Eleanor Roosevelt’s UES townhouse sells for 17% post-makeover price cut

The home sold for $14M, down from $16M listing earlier this year

55 East 74th Street and Eleanor Roosevelt (Compass, Getty)
55 East 74th Street and Eleanor Roosevelt (Compass, Getty)

Despite a modern makeover, the final sale price on Eleanor Roosevelt’s former townhouse didn’t live up to its original listing price.

The former first lady’s home at 55 East 74th Street sold for $13.5 million, a 17 percent cut from when it was asking $16 million earlier this year.

Meera Gandhi, founder and CEO of the Giving Back Foundation, had been trying to sell the property since 2018, when it hit the market with a $20 million price tag.

The home has been on and off the market since then. After swapping brokerages and renovations that included new flooring, a state-of-the-art kitchen and a powder room, Gandhi found an unnamed buyer who was willing to take it — for an extra discount.

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The home belonged to Roosevelt until her death in 1962. At 8,500 square feet, the home can accommodate up to 500 guests — and has previously counte world leaders such as President John F. Kennedy and the Soviet Union’s Nikita Khrushchev among them.

The five-story home has six bedrooms, five full bathrooms and two half bathrooms. Features include ceilings stretching 12 feet high, a rooftop garden oasis and two marble fireplaces.

Compass’ Benjamin Glazer represented the seller, while Corcoran’s Tara King-Brown represented the buyer.

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