A historic West Village townhouse less than 10 feet wide is listed for $4.195 million.
The townhouse is the narrowest home in New York City, and attracts curiosity from passersby.
It’s been home to a long list of famous residents, including a Pulitzer Prize-winning author.
A New York City townhouse built in 1873 hit the market at $4.195 million — and it’s less than 10 feet wide.
The building at 75 1/2 Bedford Street is sandwiched between two homes in Manhattan’s West Village, just half a mile from Washington Square Park. It’s the city’s narrowest building, according to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Outside of its unique configuration, it also boasts a rich history of famous residents like Cary Grant, John Barrymore, and cartoonist William Steig. Property records show the current owner, Tandra Hammer, bought the home in 2023 for $3.41 million. According to The New York Times, Hammer’s daughter, Donte Calarco, lives there, but is ready to sell.
The previous owners bought it for $3.25 million in 2013 and made renovations before selling it to Hammer. The StreetEasy listing shows it was listed for as high as $4.99 million in 2021.
Take a look inside New York City’s skinniest home.
Megan Willett-Wei and Melissa Wiley contributed to a previous version of this story.
The townhouse at 75 1/2 Bedford Street is the narrowest home in New York City at just 9.5 feet wide.
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According to the listing, the total square footage of the home is just under 1,000.
The home was built in 1873, in what was likely an alleyway between two homes.
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According to a Village Preservation Blog post from 2011, the space in between the homes could have been for horses to reach the stables behind the adjacent houses.
The building attracts tourists not only for its size but also for its famous former residents.
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“They’re outside taking pictures,” Donte Calarco told The New York Times. “Some people might see that as a negative, but I don’t. It’s just part of the character and spirit of the neighborhood.”
Famous past residents include Pulitzer-winning poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, actors Cary Grant and John Barrymore, and cartoonist William Steig.
Poet Edna St. Vincent Millay stands in Washington Square Park, 1941.
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William Steig famously wrote and illustrated the picturebook “Shrek!,” which was adapted into the 2001 movie.
There’s even a plaque outside the home stating that Millay wrote her Pulitzer-winning poem in the home.
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However, Elizabeth Barnett, the late literary executor of the Millay Society, contested this notion, telling amNew York that Millay wrote “The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver,” while living in Europe.
Since the 1800s, the home has seen major renovations, though some original features, like wood-beamed ceilings and Dutch doors, remain.
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The more modern fixtures come in the form of updated appliances and marble finishes. Those updates were done by the owners previous to the current ones. But the current owner, Tandra Hammer, did make some changes.
“We didn’t really do tons of work, we just kind of took it from there to make it more livable,” Calarco, Hammer’s daughter, told The New York Times.
Although the home is narrow, it still boasts three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and four wood-burning fireplaces.
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The third floor has a writer’s studio, which was built in the 1920s when Millay lived there, and overlooks the street.
The backyard is big considering how small the house is — it’s roughly 10 by 42 feet.
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The backyard has a private garden with access to another garden that’s shared with neighboring homes, according to The New York Times.
The current owner bought it for $3.41 million in 2023.
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Hammer’s daughter lives in the home most of the year, according to The New York Times.
Even though the townhouse is occupied from time to time, the mother-daughter duo flip homes and are looking for their next project.
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“We love the city, and we love flipping old houses,” Calarco told The New York Times.
“We’re ready for our next project,” Calarco added.
The listing price breaks down to $3,413 per square foot, but the next owner will own a piece of New York City history.
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“There are some people who don’t want a narrow home, and there are others who will appreciate its charm and history,” listing agent Cortnee Glasser told The New York Times. “They would love to have a townhouse on one of the most desirable blocks in the West Village for $4.195 million.”
