The living room.
Allyson Lubow for The Corcoran Group
A two-bedroom condo in Manhattan is on the market for $1.65 million.
The building was constructed in 1967 and the condo has been owned by the same woman since 1968.
Sonja Alaimo, the owner, planned to sell the home a few years ago but changed her mind as she could not bear to part with it.
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Located in Village House Condominium, the two-bedroom apartment was owned by the late Sonja Alaimo, her friend and trustee John McIntyre told Insider.
Alaimo, who died earlier this year, bought the property with her late husband in 1968, shortly after the building was constructed in 1967, per property records.
“She has been living in the house since it was built,” McIntyre said. “Her husband died in 1998 and since then, she’s been living there alone.”
The apartment was first listed for sale for $2.3 million in October 2015, before it was taken down in April 2016, per listing records.
Alaimo had planned to sell the apartment back then, but pulled the plug on the listing when she realized that she was not ready to give it up, McIntyre added.
The condo was listed again in early January for $1.75 million, before it was reduced to $1.65 million in late January two weeks after Alaimo’s death.
Fred Cargian from Cocoran Group holds the listing.
Allyson Lubow for The Corcoran Group
On June 28, 1969, the police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the neighborhood, sparking protests throughout the city. This uprising became a pivotal moment in the country’s LGBTQ movement.
Some notable past residents of Greenwich Village include former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Andy Warhol, and Edgar Allan Poe, per the Village Alliance. The Village Alliance is an organization that advocates for the residents of the neighborhood.
Homes in Greenwich Village have a median listing home price of $1.3 million, per data from real-estate platform Realtor.com. There are currently 19 apartments for sale in the area, with prices ranging from $749,000 to $10.995 million.
This two-bedroom condo, with its $1.65 million price tag, is the third-cheapest listing in the area.
Allyson Lubow for The Corcoran Group
“It was her idea because she wanted that Japanese-style look of low maintenance and clean living,” McIntyre said. Wood is often used in traditional Japanese architecture because of its durability.
McIntyre, a general contractor, became friends with Alaima in 1990 when she approached him to help build a beach house at Point Lookout on Long Island, he said.
“I did some of the work in the apartment in 1998, putting the panels on the walls and the trim work on it, but the rest of the place is pretty much original,” McIntyre added.
Allyson Lubow for The Corcoran Group
Like the rest of the house, the bedrooms have wood-paneled walls and louvered window curtains that help to filter light in.
The primary bedroom comes with an ensuite bathroom and a dressing room, per the listing.
The condo building also comes with a 24-hour doorman, a live-in super, as well as a laundry room, per the listing.
Allyson Lubow for The Corcoran Group
But the best part of the apartment by far is the location, McIntyre said.
The apartment is a 10-minute walk away from Washington Square Park, per Google Maps. It’s also near Union Square, Parsons School of Design, as well as the F, M, and L subways.
When she was alive, Alaimo enjoyed art, ballet, and ice skating, among other hobbies, McIntyre said. Proceeds from the sale of her apartment will go to related charities that support these interests.
Allyson Lubow for The Corcoran Group
“Sonja Alaimo herself was a live wire. She was a ballet dancer and an artist. She had many friends and we would all go to dinner at her apartment to share stories,” McIntyre said.
Her Christmas parties, in particular, were always fun as everyone who attended had to guess the gift that they got before she would let them open it, he said.
“It was always a comfortable place to be. We always looked forward to going there and visiting her,” McIntyre added.