Neighbors at the Dakota want to sell combo unit for $21M, time travel to 1884

Two residents of Manhattan’s famed Dakota building are looking for someone to purchase and combine their units, restoring them to the way they were in 1884—in size, at least, if not in amenities.

Tenants Virginia Dwan and John Rydzewski have lived next to each other in the Dakota for decades, and they wish to find a buyer who can combine the units, turning the space back into the single, 4,800-square-foot apartment it was when the building first opened, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The sellers hope to both revive architect Henry J. Hardenbergh’s original intentions for the space and get more money for their homes, which have a combined asking price of $20.5 million.

The buyer would be in for a lot of work, as combining the two units would require massive renovations, including removing a kitchen and reconfiguring some interior walls.

Apartment-splitting was fairly common after World War II thanks to rent control laws that put limits on how much landlords could charge, but in recent years, luxury co-ops on Fifth and Park Avenues have been looking to combine these smaller units.

There are currently about 85 co-op units at the Dakota, up from roughly 65 when the building first opened, and the property just went through $32 million of exterior renovations.

The Real Deal has also designated the building as one of the most haunted in New York City. [WSJ] – Eddie Small