It was recently announced that the Tribeca firehouse famous for starring in Ghostbusters is about to get vacated (along with 19 others) due to budget cuts. With news like this in New York City, thoughts turn immediately to real estate: what can be done with this newly available space?
Anderson Cooper paid $4.3 million in 2009 for a circa-1906 firehouse in New York City’s Greenwich Village. The four-story, 8,240 square-foot space still had the fire poles at the time of purchase, but by October, at least one pole had been removed, a fact known because Cooper’s interior decorator fell through the hole then promptly sued. Other than that, it’s not known what the inside of Coop’s firehouse looks like.
However, we can offer glimpses into other converted firehouses to show the creative ways they’ve been adapted into residences. Firehouses are a no-brainer for city dwellers who can afford them: they’re unique, spacious, and you are guaranteed ceilings high enough to drive a truck through (at least on the ground level). Plus, if you’re lucky, there’s a fire pole.
| This former Wellesley, Mass. station is now three condos. Photo: Trulia.com |
182 Walnut Street, Wellesley, MA
Year Built: 1903
Bedrooms/ Baths: 2/2
Square Footage: 1891
Price: $549,000/off the market
Year Built: 1903
Bedrooms/ Baths: 2/2
Square Footage: 1891
Price: $549,000/off the market
The former Hose 3 was converted into three modern condos in 2006, and Unit 3, detailed here, features exclusive access to the engine house’s lookout post, with views of town and countryside. That unit also has exclusive access to a landscaped yard with bluestone patio, first-floor 14-foot ceilings, marble counters, cherry cabinets, high-end appliances, hardwood floors, a cedar closet and lots of storage space.
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| This former San Francisco station is now a single family home. Photo: Trulia.com |
This recently-sold single-family residence in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley has wood and plaster interiors (and furnishings, as depicted here) that are the most like a traditional house of any of the others in this article.
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| This former Manhattan station is zoned for mixed use. Photo: Trulia.com |
113 East 90th Street, New York, NY
Year Built: 1915
Bedrooms/ Baths: 9 rooms
Square Footage: 5,250
Price: $10,995,000
Year Built: 1915
Bedrooms/ Baths: 9 rooms
Square Footage: 5,250
Price: $10,995,000
The property for sale detailed above is one of two units in this former firehouse building. Located in Carnegie Hill, the townhome is zoned for mixed use, it has three entrances, sizeable garden, plus a Manhattan rarity, an outbuilding: a stand-alone two-story ivy-covered stable.
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| This former Tampa station has a garage and a second floor living space. Photo: Trulia.com |
301 South Magnolia Avenue, Tampa, FL
Year Built: 1911
Bedrooms/ Baths: 1/1
Square Footage: 3,234
Price: $1,595,000
Year Built: 1911
Bedrooms/ Baths: 1/1
Square Footage: 3,234
Price: $1,595,000
This is a different kind of firehouse repurposing. In this case, the living space is a second-floor penthouse apartment, whereas the first floor has been left as a garage area for a car collection. The courtyard features mature trees and an upgraded sound system.
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| This former Seattle station is now a single family residence. Photo: Trulia.com |
1406 Harvard Avenue, Seattle, WA
Year Built: 1908
Bedrooms/ Baths: 2/2.25
Square Footage: 2,307
Price: off the market
Year Built: 1908
Bedrooms/ Baths: 2/2.25
Square Footage: 2,307
Price: off the market
This single-family firehouse residence in Seattle’s Central Business District melds a charming, turn-of-last-century brick exterior with modern design interiors.
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