Private Sale
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6 SUTTON SQUARE – beautiful Hampton in the middle of Manhattan
A little history
House is 100 years old. Once I got an anonymous letter from someone who said that the house was built by his grandparents Kate and Edgar Stillman and he found two pictures taken around that time. And wanted me to have them.
The Square is a very special place with a huge garden surrounded by 14 houses owned by some very famous people. Onassis once lived in the house #16 closest to the river. Drew Heinz of Heinz ketchup lived at #1 Sutton Place before she passed away in 2018. Recently the fashion designer Thom Browne and his partner Andrew Bolton of the Met Costume Institute bought it. The world-famous architect I M Pei lived in #11 for nearly half a century. The Secretary General of the United Nations has #3-5 Sutton Place as his residence. In 1920, Ann Morgan donated this house to the United Nations specifically as the official residence of the SG. So through the years, we have had these great men as our neighbors: Javier Perez de Cuellar, Kofi Annan, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Ban Ki Moon, and now Antonio Guterres.
My house was owned by various owners. Peter Sprague, the chairman of National Semiconductor and co-chairman of Aston Martin, the English sports-car maker owned it for a long time, but he did not do much to the house. But he DID hire a Russian majordomo, who turned out to be a writer and political dissident in Russia. Edward Limonov was his name. He chronicled his years at 6 Sutton Square in his book “His Butler’s Story”. The last owner I bought it from was Jean Stein, who was the heir to the MCA fortune and a well-known writer who wrote a book about Edie Sedgewich, “Edie: American Girl”. Her then husband Torsten Wiesel, a. Nobel Prize Winner, was the President of Roosevelt University just down the block from us. She bought the house and for 3.5 years never did a thing to renovate it because I think she realized that the job was too daunting. But I was told President Wiesel did stay in the house very briefly.
My first sight of 6 Sutton Square
I bought the house in 1989, so I have lived in this house for over 30 years. It was truly a very run down, decrepit house when I bought it. But the location is unbeatable being in the middle of NYC and flanked by the East River. The first time I was in the house, I walked out to the Garden, it was unbelievable that a child was on the swing! Such a stunning sight in the middle of Manhattan! I saw these stunning old trees around the manicured garden with colorful flowers. It was indeed a an exclusive “Secret Garden”. No one would believe such a gorgeous place exists with a 12,000-square-foot garden flanked by the East River and with the Queensborough Bridge as a backdrop! I always said that I have saved a lot of money because I don’t need a house in the Hamptons and have to fight 2.5 hours of driving, the Hamptons are in my backyard.
When the prince of Thailand came with his entourage, his head monk went straight to my garden and said that the old tree in this garden was 300 years old, a fairy lived in the tree that protected this garden. In deed this garden is truly being protected all these years from all kinds of disasters.
Renovation
Through the years, I have done many renovations. But the last one was the most extensive that lasted a long 5.5 years to finish in 2015 and cost me $9 million dollars. This was most costly and most difficult due to all kinds of reasons too long to describe here. We tore down the penthouse which was poorly built, rebuilt it and added a beautiful rooftop for rooftop party and possible edible garden up there. We literally changed everything in the house. From the HVAC system, all new windows, to interior walls of the house. We opened all the walls and rewired everything inside. We also installed a sprinkler system throughout the house. So the house is totally up to code.
The result is one of the most gorgeous houses in the city in move-in mint condition.
The Elevator
In the last renovation, we built a new elevator. It’s small but we made the best use of space allowed by building code. The car was custom built. It has mirror walls so the inside does not feel so confined. I designed a cosmetics compartment on the panel where perfumes and makeups can be stored for last-minute use. This elevator is the safest and most reliable because it’s Hydraulic.
Security System Throughout the House
The entire house is wired with security system. We have cameras everywhere: front of the house, back of the house and the roof top. It is connected to the police station.
Smart AV System
Ceiling speakers are installed on the ground floor, first floor, second floor and top floor of the house TV control is also centralized. The system is called Savant Pro. It’s compatible with all major AV service providers.
The Beautiful Doors Inside the House
During the last renovation we took all the old doors down and replaced them with 7.5-foot tall solid mahogany wood doors. The expense was worth it because they have added much elegance to the house throughout.
The Safe Entrance
The exterior wrought iron gate is extremely useful and created a lot of safety. It allows us to see who is outside without opening the door. and if we don’t know the person, we will talk to him through the house intercom or we will just talk with the gate closed. And no one can get out of the house unless we buzz him out for an added security measure.
The Front Door
The front door is probably one of the most famous in the Sutton Square area. So many people will stop and admire it for a long time and also take pictures of it. I often joke that if I can get a dollar for each picture taken, I will be a millionaire! It is made of teak and was made in Indonesia by a well-known master. It has the story of Ramayana carved into the door. On top of it are two barongs which are supposed to protect the house. If you clean it every month, and rub oil into it, it will last your lifetime.
