Got a case of the mean reds? Well, this ought to cheer you up! The handsome Manhattan brownstone Audrey Hepburn called home in the 1961 classic “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is now available as a vacation rental! (Givenchy wardrobe, very sadly, not included.) Don’t believe me? Cross my heart and kiss my elbow, it’s true!
Based upon famed novelist Truman Capote’s 1958 novella of the same name, the beloved film (which, incredibly, just celebrated its 60th anniversary last month!) follows hopelessly chic woman-about-town Holly Golightly (Hepburn) as she traipses around the Big Apple’s most fashionable spots in the most fashionable of clothing like a 1960s-era Carrie Bradshaw. Though there has been much debate over the years concerning whether or not Miss Golightly was, in fact, a prostitute, Capote instead classified his heroine as an “authentic American geisha,” explaining to Playboy in 1968 that “she had no job but accompanied expense-account men to the best restaurants and nightclubs, with the understanding that her escort was obligated to give her some sort of gift, perhaps jewelry or a check.” (And $50 for the powder room, of course!) Nevertheless, audiences quickly fell in love with Holly’s unendingly endearing personality – as well as her city home, where she lived alongside writer Paul Varjak (George Peppard).
Located six picturesque blocks from Central Park at 169 E. 71st St. on NYC’s tony Upper East Side, Golightly’s handsome, quintessentially New York brownstone is about as synonymous with the iconic character as the ubiquitous little black dresses she donned throughout the film. So securing a booking there would undoubtedly make for the ultimate New York getaway – but be forewarned, the pad is just about as elusive as Holly herself! (Please remember this is a private home. Do not trespass or bother the residents or the property in any way.)
Known as the “Hepburn,” the swank digs are available exclusively to members of the luxury travel subscription company Inspirato, participation in which starts at $600 per month and grants customers access to a vast catalog of opulent vacation properties dotted across the globe. None is perhaps as famous as the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” brownstone, though.
-
169 E 71st St
Image Credit: Inspirato While most real estate websites claim the Italianate-style rowhouse was built in 1910, according to the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts it actually dates back to 1866 and was designed by architect John Sexton, who was also responsible for several other area domiciles.
Depicted onscreen as a multi-unit apartment building (with a rather insensitively-portrayed landlord), in real life the structure was initially envisioned as a single-family property before being transformed into a duplex in 1947. It was ultimately converted back to a residential home in 2017 and today features an incredible five floors with four bedrooms and five bathrooms spread throughout a spacious (especially for New York) 4,465 square feet.
-
169 E 71st St
Image Credit: Inspirato While Holly laments in the film that she has yet to fully move into her apartment because “I don’t even want to own anything until I can find a place where me and things go together. I’m not sure where that is, but I know what it’s like. It’s like Tiffany’s . . . If I could find a real-life place that made me feel like Tiffany’s, then I’d buy some furniture and give the cat a name!” Well, Holly obviously never saw the actual inside of 169 E. 71st St.! (All interior shots of her apartment were lensed on a whimsical set created by art directors Roland Anderson and Hal Pereira on Stage 9 at the Paramount Studios lot in Hollywood.) If she had, she might have rethought her stance on the subject and moved right in because the place is nothing short of spectacular!
-
169 E 71st St
Image Credit: Inspirato Fully furnished in an aesthetic “mirroring an era of Old New York glamour and sophistication, paired with modern charm,” much like Holly, the pad is about as fashionable as you can get! Luxe amenities include an elevator, multiple fireplaces, a lower-level in-law suite, a wine cellar with a wet bar (the perfect spot for a morning glass of milk served in a champagne coupe, perhaps?) and a library (hopefully stocked with a copy of Varjak, Paul’s book “Nine Lives”). The pad also comes “exclusively staffed, managed and maintained” by Inspirato, ensuring guests will never have to lift a finger – or sterling silver telephone dialer – while there!
-
169 E 71st St
Image Credit: Inspirato The dwelling is also available to book for events hosting up to 25 guests. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” inspired wedding, anyone? Just be sure not to invite any of the Mag Wildwoods in your life. They’re thumping bores, you know.
-
169 E 71st St
Image Credit: Inspirato Though situated on a scant .04-acre lot, the residence features a myriad of outdoor spaces, including a greenhouse, a patio and a yard with two terraces – all much-coveted rarities in typically space-deprived New York.
Last sold in 2015 for $7.4 million, the brownstone was at one point owned by Peter E. Bacanovic, Martha Stewart’s stockbroker (yes, that stockbroker). And, in an incredible twist, according to a 1961 Daily News article, at the time of the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” shoot the property belonged to a couple from Holland who were distant relatives of Hepburn’s, which the star was shocked to discover upon being introduced. Quel coincidence!
-
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures Studios -
Image Credit: Inspirato Despite the passage of 60 years and the ever-changing nature of New York, Holly’s brownstone still looks remarkably similar to how it appeared onscreen. All that’s missing are the green-striped awnings!
-
169 E 71st St
Image Credit: Inspirato And while there’s no clawfoot tub couch to be found anywhere on the premises, the main bath does boast a luxurious standalone soaker! No word on if the mailbox is stocked with lipstick and perfume, though.