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Maurice Tempelsman’s Upper East Side home has hit the market for $5.5 million nearly nine months after his death
Tempelsman reportedly purchased the home in 1999 after previously living with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in her Fifth Avenue apartment
The property includes two bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms and a 3,660-square-foot wraparound terrace with views of Central Park
The longtime New York City home of Maurice Tempelsman — Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis‘s final love — has hit the market for $5.5 million nearly nine months after his death.
Located on the Upper East Side, the 1,872-square-foot space features two bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. It also boasts a 3,660-square-foot wraparound terrace, which was a major selling point for Tempelsman when he first toured the place, according to The New York Times. Additionally, the property overlooks the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in Central Park.
The famed diamond merchant — who died on Aug. 23, 2025, at age 95 — reportedly purchased the property for $3.3 million in October 1999. Before purchasing the home, Tempelsman and the former first lady lived in her Fifth Avenue apartment together, the Times reports.
His son Leon Tempelsman tells the outlet that his father later rented a suite at the nearby Sherry-Netherland hotel following Kennedy Onassis’s death in May 1994.
Maurice Tempelsman’s N.Y.C. penthouse for sale
Credit: Yoo Jean Han for Sotheby’s International Realty
Leon adds that it was “love at first sight” when his father toured his Upper East Side home for the first time, especially after a long search to find his permanent residence, per the outlet.
“He was walking through the apartment with the broker trying to put on a game face, then he turned around with his hand cupped over his mouth and said, ‘I love it,’” Leon said of his father.
Allison Bandier Koffman and Juliette Janssens of Sotheby’s International Realty – East Side Manhattan Brokerage currently hold the listing.
Inside the property, the dining area boasts floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors that open out to the terrace. The living room is centered around a cozy wood-burning fireplace.
Maurice Tempelsman’s N.Y.C. penthouse for sale
Credit: Yoo Jean Han for Sotheby’s International Realty
The primary bedroom features two walk-in closets while the nearby library, which can double as a second bedroom, also offers direct access to the terrace.
According to the Times, Maurice kept the original layout of the home and made a few minor changes, such as painting and wallpaper, to the interior space.
Maurice Tempelsman’s N.Y.C. penthouse for sale
Credit: Yoo Jean Han for Sotheby’s International Realty
His son said the “biggest change” his father made to the property was the “elaborate build-out of the garden” that was “nowhere near as heavily planted” before his father moved in.
In addition to transporting residents to a lush oasis, the terrace offers sweeping views of Central Park and the East River, with multiple seating spaces for lounging and dining.
Maurice Tempelsman’s N.Y.C. penthouse for sale
Credit: Yoo Jean Han for Sotheby’s International Realty
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Another unique addition to the outdoor space is a wooden skiff from Martha’s Vineyard, which Leon says was one of his dad’s favorite anecdotes to share with visitors.
“He loved telling people about the vertical journey involved in hoisting a 13-foot boat up 12 floors to the top of a New York City building,” he told the outlet. “This is most likely the first penthouse apartment to come with its very own skiff.”
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