Andrew Goodman (1907-93) was not only the owner of Bergdorf Goodman, the luxe emporium at 754 Fifth Ave., between 57th and 58th streets. He was also its landlord, watching over his retail and real estate investments from his penthouse perch atop the neoclassical marble and sandstone building.
But Goodman – who greatly expanded the store that his father Edwin, the man behind ready to wear, had founded with Herman Bergdorf in 1901 and that would become part of the Neiman Marcus Group, which in turn is now part of Saks Global – had other real estate that he relished, a country retreat in Rye.
Today, the 103-year-old estate on Hilltop Place retains the formal elegance of the Roaring ’20s when Goodman was making his moves uptown, albeit with all the amenities of a 21st-century home. The 9,000-plus-square-foot colonial boasts airy yet intimately scaled rooms – including seven bedrooms, five full bathrooms and three half-baths – with plenty of French windows and doors to let the light in. (The estate underwent a to-the-studs renovation and expansion in the late 1990s and has since been reimagined and upgraded by its current owners, while preserving the original architecture.)
Outside on the 2.6-acre property, a mix of recreational delights await, including a variety of geometric, floral and vegetable gardens; bocce and tennis courts; and an illuminated in-ground pool. That last feature is accompanied by a fun 1,000-plus-square-foot pool house that includes a spacious great room, kitchen, baths and changing area that would be the envy of any home.
If you tire of the main or pool houses, you can always retreat to the cozy 800-square-foot guest house – decked out in something from Bergdorf Goodman, no doubt.
The Hilltop Place property lists for $11,750,000. For more, call Houlihan Lawrence’s Donna McElwee at 914-282-3274 or Scott McElwee at 914-374-0715.
