Famous art collector and “Beastie mom” Hester Diamond’s El Dorado apartment is asking for $19.5 million

Photo credit: Rise Media

An apartment in the El Dorado at 300 Central Park West is a pretty enviable thing on its own, even without the added cachet of belonging to the estate of Hester and Harold Diamond, owners of one of the finest art collections in the world. world and parents of Mike Diamond. of Beastie Boys fame, whose childhood home it was, Picassos and all. Ms Diamond, who died in 2020 at 91, was an art dealer and collector whose collection of Old Masters and modernist art, according to The New York Times, included Picasso, Mondrian, Rothko and many others. Asking for $19,500,000, the duplex co-op in one of New York’s most venerable buildings is museum-sized at 6,300 square feet with 800 square feet of patio space and unparalleled views of the park and the skyline.

The six-bedroom duplex occupies the 18th and 19th floors of the South Tower of the 1929 Art Deco building known for its views of the Manhattan skyline and the Central Park Reservoir. Much of this one-of-a-kind residence was designed specifically to showcase a beloved and massive art collection. It was also designed for epic entertainment.

Hester Diamond also worked as an interior designer and was known for her irreverent style. At home, she likes to juxtapose classic furniture with modern art and old masters with contemporary furniture. This exuberance is evident in the bold, modern colors of the apartment’s rooms and its mix of non-traditional materials and finishes.

A semi-private elevator landing brings you to a masterpiece in a house of many masterpieces: a “grand salon” of a living room is surrounded by breathtaking grounds and views on the horizon from all angles, day and night. The room is 29 feet long, ready to accommodate gatherings large and small.

The grandeur of the house is highlighted by the building’s subtle pre-war details such as herringbone floors, high ceilings and plaster moldings, all in perfect condition. On the 21st century side, a well thought out lighting plan, central air conditioning and a humidification system are in place.

A small entertainment room sits off the entrance hall, with access to a dreamy corner terrace. A lobby gallery suitable for a world-class art collection connects to an equally impressive collection of additional rooms on this floor.

The apartment combines two massive units, so there are seemingly endless rooms that have served – and no doubt will continue to serve – a variety of functions at different times. Alternate floor plans were created to help a new owner visualize their dream space (see gallery below).

A formal dining room features inlaid herringbone floors and more breathtaking views. Although it was designed for intensive entertaining, a true chef’s kitchen includes a sunny and relaxed breakfast nook. Gleaming stainless steel countertops and cabinetry join high-end appliances like a Garland Professional Series stove with an externally vented Salamander hood and a SubZero refrigerator. There is even a beautiful porcelain room and an almost hidden secret powder room.

A large master suite opens onto a private terrace that directly overlooks Central Park. An equally massive glass-enclosed bathroom meets its match in a 24-foot walk-in closet and decadent walk-in closet.

Down a curving staircase on the 18th floor are five more bedrooms (or whatever you’d like them to be). Perched above Central Park is a huge, colorful media room with two full bathrooms and closets galore.

The remaining bedrooms are as graciously proportioned and endowed with views as you would imagine, with en-suite bathrooms and enviable closets. A large, airy utility room conveniently offers a second staircase leading directly to the kitchen.

Michael Diamond and his brother, David, told The Times they grew up in the apartment, which the Diamonds bought for about $1.2 million (for both units) when the building went into co-op in 1982 having been rented here since the 1960s. Their earliest memories were of a house filled with modernist art and rooms that served various purposes in different eras; later memorabilia include the Beastie Boys’ gold records proudly displayed in the home office. The eldest Diamonds, a social worker (her) and a schoolteacher (him), were art lovers who started collecting their favorite works of art one at a time, “on the layaway plan”.

[Listing info: 300 Central Park West, Unit 19D at CityRealty]

[Listed at Compass by Michael J. Franco; listed at The Corcoran Group by Amy Katcher]

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Photo credit: Rise Media

Key words :
300 Central Park West, Art Collections, Beastie Boys, Co-ops, El Dorado, Hester Diamond

Neighborhoods:
Central Park West, Upper West Side