According to production designer Kristi Zea, Ryan Murphy set out to make his latest Netflix endeavor, the seven-episode mystery mini-series “The Watcher,” “smack of ‘real estate porn.'” And the Hollywood mega-producer certainly delivered on that front! The show is a virtual smorgasbord of architectural delights!
Based on actual events, the chilling tale centers around Dean (Bobby Cannavale) and Nora Brannock (Naomi Watts), former Manhattanites who, upon relocating to Westfield, New Jersey and moving into their dream home, begin to receive menacing letters from someone calling themselves “The Watcher.” Dark and sinister at its core, the scenery is nonetheless delicious! Even the grocery store featured briefly in episode six, where the Brannocks set up a sting operation to entrap prime Watcher suspect Roger Caplan (Michael Nouri), is thoroughly aspirational with charming exposed brickwork, reclaimed wood accenting and plank flooring. (Those hoping to walk the same aisles as Nora and Dean should head to the DeCicco & Sons market in Larchmont, New York.) And while the shingled estate at the forefront of the story is a definitive showstopper, the spotlight is temporarily stolen by a glorious Tudor that cameos toward the end of the series.
In the penultimate episode, titled “The Gloaming,” private detective Theodora Birch (Noma Dumezweni) leads the Brannocks on a hunt to learn more about Caplan, a local high school English teacher, who grew up “on the other side of the tracks” and became fixated on the stately residences where his wealthier classmates lived. The hunt leads straight to the home of Carol Flannigan (Pamela Dunlap), the older sister of one of Roger’s childhood friends and owner of his primary obsession, a mammoth Tudor said to be located at 55 Oak Terrace.
In real life, the property is known as Alta Manor, and it can’t be found in Westfield, or New Jersey at all for that matter, but in Park Hill, an architecturally rich section of Yonkers, New York situated about 10 miles north of Manhattan. Every bit as stunning as it was shown to be onscreen, the massive residence sits perched atop a rolling bluff overlooking the Hudson River at 131 Alta Ave. While The New York Times describes Park Hill as teeming with distinctive “Queen Anne, Mediterranean and Shingle-style” abodes with “care taken to make each one stand apart,” Alta Manor truly stands out amongst the rest. (Please remember this is a private home. Do not trespass or bother the residents or the property in any way.)
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Alta Manor As Nora and Dean learn, Roger regularly writes anonymous love letters to 55 Oak Terrace, florally-worded missives he calls “odes to a house” that extol the lofty characteristics of the “magnificent jewel box” of a property. Resplendent with gorgeous brickwork, beautiful stained glass windows and ornately carved framing, it is no surprise the estate was selected as the object of Roger’s affection. It is precisely the sort of residence one would be inspired to write love letters to!
The elegant four-story mansion was initially built in 1912 for Captain Robert Boettger, “one of the leading citizens of Yonkers,” as described by his 1945 obituary, and founder of United Piece Dye Works, which at the time of its inception was the country’s most prominent piece dye company. Masterfully designed by the Delhi and Chamberlin architecture firm, the impressive structure comprises 11 bedrooms and nine baths in 12,000 square feet of dazzling living space – nearly all of it pristinely preserved!
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Alta Manor Exquisitely maintained throughout its 110-year history, the property is a genuine work of art from top to bottom, the likes of which aren’t often seen in today’s modern world, let alone in such close proximity to New York City! The formal entry alone is enough to bring any architectural buff to tears! A wonderland of rich woodwork and opulent carvings, the divine enclave features coffered oak paneling, pegged teak flooring, beamed ceilings and the grandest of grand staircases.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Alta Manor The collection of palatial living spaces includes a library, a living room, a formal dining room, two solariums and a recreation room, most immaculately appointed with wood-burning fireplaces (the house boasts 10 in all!), hearty wood accents and ravishing ornamental plasterwork.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Alta Manor Although thoroughly updated, the kitchen maintains a turn-of-the-century vibe, complete with leaded glass windows, gleaming marble floors, subway tile wall coverings and custom cabinetry. Modern fixtures include a professional 12-burner stove, a double oven, a central island with seating, two dishwashers, dual sinks, a Sub-Zero refrigerator and a beverage cooler.
The adjacent butler’s pantry, larger than most apartments, retains numerous historic features such as glass-fronted cabinets, multiple ice boxes and a proofer (a device used in baking bread) currently in working order. The pad’s original dumbwaiter, noted as being “oversized,” is also intact, which should be quite ironic to fans of “The Watcher.”
The spacious bedrooms, situated upstairs, also boast fireplaces, as well as views of the Hudson River, while the owners’ suite is outfitted with handsome moldings, a dressing room and a bath with a double pedestal sink, a walk-in shower and a truly unique barrel-vaulted ceiling.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Alta Manor On the beautifully manicured 0.53-acre lot, you’ll find multiple terraces and gardens, a heated in-ground pool, a covered patio and a dignified porte-cochère.
The extraordinary property last hit the market in February 2020 for $2.25 million, ultimately selling for $1.8 million the following year. The new owners immediately set about embracing the home’s cinematic potential by promoting it through several area location companies, as well as via its own official filming website. And the advertising certainly paid off! Alta Manor secured its role on “The Watcher” just a few months after changing hands. (It is also available to lease for private functions and special events.)
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Image Credit: Netflix -
Image Credit: Courtesy of Alta Manor Both the interior and exterior of the estate are showcased to spectacular effect in “The Gloaming” episode, with Nora, Dean, Roger and Theodora all appropriately awed over the “delicious coffered walls,” “beautiful newel posts” and “amazing ornamental work in the plaster.” Although only shown in a couple of brief scenes, including one in which the Brannocks sit down with Carol in the exquisite living room (pictured from opposing angles above), Alta Manor leaves a lasting impression, the gorgeous detailing certainly inspiring this writer to put pen to paper (or rather digital ink to screen) in praise of the place!