they be joyful in heaven. Bette we love the music,we love the movies, we love you always and forever. You brought us such joy and lsughter! May you be happy wherever you live!!!
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This has got to be one of the most perfect NYC apartments. Overlooking the reservoir, having a huge garden terrace, and space to burn...it couldn't get much nicer in the city. If I had the money, i would buy it.
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I love Bette, always have, from The Rose to Hello Dolly! (which I saw seven, yes SEVEN times and loved it more each time). She is the treasure, not her apartment.
I hope she gets what she wants, although I would proffer that it fetches no more than $25 Million. From my extensive reading about New York real estate, people with that kind of money at their disposal want new, sleek glass towers downtown. Plus, many of those people probably wouldn't pass the Board's strict requirements anyway.
I'll be really curious to watch this one. Remember a few years back when Demi Moore put her San Remo penthouse up for sale for $70 Million? A few years later she dropped it to $59 Million and then took it off the market altogether. Bette's is more spectacular with incredible outdoor space, so time will tell, won't it.
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Nice digs, but 50 mil? Cereal? She's got what? 500k in actual material that built the place. We all love the Bette but that's just outrageous. I'd give her 10 but only if she'd have dinner with me and serenade me with the "The Rose" after dinner.
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Why is this story an “exclusive” when it is being covered all over the place? Big real estate news and it is not just in NYT. I m confused.
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Wow! What a place; what a view.
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What a beautiful home!
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"Ms. Midler added a birdbath and birdhouses along the terrace."
My buildings board would have a fit, if I even feed the birds.
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Stunning!
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New York Times, do please let us know when the apt. is sold and who bought it at what price, in other words, all the news fit to print about it. Thanks a million.
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Not used to seeing “enormous” tossed about so liberally in the real estate section, but Ms. Midler is enormous in the very best sense of the word, so I’m writing merely to complain about it also not being applied to her library, as well as her living room and stove hood.
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that is a lot of bath towels!!
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Not bad for a singer who use to work as a performer in gay bath houses! Bette sure did well!
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At first I thought $50 million was a stretch, but a single floor apartment below hers sold for $19 million in July. Her apartment is three floors, so maybe she'll get asking price.
It is absolutely stunning and is an ideal neighborhood. I wish her the best.
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I keep coming back to look at these pictures. When I’m in Central Park and I look over at Fifth, I often wonder who has those amazing terraces. And now I know who has at least one of them!
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Beautiful home. Must be hard to give it up. Happy to read she’s a birdwatcher and put protective strips on her windows.
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Absolutely beautiful penthouse. And the view...to die for!
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Real people lived here. This is a home, not some staged monstrosity. If you can afford it, it is a steal!
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Lovely property. And it's nice to know that Bette could afford stainless-steel kitchen appliances.
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That’s some asking price but there is an oversupply in NYC. I would guess the first drop will be to $39 million and then sold for $22 million. There is a free fall in luxury currently.
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Well, there you go…it sold for $45 million.
Will Betty donate the proceeds of this sale to help the homeless in NYC or to NYCHA to fix some of the public housing in the Bronx where too often these residents have no heat ever winter?
I doubt it...
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On the other hand, Bette Midler has worked tirelessly on behalf of many causes. One of the ones I most admire is New York Restoration Project. The city is cleaner and greener, and its children more aware of and involved in nature, because of Ms Midler.
Nor, despite your smug sniping, do you know how much she has personally given away.
But if you must, even so, all the money in the world would not relieve everyone's poverty, and poverty of mind.
Or pettiness.
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@MDCooks8 I know for a fact that she donates lots of money.
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@B.
Actually, all the money in the world could easily relieve everyone's financial poverty.
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LOL, I remember working on a project with a woman who lived in an 11,000 square foot house (complete with two large guest houses on her two acre property) with her husband and TWO children. I asked her why she was selling, and she said her husband had died and her children went off to college, so she was downsizing to a 6,000 SF place.
Of course the ultimate downsizer in this arena is Candy Spelling who went from a 56,000+ square foot estate to a 16,000 square foot condo - and she lives alone.
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50 million in this market? Her brokers are taking her for a ride to have agreed to this price and I am surprised such a savvy lady as Bette would not know she will half her price before she gets any offers-
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Priced to sell??!!
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@Blew Her Coupe
I doubt Ms. Midler is desperate. She’s probably in a position of having the luxury of “wait and see.” Time will tell.
It's hard to imagine anyone else besides Bette Midler who deserves to live here. Lovely person, lovely home.
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I hope the next owner takes as good a care of Ms. Midler's creatures as she has. I suspect she might miss her birds the most. Most people do not realize that New York City, particularly Manhattan, is a major bird flyway. How thoughtful of her to dress her windows to prevent them from injury. But Bette Midler is a rare songbird herself and her taste and character are both exquisite. Thanks for sharing.
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I subscribe to AD and saw this apartment in an issue several years ago. I enjoy the magazine for many reasons having to do with my passions for photography, architecture, and design, among others. I certainly don't lead a lifestyle anywhere near those who are featured but that's not the point, I just like to imagine waking up in a featured home, or having coffee in that kitchen, or swimming in that pool. Plus I like to see the art and learn about the different locations.
That said, I kinda fell more in love with Bette Midler when I saw that spread then, and now these photos. She not only has an immense set of talents including acting, singing, and comedy, but she also has seemed passionate about such good causes and charity. And incredible taste as shown in her home.
I don't know how they can give that space up, though. I had a glass of red wine just now in the living room! I look forward to when they downsize and redecorate. New York is lucky to have Bette Midler and her family.
