$
4.19 million will get you the narrowest townhouse in Manhattan.
At 75½ Bedford St., the 152‑year‑old Millay House measures only 9½ ft across, making it the city’s most slender residence. Its 8½‑ft interior width is a reminder of its origins as a carriage entryway for 77 Bedford, the neighborhood’s oldest house.
The three‑story Dutch‑style façade, finished lower level, and rear garden give the 1,000 sq ft home a surprisingly airy feel. Large windows, floor‑to‑ceiling French doors, and a 12‑ft skylight on the top floor keep the space from feeling cramped. Four wood‑burning fireplaces, oak floors, and original wood‑beamed ceilings preserve the historic character.
Inside, there are three bedrooms and two bathrooms, with a potential fourth on the lower level. A 150‑sq‑ft garden off the kitchen adds extra living space. The narrow kitchen boasts ample storage and a mirror that tricks the eye into seeing more room. An upstairs office and a Dutch door connect the kitchen to the garden.
The house’s most famous resident was poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, who rented it in 1923–24 and installed the skylight. She wrote her Pulitzer‑winning “The Ballad of the Harp‑Weaver” in the top‑floor retreat. Other notable tenants included Cary Grant, John Barrymore, anthropologist Margaret Mead, and cartoonist William Steig, many of whom worked nearby at Cherry Lane Theatre.
The current owners, Dr. Tandra Hammer and her daughter Donte Calarco, bought the property in 2023 for $3.41 million. They upgraded closets, rewired the house, and added “a lot of TLC” to the garden. Previous owners installed Italian marble countertops in the eat‑in kitchen and a claw‑foot soaking tub in the primary suite.
The listing, managed by Cortnee Glasser of Sotheby’s International Realty, was first reported by the New York Times. Glasser says the townhouse feels bright, light, and European—“nothing claustrophobic”—and notes it is a rare find on the market. Tour groups and photographers often stop outside, underscoring the home’s iconic status in the West Village.
