New York-based philanthropist Joshua Rechnitz gave his post-apocalyptic penthouse a $1 million haircut this month. <\/p>\n
The enigmatic 60-year-old moved to part with his longtime West Village home in October, according to StreetEasy. That $5.9 million listing was pulled down by December, and reappeared this week at a more modest $4.9 million.<\/p>\n
Douglas Elliman agent Ann Cutbill Lenane holds the eye-catching listing, complete with out-of-this-world marketing images, lab-grade bathroom fixtures equipment and a water tower-turned-hot tub.<\/p>\n
Joshua Rechnitz has dolled out millions to philanthropic causes, but prefers to keep a low profile. Aria Isadora\/BFA\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
His eye-catching home was assembled and renovated over the course of nearly two decades. Courtesy Niall Schroder<\/p>\n
A metal and glass staircase resembles a dinosaur spine. Courtesy Niall Schroder<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery single thing in the apartment is just cooler than the next,\u201d Cutbill Lenane told the Post.<\/p>\n
Rechnitz \u2014 who could not be reached for comment on the listing \u2014 has a reputation for under-the-radar philanthropy, funded by a family fortune dating back to the Great Depression.<\/p>\n
The amateur cyclist was behind an abandoned bid \u2014 and accompanying $40 million pledge \u2014 to construct a 200-meter bike-racing track, or velodrome, in Brooklyn Bridge Park in 2012. <\/p>\n
Rechnitz paid $7 million in the same year to acquire Gowanus\u2019 abandoned power station, then a hotspot for underground raves, the New York Times<\/a> reported. After many millions more spent on environmental clean-ups and renovations, the site reopened in 2023<\/a> as a multipurpose arts facility, Powerhouse Arts.<\/p>\n Rechnitz speaks at the Powerhouse Arts opening celebration. Madeleine Thomas\/BFA.com\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Rechnitz is spending less time in the city, and in his 3,400-square-foot triplex, as he pursues philanthropic ventures in upstate agriculture, the Times reported.<\/p>\n His penthouse pad is one of just two residences in an otherwise commercial walk-up building on Hudson Street, assembled through two purchases in 2006 and 2009 collectively worth $5.4 million, according to city records. That would mean this sale stands to come at a loss at its current asking price.<\/p>\n The investment was undoubtedly compounded by its owner\u2019s extensive renovations and bold decorative additions over the years.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery inch of that apartment has a story,\u201d Cutbill Lenane said.<\/p>\n Interiors include four woodburning fireplaces, wood floors and lofty ceilings. Courtesy Niall Schroder<\/p>\n The third-floor powder room, encased in recycled wine bottles and guarded by a set of armor, resembles a fallout shelter. Courtesy Niall Schroder<\/p>\n Electrode wall decor is complimented by laboratory fixtures. Courtesy Niall Schroder<\/p>\n A sliding door of recycled bottles separates the den and office spaces. Courtesy Niall Schroder<\/p>\n The home\u2019s first level, located on the building\u2019s third floor, includes two bedrooms and a media room. <\/p>\n A powder room addition on the third floor is curiously encompassed by a dome of colorful wine bottles. Its thick, valve-covered door looks like it was salvaged from a Cold War nuclear site.<\/p>\n Cutbill Lenane told The Post that at least one of the home\u2019s many antique collector\u2019s items had to be tested twice for radiation.<\/p>\n Electrodes line the interior wall and its laboratory water fixtures include an emergency eye-washing station. <\/p>\n A metallic staircase resembling dinosaur bones and backed by a two-story wall of plants connects to the home\u2019s fourth floor. <\/p>\n Felted walls and gemstones line the bedroom. Courtesy Niall Schroder<\/p>\n The traditional beachy bathroom theme got a metallic twist. Courtesy Niall Schroder<\/p>\n An antique soaking tub. Courtesy Niall Schroder<\/p>\n The rooftop. Courtesy Niall Schroder<\/p>\n A tree-like spiral staircase ascends to the roughly 1,600-square-foot rooftop. The impressive space is covered in overgrown vegetation and hosts a hot tub fashioned from the top of wooden water tower.<\/p>\n Regardless of the fossil-themed stairs, the home has good enough bones to attract even the most urbane buyer \u2014 13-foot ceilings, four woodburning fireplaces, wood floors and an antique soaking tub, to name a few.<\/p>\n Cutbill Lenane acknowledge the home would be sold at a loss to her client, but called the home a \u201cpassion project.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust on a per-square-foot basis, in that location, with four fireplaces and an outdoor space, it\u2019s a fantastic price,\u201d Cutbill Lenane said. \u201cIt\u2019s such a rare find.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New York-based philanthropist Joshua Rechnitz gave his post-apocalyptic penthouse a $1 million haircut this month. The enigmatic 60-year-old…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":91361,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1023,9,56,63,65,64,2453,1491,3006,8028,2380],"class_list":{"0":"post-91360","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york-city","8":"tag-luxury-real-estate","9":"tag-new-york","10":"tag-ny","11":"tag-nyc","12":"tag-nyc-headlines","13":"tag-nyc-news","14":"tag-penthouses","15":"tag-real-estate","16":"tag-residential-real-estate","17":"tag-surreal-estate","18":"tag-west-village"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91360"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91360\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}