2 min readPerched atop a prewar brick-and-limestone beauty at the northern edge of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the former penthouse of Maurice Templesman just hit the market for $5.5 million. The late Belgian-born diamond dealer was the longtime—and final—romantic partner of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who died in 1994. The couple lived together in her Fifth Avenue apartment, and after her death Templesman spent years searching for a home for himself, per The New York Times.
He ultimately discovered the perfect aerie in 1999. “We looked at so many places—uptown, downtown, East Side, West Side, even townhouses,” Templesman’s son, Leon, told the outlet. “We were just about ready to give up when we found this apartment.”
Templesman lived in the co-op until his death last August at age 95.
The irrigated wrap-around terrace is more than double the size of the interior space.
With two bedrooms and roughly 1,900 square feet of interior space, the unit comes with an ultra-rare New York perk: a palatial wrap-around terrace that spans more than 3,650 square feet. Featuring sweeping views of Central Park and the East River, the lush outdoor oasis is dotted with flowers, shrubs, and trees and even comes with an irrigation system already installed. The terrace is so large that nearly every room in the apartment has direct access to it.
The library can be turned into a second bedroom and has direct access to the terrace.
In terms of layout, only the entry foyer is on the 12th floor, with the rest of the residence one flight up. The interiors have hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a working fireplace with a carved wooden mantel.
Leon recalled the first time his father saw the unique space. “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,’” he told The Times. “It was love at first sight.”
1155 Park Avenue #PH is listed for $5.5 million with Allison Bandier Koffman and Juliette Janssens of Sotheby’s International Realty—East.