Although Lena Horne’s former 2,100-square-foot Upper East Side apartment quickly sold last fall for $2.2 million, another, smaller unit once owned by the stage and screen icon has reemerged on the market for $1.075 million. The former functioned as Horne’s primary residence, while the latter, listed with Jonathan D. Schulz and Jason T. Miller of The Corcoran Group, served as her personal office. She owned a total of five units at the uptown New York City address, which is known as The Volney.
A renowned performer and civil rights activist, Horne died in 2010 and left the units to her daughter Gail Lumet Buckley, who sold the 900-square-foot workspace in 2018 for $825,000. The current sellers thoroughly renovated the compact one-bedroom and one-bathroom dwelling during their tenancy, most notably in the kitchen. The sunny, galley-style space was expanded to flow into the windowed dining-slash-living area and outfitted with custom white cabinetry, Caesarstone countertops, and Gaggenau appliances.
Nestled against the wall perpendicular to the kitchen, a built-in daybed bench was added, along with functional hidden storage. On the opposite wall, three large windows light the airy, open-plan living space, which features beamed ceilings. Dark hardwood floors throughout provide a contrast to the bright, white color scheme of the walls and cabinetry.
At just under 200 square feet, the bedroom offers a rather spacious closet by Manhattan standards–though it’s not a walk-in. There’s also a small ensuite white-tiled bathroom and a laundry room, which doubles as a storage closet.
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Monthly maintenance fees of $1,881 grant access to the co-op building’s amenities, which include a 24-hour doorman, a rooftop garden terrace, a shared laundry room, and additional storage. The 16-floor limestone building was originally designed as an extended-stay hotel, before being converted into a co-op residence in 1982. Horne moved in shortly after, upon returning from Hollywood to star in her acclaimed one-woman Broadway show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music.
