Upper West Side townhouse where old meets new asks $12M

The townhouse retains intricate molding alongside modern updates

Located half a block from the Museum of Natural History, this five -st ory Upper West Side townhouse is, according to its listing, “ripe with potential,” which is a very nice way of saying it’s in need of some TLC. The townhouse is currently arranged as a four-unit co-op, but the listing indicates it could easily be converted into condos, an income-producing rental property, or a palatial single-family home. As long as someone’s got a dream and $12 million—the current listing price—the possibilities are endless.

As it currently stands, the stately abode at 134 West 78th Street is divided into a ground-floor duplex with a private garden, and three one-bedroom apartments on the upper floors. The townhouse as a whole has eight bedrooms, eight fireplaces, five bathrooms, and four kitchens.

Whatever the property’s next owner decides to do with the 7,000-square-foot townhouse, some of the home’s original details are worth keeping: parquet wood floors, wainscoting, and intricate molding give the house an air of dignified charm.