The Duke-Semans Mansion is back in the Market

One needn’t go into the aura of importance that surrounds the 5^th Ave. area. And when you have one of the private residences on 5^th Ave. being listed, there is going to be a mad scramble among people of means. After all, there are only three private residences on this avenue and 1009 Fifth Avenue is the only property to have ever hit the market. Therefore, when the asking price for this eight-level Beaux-Arts-style mansion is $50 Million, nobody seems to break out into sweats or comment on the price.

The Duke-Semans mansion was built in 1901 and was sold to the billionaire oil tycoon Tamir Sapir, whose rise to fame from a cab driver to an oil moghul is quite another interesting story. Sapir paid $40 million for it without batting an eyelid and had grand designs of turning the mansion into a gallery to showcase his art collection and ivory carvings. His plans went up in smoke and the house is back again in the market.

Incidentally, the Duke-Semans property was made a Manhattan landmark in 1974. According to a critic, there couldn’t be a finer “example of Beaux-Arts residential architecture” across the length and breadth of the city. Nearly 20,00 square feet on eight levels, decorative woodwork and moldings, parquet floors with beautiful inlays, intricate paneling, and tall windows that let in ample sun light on the upper floors make this mansion a very desirable piece of real estate. There are three separate entrances into the building and a Gothic-themed marquee overlooks the main door.

The main foyer on the first level has marble flooring and they’ve preserved the original powder room. This level houses the Concierge as well as the security room along with a staff suite that comes with a full bath.

On level two you come across traditional living and dining rooms, which are grand, to say the least. They are connected by a landing, and this level also has the kitchen with a solarium, pantry, and staff bath.

The master bedroom suite is on level three, which includes a walk-in dressing area and two full baths. If you are the scholarly type, you will find the formal library or music room interesting, especially since they provide you with views of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Levels Four and Five have grand scale bedrooms and on level five, there is also an additional guest suite. Finally, we come to levels six and seven, which are accessible only by a private elevator. The tops level has a master suite, literally flooded with light, and a private staircase takes you to a pair of planked terraces. From here you can see the Central Park and virtually the whole of New York spread at your feet.

Now, who wouldn’t want to live in such a beautiful mansion?

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