This $12 Million Townhouse in N.Y.C.’s West Village Backs Up to a Secret Garden

Forget the skyline—some of New York’s most magical views might just be hidden behind the wrought-iron gates of a secret West Village garden. Tucked between tree-lined charm and pop culture legend, a townhouse on Perry Street has just hit the market for the first time since 2006—and it’s serving up more than just a coveted address. Asking a speck under $12 million through Christie’s International Real Estate, the 1910 townhouse comes with five bedrooms, four full baths, and a history that leans more storied than staged. 

Let’s start with the headline act: a private bridle path. Yes, you read that right. A bridle path—in Manhattan. It winds past a lush, leafy oasis that looks straight out of the Hudson Valley. The garden isn’t just any backyard retreat; it’s part of the ultra-exclusive St. John’s Colony Garden enclave, a collection of private gardens located between West 11th and Perry Street.

RELATED: This $21 Million Converted Firehouse in N.Y.C.’s West Village Has a Jazz Club in the Basement

It’s a two-family home now, but converting it into a single-family stunner wouldn’t take much imagination. And, for those with bigger architectural ambitions, available air rights and the potential for basement excavation—pending Landmarks approval, of course—offer room to grow. The current layout includes a one-bedroom garden apartment (perfect for guests, nannies, or passive income) and a four-bedroom triplex above. 

RELATED: Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy Just Sold Their N.Y.C. Townhouse for $9.9 Million

Location-wise, it doesn’t get much more iconic. Carrie Bradshaw fictionally lived down the block. Margaret Mead, Tim Gunn, and Woody Allen all left their marks here—Mead spent 14 years at 72 Perry, Gunn called 64 Perry home for 16, and Allen filmed Alice there in 1990. Add to that a former address book including celebrity TV chef Geoffrey Zakarian, journalist Charlie Grumich, activist Margaret Sanger, and whistleblower cop Frank Serpico, and you’ll be in good, if eclectic, company. And while the cobblestones and brownstones lend timeless charm, the modern conveniences are all present and accounted for: world-class restaurants, tiny wine bars, cult-favorite boutiques—not to mention the subway and parks. 

In a discreet off-market deal that closed in March, a 5,900-square-foot duplex at 150 Charles Street sold for an astonishing $60 million, setting a new record for the most expensive apartment ever sold south of 14th Street. The sale is a striking reminder of just how competitive—and resilient—the downtown Manhattan real estate market remains, even amid broader market fluctuations. 

Click here to see more photos of the West Village townhouse.