163 E. 64th St. is on the market for $15 million on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Photo by Nest Seekers International
A beautiful townhouse resonating with elements of art, music and history is for sale in one of Manhattan’s most ritzy neighborhoods.
Real estate magnate Kenneth Laub is selling his Symphony Townhouse, located on the Upper East Side at 163 East 64th St. Built in 1872, the property is an exquisite neo-Georgian-inspired brick townhouse extending 90 feet in depth with a rooftop garden and a stunning interior that is deep-rooted in history.
But the 8,000-square-foot home is more than a luxury residence. It is an oasis of creativity where Laub was able to foster his second career: Music.
It was at the Symphony Townhouse where real estate icon composed a catalog of over 150 songs about the Big Apple —his hometown city that he loves so much.
Some of Laub’s hit songs include “New York Old Friend” and “Starting Over,” an ode to New Year’s Eve in Times Square.
While the two careers seem to contrast, Laub describes them as a perfect union.
“People who are successful in real estate are very numbers-oriented,” the Brooklyn-born New Yorker said. “Music is about numbers. So, it isn’t that difficult to transition from one to the other if you’re a numerical person.”
Though Symphony House is an impressive piece of $15 million real estate, it is juxtaposed with Laub’s creative side.
“It’s coincidental that the Symphony House got to be called this because the history of it is that when I was redoing the house with Ronald Bricke, the designer, everything to me was functioning like a symphony.”
Just as a symphony is a body of music written in movements, so is the layout of the Symphony House.
“So it is, in the design of my property, everything that flows from one room into the other, flowed as if it is part of an overall body of music,” the songwriter and jazz pianist described.
Laub has lived at the Symphony Townhouse for 37 years, but admits it is time to downsize to a smaller dwelling. He plans to stay in Manhattan, the city he loves so much and holds dear to his heart, as reflected in his music.
The music that was made at Symphony House is nothing to be ignored, and neither is the property’s stunning visual appeal. Its facade was restored by the same team of craftsmen who restored The Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
Inside, the four-story mansion features ceilings nearing 14 feet high that soar above Versaille wood floors. Some of the historic interior design elements include a Belle Époque bar with a Lalique crystal ceiling and an 18th-century tapestry-lit dining room.
But Laub’s favorite room in the residence is the library. Or more specifically, the Symphony Floor, a second level flowing like a musical composition, complete with an English pine library, music room, and performance-ready sound system.
“It’s a really beautiful English library,” Laub explained. “There’s a chandelier from the 19th century that weighs 460 pounds and it’s bronze.”
Despite all the memories and musical legacy made at Symphony House, Laub said he is not sad about leaving.
“It’s time to go. I’m committed to making the move,” he said.
Laub is looking forward to moving into a smaller two– or three-bedroom apartment in Manhattan because he loves the city so much and is not a “Floridian or snow bird,” he admitted.
But wherever he goes, the music will follow.
