441 West 21st Street

Situated on West Chelsea's most beautiful landmarked block, this stunningly renovated, grand Italianate townhouse is the perfect blend of old-world charm and modern elegance. Built in 1854 and expanded in 1930 through the purchase of neighboring gardens, the scale of this 25' wide house is unrivaled. It features one of the largest in-ground gardens in the city, in addition to a front garden and terrace, nine fireplaces, original moldings, an expansive contemporary great room, and five skylights. Featured as Louis CK's "dream house" on his television show "Louie," the house has also graced the pages of Elle Decor, Vogue, Town & Country, New York magazine, and many other international magazines and books. After passing through a grand old-world entryway, you are transported into the house's modern, loft-like addition with double-height ceilings that crest at over 20 feet. Over 400 square feet of skylights flood the living and dining area with light. A contemporary limestone fireplace provides a counterpoint to the eight period marble fireplaces throughout the rest of the house. The custom Boffi kitchen was featured in an advertising campaign for the company and opens directly onto the garden via huge glass double doors, making this an ideal indoor/outdoor entertaining space. The sunny rear garden is one of the largest you will ever find in a townhouse. It is fully landscaped, very private, and unusual in that it opens directly into the main living space. There is no other townhouse presently on the market fully built to its lot line like this one, while also featuring its own private garden. In addition to the great room, kitchen, and garden, the first floor also features a bedroom/den with a full en-suite Waterworks bathroom. Above the kitchen is another bedroom and full bath, perfect for staff quarters or as an extra guest bedroom. Descending from the first floor, you reach the basement. Its floor was excavated down several feet to allow for high ceilings and window wells for natural light as part of an exhaustive three-year renovation. The basement now contains a screening room, storage room, and guest bathroom, and it houses the building's mechanicals. All new HVAC, electrical, plumbing, audio, water main, video, and security systems were installed during the renovation. The parlor level features a stunning bedroom with a 14' plaster ceiling, a lovely mosaic bathroom with Waterworks fixtures and tub, and a library. The third floor features the master bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, an additional bedroom and bathroom, and an office that opens onto a landscaped terrace with irrigation. The natural light increases on the fourth and fifth floors thanks to large windows on all four exposures and multiple skylights. Northern views include the Empire State Building. These floors feature a home office, three large bedrooms, three bathrooms, an eat-in kitchen, and a dining room. Original details abound in this light and airy space. Currently, the fourth and fifth floors are configured as a separate duplex, but the home can easily be reconfigured as a 9,700-square-foot single-family residence. Or you may wish to maintain it as a 6,700-square-foot triplex plus basement with five bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms, plus a 3,000-square-foot duplex with three bedrooms & three bathrooms. This extraordinary offering is for a resident who demands nothing but the best. Each room will impress, inspire, and stir your imagination—just as it did poet Wallace Stevens over 100 years ago, when he penned "Sunday Morning" about his then-home in this very townhouse.