Celeste Godoy Photography for Douglas Elliman
One of the Upper West Side’s most architecturally distinctive homes is back on the market. The limestone mansion at 349 West 86th Street, a seven-story showpiece tucked between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue, has just been listed for $29.95 million, offering a glimpse into the neighborhood’s Beaux-Arts era.
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Celeste Godoy Photography for Douglas Elliman
Celeste Godoy Photography for Douglas Elliman
Randall Rackson, the home’s current seller, acquired the property in 1999 after a previous development plan was blocked by neighbors. At the time, the building was in a state of disrepair. “There were rats and pigeons living in it. There was no roof. There was no stairs. The only way to get in was scaffolding. ‘Cause it was in the middle of reconstruction and it was abandoned, so I bought the abandoned building,” he told ILTUWS.
ALSO READ: Famous Riverside Drive Mansion Sells for Less than Half of Original Asking Price
Rackson rebuilt the interior from the ground up, reimagining everything from the walls and floors to the layout and finishes, while preserving the original front façade. The windows and doors were replaced with designs that closely match the originals. “Randall personally curated every single detail and every inch. It’s done like a work of art,” said Lydia Sussek of Douglas Elliman, the listing agent.
Celeste Godoy Photography for Douglas Elliman
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The property offers 12,375 square feet of living space across seven floors, with seven bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, and eight wood-burning fireplaces. Additional features include a commercial elevator, home theater, gym, wine cellar, library, multiple entertaining spaces, and outdoor space on every level.
Celeste Godoy Photography for Douglas Elliman
Celeste Godoy Photography for Douglas Elliman
Celeste Godoy Photography for Douglas Elliman
Celeste Godoy Photography for Douglas Elliman
Celeste Godoy Photography for Douglas Elliman
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“I lived there for 20-something years. The only reason I’m selling it is my kids are grown, they’re in college, and we spend eight months a year in Cabo San Lucas. So it’s a lot of house for two people in three or four months,” Rackson noted. “But I love it. I love the place.”
ALSO READ: The Historic Charles Schwab House: A 75-Room Mansion on Riverside Drive
Sussek told ILTUWS that the home is already attracting attention from buyers drawn to its blend of old-world and modern influences: “We’ve shown it already and had a few repeats with people who are very interested in European-style living. I think it’s a European-style home. Yet it’s also very American.”
Celeste Godoy Photography for Douglas Elliman
Celeste Godoy Photography for Douglas Elliman
This isn’t the home’s first brush with the market. In 2013, it was listed for $50 million, a price that made headlines but didn’t lead to a sale. Now, more than a decade later, it’s returned with a significantly reduced ask, one that may better reflect today’s luxury market, where buyers are more cautious and selective at the ultra-high end.
For those interested in the architectural evolution of the Upper West Side, this listing is a reminder of the neighborhood’s layered past and the buildings that continue to carry its story forward.
Here’s the listing for a closer look.
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Looks slightly more tasteful than a Jersey new money aesthetic. Might actually sell quickly in the current boom-boom zeitgeist.
Yep.
And the copy reads like sponsored content.
It’s European but also American. Hmmm…I wish there was a word for that….
“overwrought-Trumpian-sorta-trashy”?
Some of the spaces seem nice, but right, there’s a disconnect between the well proportioned spaces and the surface details.
International -Eurotrash-Yankean is the word you want.
This will get Donny Jr and new bang, Melinda, excited to come back to town…
The photography is terrific! High praise to Celeste Godoy.
No garage, where the heck you gonna park? Plus, it’s too far west. I bet you I could talk them down to $28 mil.