Lack of proper space in Manhattan is no joke, even for a famous comedian, his actress fiancée and their young toddler.
Movie star couple Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde traded up before listing their two-bedroom, 2.5 bath Chelsea apartment for nearly $4 million recently, just eight months after the birth of their son, Otis.
The actors bought the modest (by celebrity standards) Meatpacking District apartment at 66 Ninth Avenue in 2012 for $3.23 million. Listing agent Ann Cutbill Lenan of Douglas Elliman real estate told media outlets that the couple “moved on to a bigger place.” (we’re guessing literally and figuratively).
Sudeikis earned his comedic wings via brash and cocky characters as a featured “not ready for primetime player” on Saturday Night Live before graduating to become a bonafide A-list comedy movie star in successful movies such as Horrible Bosses and We’re the Millers. New York City-born Wilde achieved international stardom television shows such as The O.C. and House M.D., and then in films such as Cowboys & Aliens.
When you consider the actors’ skyrocketing careers and a son who’s about to test out his walking shoes, it’s understandable why the family flew the Chelsea coop—despite what’s generally considered a spacious pad by Manhattan standards. But once you've gone Hollywood, standards change. Sudeikis and Wilde, who can play the game in Hollywood or New York appear to have left the Meatpacking District's High Line for the high life. Who could blame them?
Space aside, the listed 1,670-square-foot corner unit in Chelsea could offers few A-list frills outside of expansive views, 13-foot ceilings, walk-in closets, custom Italian cabinetry and high-end appliances. The apartment (across from Chelsea Market) could very well pass for a business executive’s bachelor pad with access to a public roof deck, a fitness center and bike storage.
The apartment is located in the Porter House, a conversion building (actually an expansion of an industrial building to condos) designed by SHoP architects and built in 2003--named for the "porterhouse" cut of steak in a nod to the Meatpacking District. According to Douglas Elliman Real Estate, the base of the building is a yellow-brick Renaissance Revival warehouse structure originally erected in 1905. Meanwhile, the condo conversion rests on top of the warehouse--disguised as a dark zinc-façade box with vertical lighting elements as large as some of its windows. The agency calls these oversized windows "visible beacons" that resemble "lines of barcode."
The Porter House building offers a prime location near Hudson River Park's walking and bike paths, dog runs and green spaces as well as High Line Park, Chelsea Piers recreation center, restaurants, clubs and art galleries.
Listing agent Lenan correctly calls the neighborhood “hip” and the Sudeikis-Wilde apartment itself “sunny.” Since SNL alum Sudeikis is a rising comedy star, the apartment may also have traces of funny left behind. So whoever buys it, the joke may be on them. In this case, that would be a good thing.