‘Sopranos’ Creator David Chase Loses Big on Manhattan Penthouse
By Mark David
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Seven-time Emmy-winning TV writer-producer David Chase has sold a penthouse atop the historic London Terrace complex in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood to Canadian tennis pro Milos Raonic for a bit above $7.5 million. The sale price is not only more than one-third less than the original price but an eye-catching 10% under its last ask of almost $8.4 million — and a positively heart-stopping $2.1 million below the $9.65 million “The Sopranos” creator paid for the sprawling, U-shaped spread in late 2012. One reason for the price chop: After a pie-in-the-sky initial asking price that pushed up on $12 million, the property had spent more than two years on the market.
Measuring in at around 2,700 square feet, the three-bedroom and 3.5-bathroom aerie is laid out so that every room opens up to one of three terraces that together add about 1,000 square feet of outdoor living space, with wrap-around city and Hudson River views. The interiors feature chevron-pattern wood floors and steel-trimmed casement windows. A fireplace-anchored living room is awash in natural light through three exposures, to the south, west and east, while the sleekly appointed combination kitchen and dining area has a bird’s-eye view of the sunset over New Jersey, and incorporates a walk-in pantry and windowed laundry room.
This is not the first time that Chase, co-writer and executive producer of the upcoming “Sopranos” prequel feature film “The Many Saints of Newark,” has lost money on the sale of a multimillion-dollar penthouse at the London Terrace complex. In August 2014, he plunked down $4.6 million for a second, smaller neighboring penthouse and, after first offering it in conjunction with the larger penthouse at a boldly optimistic combo price of $16.5 million, sold it separately in October 2017 for $4.25 million. A few quick clicks on the abacus reveal Chase took a combined hit of almost $2.5 million on the sale of both units, and that’s not counting the considerable fortune he spent on carrying costs, improvement expenses and real estate fees.
Chase was represented in the most recent deal by Raphael De Niro — that would be Robert De Niro’s son — along with Maggie Leigh Marshall and Lauren De Niro Pipher, all at Douglas Elliman Real Estate.
