Jennifer Gould

Jennifer Gould

Celebrity Real Estate
exclusive

Neil Patrick Harris finally scores buyer for Harlem home, sets price record

“How I Met Your Mother” star Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka have found a buyer for their historic Harlem brownstone, Gimme can report exclusively.

The five-story home listed last August for $7.3 million. But it was pulled off the market following a storm that caused some water damage.

While the furniture was being redone, brokers and buyers kept circling ⁠— with multiple offers.

The buyer ⁠— a local New Yorker in love with the house and the ‘hood, we hear ⁠— is in contract for more than $7.1 million, sources say.

It’s a record for the neighborhood and yet another example of the boom Harlem is having.

Harris bought the five-bedroom, 20-foot-wide home in 2013 for close to $3.6 million, as Gimme reported exclusively at the time.

The five-story home listed last August for $7.3 million. Courtesy of Compass
However, the home suffered storm damage, delaying a sale. Courtesy of Compass
It’s filled with quirky antiques. Courtesy of Compass
Depite a renovation, the home’s historic details remain intact. Courtesy of Compass
It’s hog heaven for book lovers. Courtesy of Compass
The digs are also ideal for an avid home cook. Courtesy of Compass
The bedrooms are super spacious. Courtesy of Compass
The whole setup is ideal for entertainment. Courtesy of Compass

The massive five-story home at 2036 Fifth Ave. is 8,000 square feet. Built in 1908, its original details ⁠— like moldings, millwork, dark wood, a restored wood staircase and high ceilings ⁠— remain intact even after updates by New York architect Jeffery Povero and LA designer Trace Lehnhoff.

Quirky new details include a top-floor office hidden behind a trick door that opens when you press the eye of a magician on a vintage poster. And like Jimmy Fallon’s Gramercy Park penthouse, this home comes with a vintage bar. In this case, it’s sourced from an old hotel and restored with new appliances, plumbing and electrical, including two built-in taps.

There’s also a formal dining room, library, music room, wine cellar, three fireplaces and a playroom.

An old hotel bar now adorns the home. Courtesy of Compass
Of course, there is a home theater. Courtesy of Compass
Sun bathe in the buff on this private roof terrace. Courtesy of Compass

The outdoor space includes a furnished, irrigated and landscaped roof deck with an outdoor grill, and a dining table for eight under a wood pergola, as well as a Jacuzzi. Altogether, the outdoor space totals more than 2,000 square feet of terraces, gardens and decks.

The home ⁠— especially the chef’s kitchen ⁠— is also recognizable to readers of Burtka’s cookbook, “Life is a Party,” says broker Vickey Barron, who is the co-listing broker with Pacey Barron, both of Compass.  

“They have so many great memories here and there are great images of the house in the book. It represents what the house meant for both of them ⁠— raising their family and entertaining here,” Vickey Barron said. 

The couple and their twins, Gideon and Harper -⁠— along with their dogs, Gidget, Spike and Ella ⁠— are spending more of their time in their Hamptons home these days. That four-bedroom home in East Hampton sits on 13.5 acres and is adjacent to another 10-acre reserve. They bought it for $5.5 million in 2017.

“They simply don’t need two large homes,” Vickey Barron said.

Perhaps a city pied-à-terre is next in the works.