It doesn’t seem to matter who you are. Britney Spears had to do it. Emily Blunt too. And even the bubbly but now reclusive Billy Bush. What do they all have in common? They’ve had to cut the sale price on their estates because there were no buyers or because there was lack of interest. We guess there aren’t enough multi-millionaire groupies/stalkers out there to want to feel the walls that Spears once touched and who just happen to have on hand a suitcase full of cash. Bush lost 1.4 million when he sold his duplex, and Blunt cut $500,000 from her listing. And remember Jon Bon Jovi? You know, the “You Give Love a Bad Name” crooner? Well, he used to live in a Soho penthouse at 158 Mercer Street that he bought for 24 million in 2007. Four years later, Bon Jovi put Mercer Street on the market for an eye-popping $45 million. It took seven years in total for someone to bite, and the buyer did so at $37.5 million, apparently a “discount” from the former asking price.
The Austrian-American businessman Gerhard Andlinger eventually purchased the rockstar’s posh haven, but now the former wants out. So the 7,452-square-foot home is back on the market, and the price is—wait for it–$38 million. Andlinger lasted only 2 years at the six-bedroom, six-bathroom Soho sanctuary.
Will Andlinger be the next Britney Spears? But maybe he’ll get lucky. After all, the ask is just a half a million more than what he purchased it for. Maybe that money went to good purposes, like capital improvements. Sound wiring the house so that he can play “Hello” on repeat all day long. To make it more palpable and so we don’t have to slit our wrists, let’s say it’s the Lionel Richie song, not the Adele ballad. Or how about aTiki bar surrounded by inflatable palm trees and sand flown in from Belize. Or stocking up on Canon ink—all the colors, not just black–for his printer. However you put it, ink is expensive. Buying it in bulk is like being evicted from the Dakota. Or even a lobster tank—the new fish tank–so that if Mr. Andlinger gets hungry, all he needs are tongs, a pot, hot water and—presto!—here comes dinner!
But we’re being unreasonable. If the structure of the rooms or the décor hasn’t changed much, who wouldn’t want to live on Mercer Street, where other notable figures lived, past and present, include Ariana Huffington and Harvey Weinstein.
Okay, let’s be serious. Besides the décor, not much has changed. There are still six bedrooms, six bathrooms, a media room, several fireplaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, dramatic columns, and a private elevator. However, the best view in the house is the spa-like rooftop deck with panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline.
You also get an elevator that opens directly into a private entrance foyer. The great room is really great, a room featuring an open-concept-like design, a room that shares a dining area, a kitchen and a lounge. The master suite has 11-foot ceilings, there’s a marble bathroom and the second floor basically repeats the room amenities of the first floor.
Bon Jovi moved to 150 Charles after leaving behind Mercer Street. He’ll feel welcome there, as the likes of Irina Shayk and Ben Stiller reportedly have condos there. Anyway, we hope the Bon Jovi curse won’t afflict Andlinger. If someone doesn’t buy his apartment, he might have to drop the price. So unfair!
