Hollywood types make a home on Fifth Avenue

 The 27-story Art Deco apartment tower at 1 Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village has a reputation for hosting Hollywood elite. At one point or another directors Brian De Palma, Paul Mazursky, Ira Sachs and Tim Burton have all called the building home. But for Peter Newman, a film producer and a professor at New York University, and Antonia Dauphin, a casting agent, 1 Fifth is more than a prestigious networking opportunity.

Back in 1988, the couple married and moved from Peter’s 1 Fifth one-bedroom to a larger unit on a higher floor of the building. The couple later combined their unit with a neighbor’s to create a comfortable four-bedroom home for their children.

In some regards, the building is modest. During the combination the couple pieced together the kitchenettes from each unit to form a small galley kitchen. But they say that the ad hoc, anything-goes feel is just part of the appeal.

“I wouldn’t want to live in an apartment where you’d be upset if a kid or a dog ruined something,” Newman told the New York Times. “There is nothing here that is not replaceable. Nothing is precious other than our memories.” [NYT] – Christopher Cameron