BUYER: The Queen of England
LOCATION: New York City, N.Y.
PRICE: $8,045,000 (last asking)
SIZE: 3,004 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms
YOUR MAMA’S NOTES: Though she officially visits the United States rarely — her last state visit was back in 2007 — real estate reports out of New York City say Her Majesty,* the Queen of England, has snatched up an $8-ish million pied-a-terre at a smoked glassy tower in New York’s Turtle Bay ‘hood, directly across the street from the northern end of the United Nations complex that sprawls out along the East River between East 42nd and East 48th Streets.
The selected apartment, far more likely to be used by officials and family members than the octogenarian queen herself, measures in at just over 3,000 square feet, according to online marketing material, which is probably quite a bit smaller than the royal loo at Buckingham Palace. An ample foyer with two coat closets opens to a combination living/dining room that stretches nearly 50 feet with a pair of deep, faceted bay windows that overlook the U.N. complex, while the adjacent kitchen is fitted, per floor plans, with a pill-shaped center island and black honed granite countertops on lacquered white cabinetry. There are two en suite guest bedrooms with remarkably puny closets plus a city-view master bedroom that includes two walk-in closets and a roomy, city-view bathroom decked out with white Macedonian marble, a teak vanity and a private cubicle for the toilet and bidet.
The 43-story building, with architecture and interiors by British Pritzker Prize winning architect Norman Foster, aka the Baron Foster of Thames Bank, offers its international contingent of well-heeled residents a gated entry and private motor-court; on-site valet parking — as if Queen E. II drives her own car; a generously staffed lobby with waterfall and fireplace; and an extensive fitness center with swimming pool, massage rooms and state-of-the-art gym. Climate controlled wine cellars and storage units are available for purchase.
Listing photos and floor plan: Zeckendorf Marketing (via Street Easy)
*We originally had “Her Royal Highness” here but, as two kind-hearted individuals let us know, we’re an idiot and the proper term for the Queen is Her Majesty. Clearly my knowledge of the name qualifiers attached to the various members of the royal family — or is it The Royal Family? — is strictly limited. And, apparently, it’s not all that rare for Her Majesty to drive her own Jaguar, Range Rover or Rolls Royce. Call us schooled.
UPDATE (07-08-15): Turns out — and not exactly surprisingly — the buyer of the condo in question isn’t the Queen of England but rather the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the government New Zealand who bought the swanky spread for the island nation’s Ambassador to the United Nations. Now makes so much more sense, doesn’t it?
