For Sale the Spectacular Apartment of Greta Garbo

37 years ago, New York woke up with the anxiety of losing its major Hollywood star, which, thanks to its beauty and character, had been highlighted the big screen in the society, giving it an icon from which could never escape. Even today, there are million fans of the actress, many of whom had not even born when she died, so her indelible trace of celluloid has made her immortal, at least while there exist the memory.

Now, days after the anniversary of her death, her heirs have decided to sell one of the most precious assets of the actress, the apartment where she lived from 1953, year in which bought it, until 1990, year of her death. The property, located on the fifth floor of the building called The Campanile, is one of the 16 apartments of which consists the complex, built in 1927 by the hand of the architect Van Wart & Wein to promoter Joseph G. Thomas.

Of course, we are talking about the unmatched Greta Garbo, who invested $38,000 of the time for modernize the property, with the current sale price: 5.95 million dollars (5.58 euros), would think the actress of films such as The Devil and The Meat, Mata Hari, Christina of Sweden, Ana Karenina or Great Hotel of the starting price? Perhaps she would think that is little… Although we can imagine that even if she had live we would not discover it, the «Divine» (as was called her) did not talk with the press.

The building is located in the 450 of the 52nd Street, in the popular neighborhood of Midtown East, consists of 14 floors and only 16 apartments, of which two are for sale and none for rent. Its city block bordered by the First Avenue (near the Trump World Tower) overlooking the East River and its bridge of Queensboro, a super location that supposed to be close to everything and, at the same time, far from the madding crowd of New York at the time of the actress.

The building is built with stone ashlars on its first floors, although its main envelope consists of the characteristic terracotta brown brick, possesses some balconies and light thanks to the massive amount of windows, taking advantage of its stylized figure (at least for the time) back to the city and facing the River, in other words, have light for two buildings. Also has concierge (not electric 😉 and pool (very important), although it does not have a garage.)

Many people say that for Greta was difficult get the apartment, «Don’t like the actresses in this building», confessed to a friend, although her neighbors would not have many complaints due to her early withdrawal from the chaotic film world. The first reform made by the actress was to redistribute the plant, resulting in the seven current rooms, of which three are bedrooms, each with its own bathroom.

Garbo expanded the living room towards the balcony, added a third door for leaving of the apartment, which occupies entire plant of the building (more than 260 square meters) and which can be accessed from two boxes of stairs, a service elevator and the main lift. Also modified the windows of the living room, by fusing two of the existing ones in a major, a nightmare for today’s architects, given that brutally modifies the external aesthetics of the property.

But the most important changes would lead to the protagonist of this article more years, by her passion for the art was decorating the home with people of their confidence as Cecil Beaton, Gayelord Hauser or the interior decorator Billy Baldwin. She covered with panels of pine wood the rooms, placed shelves in every room, the property is dyed shades of pink and warm, circulated eighteenth-century silk curtains, many carpet (some of Savonnerie), furniture style Luis XV and many Impressionist paintings of high quality.

If you are interested in acquiring the property you don’t think you’re going to find a lot of works of art, given that the death of the glamorous actress her niece and sole heiress, Gray Reisfield, sold much of possessions in an auction that won (between 9 and 13 November 1990) the huge amount of $ 19 million of dollars (the euro did not exist ;).

The kitchen and the bathrooms have been renovated recently, but the rest of the apartment has not changed much since its last buyer lived it. According to the digital newspaper Gothamist, the property has 275 chairs in 37 different forms, although are not included in the transaction, will be a goal to match this amount for the new buyer, that if he/she/it achieves nearly six million dollars in cash (not accept financing), with this, you can imagine the exclusive ones which are at The Campanile…

However, it will not be hard to imagine in every corner of the House to the Hollywood legend, overlooking the East River, recalling her native Stockholm while she viewed passed the boats in front. The days of very cold in marble fireplace to warm, or reading a good book in the library. Preparing for an event in the main bedroom, in front of the Fortuny silk curtains or behind the desk of her office, reviewing the script of a movie. Enjoying of a glass of wine in her Scandinavian-style dining room or walking to the main garden of the building, to take a flight in the JFK airport, only 30 minutes away.