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He might be known for singing “Positively 4th Street,” but Bob Dylan once lived in a five-story Gilded Age townhouse more than a hundred blocks north, on West 139th Street in Harlem. After hitting the market last August for $3 million, the legendary singer-songwriter’s onetime home is now listed as “in contract” on StreetEasy, meaning it has found a buyer. The transaction comes a month after the owner shaved $250,000 off the asking price, an eight percent discount. The final amount paid is not yet public.
Designed by lauded architecture firm McKim, Mead & White in 1891, the five-bedroom residence served as a New York home base for the legendary singer-songwriter from 1986 to 2000, when he sold to the previous owners. The 4,500 square-foot dwelling changed hands again in 2018 and has undergone several upgrades since then, including a new heating and cooling system, radiant-heat bathroom floors, soundproofed windows, and a rebuilt terrace.
Allyson Lubow for Sotheby’s International Realty
The living room of Bob Dylan’s former Harlem townhome.
Located in the St. Nicholas Historic District, the brick and terra-cotta dwelling is one of 32 landmarked homes all crafted in a similar style by McKim, Mead & White from the 1890s. Period details that have been preserved include hardwood floors, Palladian windows, pocket doors, architectural millwork, and decorative fireplace surrounds. The prewar layout has also largely been retained, with dual staircases and a parlor floor containing formal living and dining areas. Additionally, the eat-in kitchen is equipped with an island, butler’s pantry, and Victorian cast-iron oven by Richardson & Boynton Company.
Allyson Lubow for Sotheby’s International Realty
The facade of Bob Dylan’s former townhouse mixes brick, brownstone, and terra-cotta.
On the third floor, a pair of “co-primary” bedrooms are linked via a renovated bath with Waterworks fixtures and a walk-in shower. Notably, the home also comes with two private parking spots, one of which is secured with a garage door.
Allyson Lubow for Sotheby’s International Realty
The front parlor features preserved millwork and parquet flooring.
This is the second listing linked to Dylan to hit the market recently. Just last month, the Greenwich Village walk-up building where he lived in the 1960s listed for $8.25 million. The famously reclusive star rented a one-bedroom on the third floor for $60 a month, he revealed in his 2004 memoir, Chronicles: Volume One.
Allyson Lubow for Sotheby’s International Realty
One of the co-primary bedrooms on the third floor comes with a fireplace.
The Harlem townhouse was listed with Colin Montgomery and Stan Ponte of Sotheby’s International Realty—East Side Manhattan Brokerage.
Geoffrey Montes is an associate editor at ELLE Decor with a serious love for all things real estate and design. Before that, he worked at Architectural Digest, Galerie, and Preservation magazines, covering everything from jaw-dropping listings to world-famous architects and design events like Salone del Mobile and Homo Faber.