NYC townhouse with reported ties to late director Elia Kazan asks $6.49M

Real Estate

This five-story Upper East Side townhouse, where the late, controversial film director Elia Kazan reportedly once lived, is currently on the market for $6.49 million — less than two months after the property transferred for $9 million, according to property records.

(At the time, there was a $4.8 million mortgage on it.)

The turn-of-the-century brownstone, at 212 E. 72nd St., between Second and Third avenues, comes with five bedrooms and 4½ baths.

Kazan — an immigrant born to Greek parents in Constantinople, now Istanbul, and the grandfather of actor Zoe Kazan — reportedly lived in the townhouse from around 1955 to the early 1960s. Representing the best and the worst of America, he once infamously “named names” to the House Un-American Activities Committee, destroying lives with his testimony, then took out a full-page ad in the New York Times encouraging others to follow his lead.

In “Naming Names,” the late author/journalist Victor Navasky describes the time playwright Arthur Miller reportedly sent Kazan a copy of his play, “A View from the Bridge,” which deals with informing. Kazan wrote back his thanks, saying he would be honored to direct it. Miller shot back: “You don’t understand. I didn’t send it to you because I wanted you to direct it. I sent it to you because I wanted you to know what I think of stool pigeons.” 


Close-up of Elia Kazan.
Late director Elia Kazan.
Bettmann Archive

Interior of 212 East 72nd Street.
There’s 5,242 square feet of art-friendly space inside.
Zoe Wetherall

Exterior of 212 East 72nd Street.
The townhouse is 17 feet wide and comes with curb-cut parking.
Zoe Wetherall

A bedroom inside 212 East 72nd Street.
One of the abode’s five bedrooms with one of its five fireplaces.
Zoe Wetherall

The kitchen inside 212 East 72nd Street.
A colorful kitchen to excite the appetite.
Zoe Wetherall

The patio at 212 East 72nd Street.
There’s 1,700 square feet of additional outdoor gardened space.
Zoe Wetherall

Kazan went on to create iconic films like “On the Waterfront” and “East of Eden.” Of course, others in Hollywood refused to name names and some even managed to win Oscars while blacklisted, working under pseudonyms and keeping their integrity intact.

At 5,242 square feet, the home features five fireplaces and five private outdoor spaces totaling 1,700 square feet, including a garden, two covered terraces and a roof deck. There’s also a coveted “curb cut” for private parking. The exterior features a stucco facade and three windows across.

The 17-foot-wide townhouse is outside the Historic District and comes with a maximum buildable of 18,220 square feet. It currently includes a full-height cellar with a laundry room, storage and mechanical systems. 

The listing brokers are Leslie J. Garfield’s Matthew Lesser, Ravi Kantha, Jed Garfield and Caylyn Sullivan.

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