Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Photos: Inside Mayor Bloomberg's "Robber Baron Chic" Townhouses
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 20, 2011
Modified Sep 20, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 11
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 20, 2011
Modified Sep 20, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
When the NY Times asked Mayor Bloomberg's office about the photographs on his longtime decorator's website that appeared to be of the billionaire's New York and London homes, "The mayor’s chief spokesman, Stu Loeser, declined to discuss the properties or their furnishings, and [decorator Jamie] Drake did not respond to phone or e-mail messages seeking comment. Mr. Loeser would not say whether Mr. Bloomberg was aware that the photos were online, but they were removed from Mr. Drake’s site Monday afternoon." If you were curious, you're in luck because we dug them up!
Mayor Bloomberg is one of the world's richest men, so it figures that his homes would be decorated in a style that reflects his billionaire-many-times-over status. But he's a private man (do NOT ask him what he does on weekends when he's not at a local parade), even though he may take the subway to City Hall and chat with his constituents, not much has been written about the splendor of the townhouses. Behavioral science writer Winifred Gallagher tells the Times the style seems to be "a sort of postmodern version of the 16th-century Italian merchant prince or maybe the 19th-century American robber baron," and the owner seems like one "someone who can afford to express his wealth and taste and bold personality with the best that money can buy, the best art, the best design," adding, "This is not the broody, artistic Abraham Lincoln type."
That fits with a quote Graydon Carter once gave the Times ten years ago: "Michael wants to live large, like a 19th-century railroad baron. He sees himself as very much like the Carnegies or Mellons." Totally: Who else can afford—based on what one antiques dealer believes—are $40,000 (each) sconces, "a $1 million Georgian Chippendale couch beneath what appeared to be an 18th-century portrait by a prominent painter like Joshua Reynolds or Thomas Gainsborough, which might be worth $450,000," plus "more sconces and chandeliers valued in the five or six figures, the dealer said."
Tagged
billionaire
expensive
interior design
jamie drake
mayor bloomberg
robber baron chic
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Gatorade recall affects drinks sold in New York and New Jersey
More than 122,000 cases are being recalled over undeclared food dyes.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 5, 2026
Gov. Hochul declares upstate NY measles outbreak a ‘disaster emergency’
The declaration is driven by rising case counts in rural areas and in neighboring Pennsylvania.
By
Caroline Lewis
News
Gov. Hochul declares upstate NY measles outbreak a ‘disaster emergency’
The declaration is driven by rising case counts in rural areas and in neighboring Pennsylvania.
By
Caroline Lewis
NYPD detective forced to retire after false statements in Brooklyn investigation
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani faces pressure to forge ahead with plan to fix polluting South Bronx market
By
Elizabeth Kim
Dominican man who shot border patrol officer in NYC sentenced to 15 years in prison
By
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .