217 E 61ST Street
$7,995,000
MLS# RLS20117759 · Lenox Hill
Listed September 28, 2026 · 38 days on the market
5 Beds 5 Baths
About This Property
This renovated four story home on one of the most beautiful townhouse blocks in Manhattan is complete with 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, garden, roof deck, terrace and formal dining room. On the garden floor, the eat-in kitchen leads to the dining room and den looking out over a beautiful garden. The parlor floor with sitting room and bar has majestic 12-foot ceilings with two fireplaces and astonishing mantles. The rear parlor leads out through French doors to a large terrace surrounded by greenery. The third and fourth floors each have two luxuriously appointed bedrooms. Each bedroom has its own fireplace and bathroom. This sumptuous home has separate zones of heating and air conditioning throughout. There is a cellar floor with washer and dryer and a second laundry facility on the fourth floor. No detail, comfort or convenience has been overlooked.217 EAST 61st STREET HISTORY:Located on a tree-lined townhouse block in a small historic district on Manhattan's Upper East Side, 217 East 61st Street was once the home of Broadway and Hollywood star Montgomery Clift. His many starring roles in movies include: "From Here to Eternity" with Frank Sinatra and Burt Lancaster; "Red River" with John Wayne; "A Place in the Sun" with Elizabeth Taylor; and "The Misfits" with Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. Taylor and Monroe were Clift's frequent guests at 217 along with many other stars. The small bar on the double-parlor floor around which Clift entertained them was untouched in the complete renovation of the property which added modern conveniences to past elegance. 217 had a notable history before Montgomery Clift owned it. In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt gave it to his daughter Alice as a wedding present (according to New York Magazine, June 4, 2006). Clift bought the property from Count Serge Obolensky, a Russian noble-in-exile and New York society figure. In addition to its distinguished history and location, 217 E. 61st has the comfortable, traditional family friendly feeling that you may be looking for.https://observer.com/2016/09/montgomery-clifts-pedigreed-upper-east-side-townhouse-could-be-yours/https://www.instagram.com/p/Cygyz-6u4-h/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v6gc0A-f6SU4https://www.facebook.com/Imagendetinta/posts/montgomery-clift-in-a-photo-by-stanley-kubrick-new-york-1948/656123119246153/
Agent's Note
From Curtis Bain. Details about the apartment are drawn from the listing information provided through RLS by Douglas Elliman Real Estate.
Every bedroom on the third and fourth floors has its own fireplace and bathroom, and that's the detail I'd put first for this house. With five bedrooms and five bathrooms, the upper floors give each room real separation, which matters if you want guests, work or quiet spaces to stay apart.
The garden floor is where the house opens up. The eat-in kitchen leads to a dining room and a den that look out over the garden. On the parlor floor, the sitting room and bar have 12-foot ceilings and two fireplaces, and French doors off the rear parlor open onto a terrace with greenery all around. A private garden in Manhattan changes how the ground floor gets used, and having the terrace right off the parlor makes that easy.
Heating and air conditioning run on separate zones throughout, and the house has central air. Laundry is handled in two places. There's a washer and dryer on the cellar floor, and a second laundry facility on the fourth floor. A roof deck adds another outdoor space above the terrace.
The Lexington Av/59 St station is about 3 minutes on foot, served by the 4, 5, 6, N, R and W. Morton Williams is about 3 minutes away, and Queensboro Oval is about 8 minutes on foot.
Quick answers+
Does the house have private outdoor space?
Yes. There's a private garden, a terrace off the rear parlor, and a roof deck.
Does the house have in-unit laundry?
Yes. There's a washer and dryer on the cellar floor, and a second laundry facility on the fourth floor.
Does the house have central air?
Yes. Central air is included, and heating and air conditioning run on separate zones throughout.
Curtis Bain
Brown Harris Stevens
Property Features
Policies
- Pets allowed
- Smoke-free
Home features
- Washer/dryer in unit
- Central air
- 2 fireplaces
- Private garden
- Private outdoor space (over 60 sq ft)
- Terrace
Building amenities
Services and facilities
- Green building
Estimate
Monthly Cost & Closing Costs
The rate is a placeholder, not a quote. Enter the one your lender gives you.
$45,079 / month
- Principal and interest$40,427
- Property taxes$4,652
Due at closing
- Down payment (20%)$1,599,000
- NYS “mansion tax” (2.25%)$179,888
- Mortgage recording tax (1.925%)$123,123
Not included: attorney, title insurance, lender and appraisal fees, board application and move-in fees, flip tax and prepaid items. Estimates only, based on the published New York State rates. Your attorney and lender will confirm the real figures.
Location & Nearby
Map
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217 E 61ST Street
Subway
- 456NRWLexington Av/59 StAbout 3 min walk
- MQLexington Av/63 StAbout 4 min walk · Accessible
- 668 St-Hunter CollegeAbout 10 min walk · Accessible
- EFLexington Av/53 StAbout 11 min walk · Accessible
Parks
- Queensboro OvalAbout 8 min walk
- St. Catherine's ParkAbout 9 min walk
- Andrew Haswell Green ParkAbout 11 min walk
Public schools · Elementary schools
- East Side Elementary School, PS 267About 3 min walk
- P.S. 59 Beekman Hill InternationalAbout 6 min walk
- Ella Baker SchoolAbout 9 min walk
Middle schools
- J.H.S. 167 Robert F. WagnerAbout 19 min walk
High schools
- Art and Design High SchoolAbout 6 min walk
- Vanguard High SchoolAbout 9 min walk
Colleges & universities
- Hunter College (CUNY)About 11 min walk
- New York School of Interior DesignAbout 11 min walk
- Louis V Gerstner Grad SchAbout 11 min walk
- Rockefeller UniversityAbout 11 min walk
Museums
- Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & GardenAbout 8 min walk
- The Frick CollectionAbout 16 min walk
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)About 17 min walk
- Paley Center for MediaAbout 18 min walk
Walking times are estimates. Schools shown are the nearest public and charter schools and are not zone assignments; a nearby school is not necessarily the one an address is zoned for. Confirm zoning with the NYC Department of Education. Sources: MTA, NYC Parks and NYC Department of City Planning open data.
The Neighborhood
About Lenox Hill
A refined Upper East Side enclave of prewar elegance, Central Park proximity, and Madison Avenue prestige.
Walkability
9/10
Public transit
9/10
Schools
9/10
Dining
9/10
Groceries & parks
9/10
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Gallery
Property Photos
Listing Courtesy of Douglas Elliman Real Estate
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