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This building was featured in one of my favorite documentaries "Dad's In Heaven With Nixon", about a once-wealthy family, alcoholism, mental illness and the exceptional artistic gifts of an autistic son. The filmmaker's family lived there for many years, had to sell, then his elderly mom moved back to 1125 and there are interesting interviews with her on the park benches near the 96th St. entrance to Central Park. It's a lovely part of the city and Bette's home looks cozy and inviting. If I had $50 mil laying around, I'd buy it!
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@Lil Wumpa
It would take many, many $50M's to be able to live there for any extended period of time. It's a no-finance building so the color of your money has to be green. The monthly charges cover just about everything. You get what you pay for, if you're lucky.
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@RdM
The website says financing up to 50% is permitted. Get started on that mortgage application!
This is truly a great apartment and Bette Midler is one of the world's most wonderful people. I wish her and her family continued success and beautiful surroundings.
3
Since a 3,000 sf rooftop garden terrace is unusual, I would have liked to see more photos of that in this article; a terrace of this size with a compositing site and shed (!!) is truly what makes this property unique. Bette's furnishing are dated and the floor needs to be restained, walls painted, etc. but the actual property is quite something -- many rooms open onto the terrace and overlooking the reservoir makes you feel like your in NYC, but not. Truly an outstanding property and the buyer will surely treasure it. I'm jealous.
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The furniture is dated?
I didn't notice, but if so, so what?
Most homes that are really lived in have "dated" furniture. I have some of my parents' and grandparents' pieces -- ditto spouse. Our stuff is more than dated, and we love it all.
Ms. Midler probably has better things to do with her time than run to the interior decorator every seven years.
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@Renee
"Dated" furniture? What? At least you admit it -- you're jealous.
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@Renee
Dated ?
If you chose something pretty and graceful to begin with it is is not susceptible to being dated. A brown formica countertop is dated. A marble one, even if cracked and 400 years old is not dated. A lot of my upholstery is 25 or 30 years old. But it is well chosen and was well made. People have lined up to say : " Aunt Consuelo, this may sound awful, but has anyone else asked for that couch if you ever don't want it ?" or the rugs...
Anyway all of Ms. Midler's upholstery is beautiful as are the rugs and I saw nothing untoward regarding the floors.
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So beautiful. I love the upholstery choices. I would have loved to see more pictures of the gardens, plants and greenhouse. The monthly maintenance is shocking to me though. What does one get for $ 300,000 annually ongoing ? Does this include the gardeners and housekeeping staff or are they extra ? Just curious as these are hardly relevant issues for most of us ! I am a fan of Ms. Midler's work and spirit. It will be interesting to see what downsizing looks like.
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@Consuelo Here you go: https://www.sawyerberson.com/projects/landscape-architecture-fifth-avenue-penthouse-terrace/
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My first instinct would be a snarky response and 'here we go again posting lifestyles of the rich and famous'. In this case I will reframe.
Stunning space and Ms. Middler is been a favorite of mine sine "The Rose". I hope she reads this comment. I love her humor, her acting, Her singing. And her style!
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Tony, my best recollection is there are nicer parts of Truro than others (assuming you’re writing from Truro, MA), but I can’t recall any decrepit parts of your town, which would seem an even more substantial inhibition against you sending over snark about yet another article about the rich and famous in addition to Bette Miller’s art and civic contributions.
"... a short drive from the theater district and Carnegie Hall."
This article reads like a realtor's listing.
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@Darth Vader Yes, because the residential real estate news section of the NYT *is* a realtor's listing. It's common practice for celebrities flog their for-sale (or soon to be) real estate in major publications, hence the interview with Midler about the property.
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It just couldn't get better than this in NYC. What a piece of heaven. I just can't compute or organize or take in the price but
I don't have to. This is larger than many country estates.. . in terms of rooms - they have one child but are feeling this is too much for only two people!
It is wonderful to see this. I grew up across town and love seeing
all kinds of apartments and buildings. This is, though, a Queen of apartments.
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Bette Midler is an unabashed treasure - of music, of theater, live performance, the whole and real deal. She has worked exceedingly hard for more than 50 years, her hardscrabble origins are well-known to all of her fans. All that being the case, the immature snark of some commenters here is more than a bit surprising. Why excoriate a hard-working “couple from Bogota” with “tuition bills at William Paterson”? It smacks of the very elitism the writer was purporting to condemn. And is an insult to the noble work of Wm Paterson’s faculty and administration, who serve first-generation students - many of whom doubtless are sons and daughters of Midler fans. Bravo to Ms. Midler and her family. Blessings to her new home!
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I can remember seeing photos of the outdoor space in a design magazine several years ago. The terrace design is genuinely the most stunningly beautiful garden one could ever imagine, plus the gorgeous views of Central Park; there are no words to describe such an extraordinary terrace in the middle of NYC. It makes perfect sense that Bette Middler, who works so hard to create beautiful gardens in the city, owns that slice of heaven.
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I wonder how much of the asking price is a "Best Midler Lived Here" premium?
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@R. Vasquez Probably very little. In a 50 million dollar apartment, any one who has ever lived there is a "somebody."
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@R. Vasquez Not much! Have you been looking at NY real-estate prices lately?
1
What a stunning home!
Worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it, but I'm sure someone else will love it, just like Bette did.
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Beautiful, so much light.
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"But at around 7,000 square feet — and that’s not even counting the additional 3,000 square feet of outdoor space — the apartment is too big for (an) empty-nester couple"
Uh, I don't think the *size* of the unit is the main obstacle here for most people, including empty-nester couples. I think the eight-figure asking price for Jane and Bill from Bogota, NJ is more of a deterrent--especially since their youngest's tuition bills at William Paterson are not all that low.
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@AR
"I think the eight-figure asking price for Jane and Bill from Bogota, NJ is more of a deterrent"
Not to mention the $25,515 in monthly maintenance fees. Imagine buying a new Honda Accord, every month!
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