You'll be in good company if you buy this Midtown Manhattan townhouse

Photography: Hayley Day / DDReps for Sotheby’s International Realty

Sitting in the shadow of the Chrysler Building in Manhattan, this historic brownstone was once owned by the legendary musician, artist, and poet Bob Dylan.

The 125-year-old Midtown East property is part of Turtle Bay Gardens, a private enclave comprising 20 historic houses. Turtle Bay itself dates back to the 1700s when it was a rural cove with an abundant population of turtles. By the 1800s, the area had been developed with distinctive brownstones but by the turn of the 19th century, it had gone from a prosperous residential district to a semi-industrial one.

In the 1920s, railroad heiress and socialite Charlotte Hunnewell Sorchan (thought to be the real-life inspiration for Charlotte’s Web author E. B. White) purchased a group of dilapidated houses along East 48th and 49th Streets and remodelled them into what is now Turtle Bay Gardens. Under her direction, the historic brownstone facades were preserved, while the interiors were transformed into modern residences. These homes were also connected at the rear via a large, European-style communal garden.

By the end of the 1920s, Turtle Bay Gardens had been fully revitalised, attracting artists, actors, and socialites. Notable residents included Katharine Hepburn, E. B. White, and Stephen Sondheim. In more recent decades, Bob Dylan and Mary-Kate Olsen have also called the area home.

Dylan’s former residence spans six levels and is accessed via a gated forecourt, with over 500 sqm of living space. Dylan initially rented the home in the 1980s before purchasing it in the 1990s. He eventually sold the property in 2005.

The parlour floor is south-facing and opens onto a sunny, two-level garden. An interior elevator provides access to all floors of the home, which features five bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms. Interior highlights include seven wood-burning fireplaces, arched floor-to-ceiling windows, and a renovated eat-in kitchen equipped with a six-burner Wolf range, Sub-Zero refrigerator, and butler’s pantry that leads to a media room.

Some bedrooms have feature fireplaces; others en suite bathrooms, a balcony, or a terrace. The primary suite, located on the top floor, offers all three.

This rare listing is being marketed by Lisa Larson and Angela Wu of Sotheby’s International Realty – East Side Manhattan Brokerage for $7.25m.