Ground Floor
The entrance lobby has a beautiful marble mosaic floor in the original Georgian style. It leads down a few steps to a small reception room. I use this room for small meetings, and in the summer, I open the doors to the lanai and usually serve cocktails before dinner.
The Lanai
It is big enough for cocktails lunch and dinner. I have done it all with great success. The garden view is unexpected and spectacular.
The Dining Room
The dining room is next door. The table when extended can seat 20 people comfortably. I have actually sat 24 people once adding a few smaller chairs. This table is made just for the room and is perfect for entertaining. The side boards custom made from China are perfect for storing tabletops such as plates, silverware, placemats, napkins and etc. The walls are stencil painted by the great French painter Pierre Finkelstein. Many political leaders, famous musicians, writers, actors, celebrities have been my guests through the years.
The Kitchen
It is rather big with good storage space. All the cabinets and appliances were built and installed 2015.
The Garden
The garden is certainly one of the most distinctive features of the Square. When you buy this house, you become part owner of the 6 Sutton Square garden. There are 14 owners, but only 12 can SEE the garden. There is a management company that runs the garden. We pay a proportional share of the fees according to the size of our houses. Throughout the year different flowers are planted to maximize the flowering season. The magnolia tree is the first to bloom at the first sight of spring. In the morning the air is especially fresh and unpolluted and in the evening the garden is lit in a most dramatic way. It’s one of the most magical places in Manhattan, and it is private!
The Basement
We have a big basement and it has “windows”. It can be accessed by elevator and also a staircase. One of my housekeepers lives in the bedroom there complete with a full-size Onyx bathroom. It contains two pantries, a wine cellar if you should want to turn it into one, and great storage room. Lots of cabinets were built, washer and dryer. This is where the houseworkers can rest. Also, they can do their washing, folding and ironing very comfortably. OR it can be turned easily into a gym!
Second Floor
My Library
A sunny wide room facing the garden. This is a room I use the most. I use it as my office and hold meetings all the time. It has a view of the garden from its own balcony and it has a bay window. I also have a round table in one part of the room I love to have lunch or even small dinners in this room. I am particularly proud of the gold ceiling painting I commissioned Dutch artist Heather Jeltes to do. A dragon and a Phoenix. This wall art is so well done, and it makes the whole room feel warm, elegant and with motion. This is what we Chinese call good feng shui.
One bedroom and a full onyx bathroom
This bedroom is quite big.
An Office for my two assistants
We also built an office big enough for my two assistants.
Third Floor
Salon
This is the real living room of the house. It is decorated rather European. The room ceiling and walls have 5 difference colors though at one glance it does not look to have so many. But they are brilliantly blended together. This is a bright sunny room with a bay window. In this room, we have held many concerts, political events, and cocktails parties for friends and charities.
It is a lovely green and yellow room meant to blend with the trees just outside of the windows.
A bar
Being that it is already on the third floor, we have built a totally functioning wet bar complete with a sink and a refrigerator so we can serve drinks coffee tea and also food.
A big bedroom
A very good size guest room. With a big bathroom and a huge walk in closet.
Fourth Floor
This floor contains three guest rooms plus a storage room.
Two guest rooms are en-suite with bathrooms. However, one of the bedrooms has a double door so if they close the door, the third bedroom (now my exercise room) can use the bathroom easily without disturbing the person in the bedroom.
Fifth Floor
Master bedroom floor that takes the entire floor. It has bedroom area which is separated by a unit for a TV which has an electric lift. It has a private sitting room, and two working desks complete with many drawers and storage space.
A massage room;
A dry sauna;
A sink unit and area with microwave oven and a small fridge. It acts like a mini kitchen for me;
A shower stall equipped with a steam shower;
Lots of built in drawers and a big closet plus a hidden closet room.
Rooftop
This floor is totally newly built in 2015. But it is a very special floor.
The view of the bridge, the East River that goes all the way down to the lower Manhattan. and the surrounding you can see from this roof is really stunning. It is beautiful all day long. Since we are not allowed to do BBQ in the garden downstairs, we decided to build a big BBQ kitchen complete with wine cellar, sink, lots of storage space and a professional BBQ oven. It also has 2 big canopies built so you can be protected from the sun while you can relax, read and have lunch and dinner up there. I have had beautiful dinners set up with tables and chairs for 35 people. It is truly beautiful and magical up there at night.
6 Sutton Square is a very special house. It looks small from the outside (which I like because it looks inconspicuous) but it feels big inside with very good energy. You can actually feel it.
Every room throughout the house has a window. It is bright and cheerful even in the winter. I think anyone who owns it will have good luck as it has brought me.