Castle-style home in NYC lists for $10.5M

Real Estate

By Hannah Frishberg

A rare opportunity has arisen to lord over Manhattan’s Upper West Side from a palatial apartment set within a rounded tower. 

Even among some of the city’s grandest real estate, the turreted brick castle at 455 Central Park West, which spans between West 105th and 106th streets, stands out. 

The landmarked structure — commissioned by John Jacob Astor and built in the French Renaissance style — became the nation’s first cancer hospital when it opened in the late 1880s. Following the hospital’s closure, the building was reborn as a nursing home and, subsequently, a luxury condominium building. Now, a unit inside is now up for grabs, 6sqft first reported.

“This is an exceptionally rare home that feels as regal as a re-imagined castle, and as luxurious and refined as the most bespoke residence,” Christopher Krome, who holds the $10.5 million listing with fellow Brown Harris Stevens agent Nora Ariffin, told The Post. “To enjoy a circular living room of a scale that measures 36 feet across its diameter is a privilege I don’t believe any other residence in the city can boast.”

The apartment is one of 17 in the castle, which was converted into full-service condominiums in 2005, after decades sitting empty after its former occupant, the infamous Towers Nursing Home, finally shuttered in 1974 following years of scandalous allegations and reports of neglecting its patients. 

(As part of its early aughts restoration, developers also constructed a 26-story condo high-rise behind the castle portion.) 

The double-turreted abode now for sale measures in at approximately 4,400 square feet. It has four bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a circular living and dining area, and a terrace. 

It is accessed via a private elevator landing. There are 12-foot ceilings and oversize windows throughout; a wood-burning fireplace and a hidden TV in the 1,100-square-foot common room; heated bathroom and kitchen floors; and custom automated blackout shades, drapes and solar blinds. 

The primary suite — located down a long gallery hall with the rest of the bedrooms — is circular and has its own sitting room, a walk-in closet and an ensuite bath with dual sinks, a soaking tub and a separate shower. 

A separate studio with a shared laundry room (“a great option for a live-in nanny,” says the listing) as well as custom lighting — including a limited edition Porca Miseria by Ingo Maurer kitchen fixture — are also available for purchase. 

Shared building amenities include a private circular driveway, a gym, a pool, a common garden, a doorman and a live-in super.