The New York Post reports that an imposing townhouse in Lenox Hill at 164 East 66th Street, with access to a lush hidden garden, has been put on the market for $10.75 million. “This rare home offers privileged access to one of Manhattan’s best-kept secrets, gifting its lucky buyer an unprecedented boast,” it reads. The townhouse, spanning around 3,620 square feet, is outfitted with amenities such as a basement sauna, a rooftop terrace and, above all, access to the exclusive Jones Wood Garden – a corner of nature enclosed between the buildings of Lexington and Third Avenue.
Unlike that famous gated area of lower Manhattan, however, Jones Wood Garden cannot be admired from the street; only nearby residents can use and stroll through it. The Post reports that three other townhouses on E. 65th Street that share access to the garden are for sale between $8.75 million and $13.45 million. They are now ready to be sold for the first time since the 1990s. Several owners raised their families here, and now that their kids are mostly out of the house, they feel it’s the right time to downsize a bit.
The article delves into the history of the approximately 10,800 square foot two-level garden, which according to the Post was “created by developers seeking to breathe new life into 12 brownstone-style buildings along East 65th and 66th Streets” around 1920 after combining their backyards. More than a century later, strolling through Jones Wood continues to inspire a sense of curious wonder.
How many other magical nooks like this are silently growing throughout the city, veiled by brownstone buildings, hidden from the public to be enjoyed by only a lucky few? The amenities of the home at 164 East 66th Street for sale, beyond garden access, include a gym, radiant-heated marble floors, an elevator, a bar, six fireplaces, a rooftop deck, two balconies, five bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms. It is a small community, New York’s latest oasis of peace.