New York City Has an Adorable Rooftop Cottage and It’s Finally for Sale

Urban Cottage in New York City

If you ever wanted to live out your Hansel and Gretel fantasy, but don't want to live in the forest, this urban cottage in New York's East Village might fit the bill. With its shaker shingles and lush greenery, the rooftop cottage looks like it's been plucked from a seaside vacation spot.

The building, located at 72 E. First St., is full of history. Dating from 1868, it was purchased from the Dutch East India Company from a renowned landowner, but fell into disrepair until purchased in 1980 by sculptor and artist Henry Merwin Shrady III. It was Shrady who renovated the building, keeping the upper floors as a duplex for his family and adding the quaint cottage. Shrady's son lived there during his college years, but for the past 15 years it's been occupied by a tenant.

When Shrady died in 2015, the property passed into the hands of his widow, Gale Barrett Shrady. Now, the duplex, complete with cottage, is on the market. The 3,000-square-foot property, in addition to the urban cottage, lets you have a country oasis in the middle of the city.

Unfortunately, the realtor has not yet released photos of the cottage's interior—the following photos are actually of the duplex on the lower floors. With 18-foot ceilings and two fireplaces, the luxurious interiors make us all the more curious to see what's hidden inside the cottage. And, if you're willing to shell out $3.5 million, it could all be yours.

The unusual urban cottage, located on the rooftop of a historic building in the East Village, is now for sale.

Urban Cottage in New York City

The $3.5 million price tag gets you the cottage and the 3,000-square-foot duplex on the two floors below.

cool house new york

Urban Cottage in New York City

While no interior photos of the cottage have been released, these images of the luxurious duplex let us imagine how equally beautiful it must be.

cool house new york

cool house for sale new york

cool house for sale new york

cool house for sale new york

Here's the floorplan to the duplex below the rooftop cottage.

Urban Cottage in New York City

h/t: [Messy Nessy Chic]

All images via Compass.

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Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Contributing Writer and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book 'Street Art Stories Roma' and most recently contributed to 'Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini'. You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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