D
uring a recent fall weekend a line formed outside a quiet stretch of Minetta Lane, winding toward Sixth Avenue. Neighbors, architecture lovers, and tourists queued to enter a Greenwich Village townhouse that feels more like a living installation than a conventional home: a six‑story complex that wraps around an 83‑foot rock‑climbing wall. The property at 16 Minetta Lane is back on the market for $19.97 million, and interest is high.
Architect Adam Kushner spent more than a decade turning a 19th‑century townhouse and rear carriage house into a single, theatrical residence, living through the construction with his family. In 2024 the listing moved to a new brokerage; Keller Williams NYC’s Nicole Gary now markets the home, which Kushner sold to himself—a milestone for the designer.
The 5,200‑square‑foot townhome features reclaimed timber, a triple‑height living room, nine fireplaces, and the city’s largest private climbing wall. Kushner moved in on December 22, 2012, and has never left. He describes the renovation as a “living through a major renovation” experience, tearing the house apart while staying inside.
The 83‑foot wall, originally conceived as a metaphorical timeline of the family’s history, evolved into a fully engineered climbing system with routes ranging from easy to nearly impossible. Kushner himself climbed it with friends last month. He emphasizes that the wall is just one element of a larger narrative.
The home’s history dates back to 1848, once a horseshoeing facility and later an eight‑unit rooming house. Designer Robert Isabell gutted it in the 1990s, creating double‑ and triple‑height spaces and floor‑to‑ceiling windows. Kushner preserved some of that radical interior while rebuilding most of the structure. The main house now connects to the four‑story carriage house across a covered courtyard, offering a rare two‑building configuration ideal for multi‑generational living.
Upper floors include a meditation room with a grass‑covered terrace, two secondary bedroom suites, and a fifth‑floor primary bedroom with a wood‑burning fireplace and views of the Empire State Building and Freedom Tower. Kushner notes the building is the tallest in the protected district, providing “forever” southern views.
Despite its scale, Kushner describes the house as nurturing rather than imposing. “It’s comforting, not anonymous or sterile,” he says. Yet he admits it’s more than he and his wife now need as empty nesters. They plan to split time between a new retirement home in Gardiner, NY, and a smaller city residence, though he remains rooted in New York.
Leaving the house will be difficult. “It’s going to feel terrible,” he admits. “I’m going to be very upset.” But he views the sale as the next chapter in the house’s evolution, welcoming a new owner to live their life within its walls.
