A distinguished member of the original set of Federal-style houses making up the Charlton-King-Vandam Historic District, 29 Vandam Street dates back to the neighborhood's original residential development in the 1820s. Noted by Landmarks Preservation as containing the premier example in New York City of "continuity of period and...excellent state of preservation" these houses are a rare opportunity to own a piece of New York City, and, in fact, American history. This is clear in 29 Vandam Street, both in its exterior (Landmarks notes the pitched roof and dormers, the "delicately-contrived" doorway, and its iron work) and in the careful attention to its interiors. Indeed, the house is a journey across its two-century history as interpreted through a minimal, delicate, and spare lens. Each detail is a triumph: the cornices and crown moldings, the exposed wood beams, the careful etchings in doorways, the marble mantels, and the decorative paneling. Then there is the 55-foot deep back garden: an explosion of vegetation, a private and unexpected Eden. You'll find crawling ivy and an amalgamation of treasures looted from the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. The centerpiece, a glorious, mature magnolia tree offers sanctuary from hot summer days, and delights with the rustle of the leaves in the wind and the play of the shadows on the stone tile.
Key property details:
- The house is twenty feet wide and forty feet deep, with four stories
- Enter on the parlor floor to a living room and formal dining room. Ceilings are over 10.5 feet high here.
- The garden floor, with its own separate entrance, has a chef's kitchen, secondary bedroom or library, a full bathroom and laundry facilities
- The third floor is dedicated to the principal bedroom suite. It has ceilings nearing 10 feet high, two fireplaces, a dressing room, and lovely light from the north and south exposures. It is exquisite.
- The top floor has three secondary bedrooms and a full bathroom.
After two centuries witnessing the growth and tumult of New York City, 29 Vandam Street now sits a stone's throw from the galleries and shops in SoHo; the bistros and boutiques in the West Village; cultural touch points like the Angelika, IFC, Film Forum, and the Lucille Lortel Theater; and the revitalized Hudson River Park. It's also in close proximity to the new Google and Disney campuses, multiple train lines, and plenty of cafes, restaurants, gyms and grocery stores.
The original residents of 29 Vandam Street could not have imagined the panoply of options the neighborhood now offers. But the next owners of the house have the rare privilege of experiencing the same legacy and history as the occupants from over two centuries ago. It is a rare and timeless offering.