The Apartment Booze Bought

BUYER: Edgar Bronfman Jr.
LOCATION: 1040 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
PRICE: $19,500,000 (list), maintenance $8,614/month
SIZE: 5 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms
DESCRIPTION: Beautifully decorated family apartment in one of Rosario Candela's best building. Expansive views of Central Park, Fifth Avenue and the Metropolitan Museum. The apartment has large reception rooms including a living room with wood burning fireplace and a well appointed dining room, each with vie2s of the park. The library has a wood burning fireplace. There are five bedrooms, each with bath, a large kitchen with butler's pantry and laundry area, a staff room with bath and a playroom.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: The children have been shouting and ringing Your Mama's bell for more stories about New York City real estate deals. And of course we want the children to be happy, so your wish is our command. Edgar Bronfman Jr. is a scion of the Seagram's booze empire, which in effect no longer exists as a family run business having been purchased in 2000 by Pernod Ricard. In fact, it's Efer, as he's known in his intimate circles, that's responsible for diversifying the Seagram booze empire to include entertainment arms that at one time or another have included Polygram, Vivendi, Universal Pictures, and Warner Music.

Rumor has it that the scruffy faced and good looking twice dee-vorced father of six who also dabbles in producing films and Broadway theater, as well as songwriting, has finally found a buyer for his townhouse at 15 East 64th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Hang on to your hats children, because all the reports and rumors say the super rich tycoon is getting upwards of $50,000,000 for the 15,000 square foot mansion. Property records indicate our Mister Bronfman is cleaning up on this sale. Lucky bastard bought the house in 1994 for just $4,375,000. Not a bad return on his investment.

So now that he's sold the big fancy townhouse, he's got to find another place to sleep at night. And according S. Jhoanna Robledo in a recent article in New York Magazine it appears the sexy songwriter may have in fact found his next nest: 1040 Fifth Avenue. All you property freaks that follow the New York City real estate scene will recognize that very famous address as being the Rosario Candela designed building where Jackie-O long occupied a full floor unit on the 15th floor. After Miz Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onasis met her maker in 1994, the apartment was bought and renovated by billionaire David Koch who has since moved on to a much larger duplex apartment at 740 Park Avenue.

Anyhoo, if Miz Robledo is to be believed, and she probably is, the sprawling apartment Mister Bronfman Jr. is reported to be buying occupies a high floor corner overlooking Central Park and the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Traditionally laid out with graciously proportioned rooms, the 11 room co-op features a private elevator landing, long and wide living and dining rooms, a cozy library (natch), 3 principle bedroom suites, plus a master suite at the rear of the unit that encompasses a large bedroom with fireplace, a dressing room, two walk in closets and two bathrooms. Additionally we find a large eat in kitchen, with commodious and enviable butler's pantry.

And of course, as we see in so many of the grand old apartments in New York, there is also an itty bitty staff room with bath at the back of the apartment. In this case, there's also a "playroom" back there, because heaven forbid the children actually play in the living room where the adults gather.

Somebody please tell Your Mama that all the filthy rich folks on the Upper East Side aren't still squeezing their staff into those cell like rooms. What would OSHA have to say about these cruel and unusual living conditions? Please. Listen up Richie Riches all up and down Park and Fifth Avenues, start buying nearby apartments to house your staff. It's really the only humane way to house your staff nowadays.

Your Mama would critique the decor, but really, what's the point? Mister Bronfman Jr. will surely rip the place apart and have his team of nice gay decorators overhaul the place into a sophisticated aerie commensurate with his position as a titan of the New York business world. Hopefully he will start with that drab and oddly configured kitchen. The dark floors are lovely, but do you notice the washer and dryer just hanging out there all exposed? Certainly this set up is acceptable in a trailer home, but not in a $20,000,000 apartment on 5th Avenue, one of the most famous and highest priced streets on the planet.

P.S. Y'all can ridicule and sass Your Mama all you like, but we are feeling that animal print carpeting in the library deep down in our soul. For some reason these animal print carpets are rubbing up on our happy spots lately.

Sources: Vertex Realty Group, New York Magazine, The City Review,