Glowing anew after two years of restoration by master craftsmen living on site, the Italianate brownstone built in 1871 by John Sexton is one of Manhattan’s prized treasures. For fifty years it was home to Bennett and Phyllis Cerf: he the founder of Random House, and she editor of the Dr. Seuss books. A social magnet for cultural intelligentsia and political elite, overnight guests included Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, and Hubert Humphrey. Bookshelves still hold originals annotated by Faulkner, Mailer, and Capote. An accomplished designer, the current owner has preserved the legacy, adding refinements such as a glorious Baccarat chandelier in the grand drawing room, allowing the five-floor jewel off Park Avenue—from its carrera foyer to its third-floor master suite—to open up a new chapter, one perhaps even as illustrious as its past.

Bennett Cerf’s Italianate Brownstone, Manhattan, New York
Offered at $15,500,000