Novogratz Place Sells 114 Waverly Place

By Brian J Pape, AIA, LEED-AP

114 Waverly Place street front. Credit: Brian J. Pape, AIA.

Celeste Martin, a former actress and dancer and the eccentric “Queen” of the Village, died in December 2018 at 98 years old by some reports. She lived in her home at 114 Waverly Place or in other nearby apartments even before 1985 when she inherited eight buildings from her father. She had loved sharing the hot pink painted townhouse with her artist friends, often at no rent charge.

Robert and Courtney Novogratz bought the townhouse from the estate in 2020 for $8.5 million. They began renovating the four-story, 6,800 square foot home, known as “Novogratz Place,” housing their family and interior furnishings firm. The Novogratzes have flipped several homes, including the one on 400 West Street near Charles Street several years ago.

The Waverly home was originally one of nine rowhouses built in 1826, then radically changed in 1920, getting Italian styling, an English basement stoop, Art Nouveau round-arched windows, and an earthy color scheme for owner Murray P. Bewley. Martin changed that to hot pink, but the Landmarks Preservation Commission wanted a more historic yellow for Novogratzes’ 2022 finishing work, and the warm yellow glows like a sunflower. With the curtains pulled back the sparkling chandeliers inside the parlor floor spill light onto the street.

In the 3/9/25 real estate section of the New York Times, Vivian Marino reported that the townhouse was sold for $20.8 million to an anonymous buyer. We wish the iconic home well.