Getting Ready for the Astor Duplex Debut

No doubt all the New York City real estate gossips will be staying awake day and night for the next week or so on a disastrous diet of Provigil and pepperoni pizza waiting to pounce on the pictures and floor plans of the legendary and soon to be listed duplex of deceased high society doyenne Brooke Astor.

After interviewing five of the Big Apple's top property pushers, Miz Astor's much maligned and not always well spoken of son Anthony Marshall and his wifey Charlene have selected a gal named Leighton Candler to list the 14-room co-op at swish 778 Park Avenue with a rumored and reported $46,000,000 asking price. That may sound like a lot of money to some of the children, but Your Mama would not be the least bit surprised if this highly desired and much anticipated apartment sells quickly and with multiple offers. The real estate market may be gimping and tumbling in some parts of the U-nited States of America, but not at the very high end of Manhattan's real estate whirligig where massive amounts of moolah change hands as frequently as people passed LSD laced doobies at Woodstock.

If anyone were to ask Your Mama, which of course no one did, the well bred blond Miz Candler–of the Coca Cola Candlers, of course–is an excellent choice to represent the dignified duplex. Not only does the ladee weave through the vicious world of Upper East Side real estate with grace and great aplomb, she also works some of the finest addresses in Manhattan having sold lavish spreads at atrociously expensive 740 Park Avenue as well as high priced 1040 Fifth Avenue where she recently sold hedge hog Scott Bommer's full floor digs as well as Jackie-O's former pad.

Along with the celebrated and oft photographed red lacquered library, the Astor duplex sprawls across part of the 15th floor and the entire 16th floor of the Rosario Candela designed apartment house and features 4 bedrooms (all en suite, natch), 5 fireplaces and an electrifying six terraces. The New York Post quotes a broker who has been in the apartment as saying, "The apartment is in very good original condition." Which means, of course, that it's well taken care of but terribly dated and the new owner will likely replace every sink, terlit and kitchen appliance in a major renovation.

Your Mama is simply too old to survive for more than a day or two without sleep, but we'll certainly try to bring the children the duplex's delicious bizness as soon after it hits the open market as we can. In the meantime delight in a few pix that New York Magazine has put out there of the Albert Hadley designed interiors for all the children to drool and ogle over.

photo: City Realty