High-Profile Homes For Sale

BON JOVI

Apartment 28A, 111 West 67th Street, New York City

Since 2000, the founder and front man of rock-band Bon Jovi has bought and sold at least three homes in Downtown and his former condo at Park Millennium, which he offloaded in 2008, has even come back on the market.

Bon Jovi surprised the current owner with a signed guitar as a gift, says the listing agent, Corcoran Group’s Larry Schier. We’re not sure if the guitar will go with the current US$8.495 million price tag of the apartment this time around. Of course, what you’ll get is a high-floor abode with unobstructed views of Central Park to the east, Midtown skyline views to the south and Lincoln Center views to the west. Inside, the 2,727-square-foot pied-à-terre has three bedrooms, a library that can be converted into a fourth bedroom, a chef’s kitchen, an eat-in breakfast bar and a 260-bottle wine refrigerator. corcoran.com

DONALD TRUMP
21 Vista Drive, Greenwich, Connecticut

Located along the Long Island Sound in the United States, the first family mansion of Donald Trump is currently on the market for US$45 million. The 20,000-square-foot mega mansion is situated on a six-acre Connecticut estate, poised on its own peninsula. It comes with eight bedrooms and softened interiors after the days of ‘The Donald’. He lived in the mansion with his first wife, Ivana, and their kids from 1982 until the couple’s high-profile divorce in 1992.

The new owners replaced the main entrance, once decorated with endless gold leaf with more subdued hues. Still, the white-façade 1939 Georgian-colonial home does retain some luxurious features such as a three-storey rotunda with a butterfly stairway, oak floors, ornate plaster mouldings, and a panelled library and billiard room with wet bar. An extended guesthouse, indoor pool, a 22-seater home theatre and tennis court have also recently been added to the property. The home listing is handled by Tamar Lurie, a broker with Coldwell Banker in Greenwich. coldwellbankerhomes.com

MICHELANGELO
Villa Michelangelo, Chianti, Tuscany

This 11th-century farmhouse was once owned by Michelangelo Buonarroti — yes, the famed Florentine who painted the Sistine Chapel. In 1549, some 30 years after Michelangelo completed his famous frescoes, the then 74-year-old Renaissance master purchased this property in Tuscany, Italy. It remained in the Buonarroti family for over 300 years. A copy of the original deed signed by Michelangelo himself comes with the purchase of the stone-clad villa.

To showcase the rich history of the 10-bedroom property, the current owner embarked on a 10-year restoration programme, judiciously preserving the original wood-beamed ceilings, a brick barrel-vaulted ceiling in one of the living rooms, and multiple fireplaces. The six-acre estate, including an old oil mill and olive grove, is surrounded by Chianti vineyards, complete with views of the rolling Italian countryside. It is currently listed by Handsome Properties International at €7.5 million. handsomepropertiesinternational.com

LANCE ARMSTRONG
1706 Windsor Road, Austin, Texas

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong has put his Spanish-colonial mansion in the capital city of Texas on the market for US$7.5 million. Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles after admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs in 2013, purchased the 8,100-square-foot property the same year, according to public records. He’s reportedly settled in Austin as an entrepreneur ever since, opening a bicycle shop named Mellow Johnny’s, among other ventures.

The listing on Gottesman Residential Real Estate’s website described Armstrong’s house as recently remodeled, with spacious public areas, beautiful mouldings, plaster walls and hardwood floors. In addition, there is a wood-burning fireplace, wine cellar, outdoor pool, fountains, as well as a cabana with a full bathroom and kitchenette. gottesmanresidential.com

Armstrong house images courtesy of Zac Seewald

CHINA MACHADO
121 Sunset Beach Road, Sag Harbor, New York

This bohemian beach house, fronting the fittingly named Sunset Beach in North Haven, was the residence of late model China Machado (born Noelie Dasouza Machado). Well-known in the industry as the first non-white model to appear on the cover of a major American fashion magazine — the February 1959 issue of Harper’s Bazaar — Machado passed away last December at age 86. She left behind a boundary-breaking fashion legacy and a home in the Hamptons where she often threw parties and gave interviews at, even well into her 80s.

Beate Moore at Sotheby’s International Realty manages the sale of Machado’s home, alongside co-listers Mala Sander of Corcoran and Rima Mardoyan Smyth of Douglas Elliman. The Shingle-style cottage was built in 1997 and is offered for the first time with an asking price of US$9.8 million. Four bedrooms are spread across 3,000 square feet of eclectic living space. Though the land is just under an acre, it still manages to pack in a secret garden, detached garage with guesthouse, a bocce court and a front lawn that leads you directly to the stunning beach. sothebyshomes.com