Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Landmarked Bowery Mansion Sold For $55 Million
By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 7, 2015
Modified Feb 7, 2015
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 .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 7, 2015
Modified Feb 7, 2015
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
As was expected, the landmarked graffiti-covered mansion at 190 Bowery has been sold. And the News calls it one of "greatest returns on investment" in NYC real estate history: photographer Jay Maisel sold it for $55 million after purchasing it for a mere $102,000 in 1966. $54,898,000 is probably enough to smooth over any lingering guilt over turning an NYC icon into more condos.
As we previously wrote about the building, Maisel pretty much kept all 72 rooms in the six-story building for himself and family since purchasing it (though at one point Roy Lichtenstein rented out a studio space there). With no other tenants, the exterior became a friendly site for graffiti artists.
Eric Rieger, aka HOTTEA, put up a piece reading "UUGGHH" around the building in December in response to the imminent sale. He told us at the time:
I wanted to create a piece on this building because of how iconic it is to New York City. Also, because it was recently purchased and this once canvas for graffiti writers and street artists will no longer be accessible. All over the country gentrification is taking place and NYC is no stranger to that. It is something that I see in every city I travel to. There have been so many historic buildings that have been lost to this and to that I say 'UUGGHH.'
RFR Holdings' Aby Rosen told the Times in the fall that "the building could be converted for retailing at the base with condominiums above, or possibly offices or even an art gallery." Get one last glimpse inside the building that was in this New York Magazine feature from 2008.
Tagged
190 bowery
jay maisel
real estate
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
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 .