Real Estate

Ave. ‘A’

Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez might outlast Sarah Jessica Parker as the city’s top real estate stalker. First, he checked out love pads with Kate Hudson and then with Cameron Diaz. Now he’s looking around the city on his own.

Our latest sighting is of A-Rod scoping out a $37,000-per-month townhouse rental at 9 E. 62nd St. The three-bedroom, 3,846-square-foot limestone mansion has 18-foot ceilings, an elevator, a solarium and a cedar-lined cigar room. Listing broker Frances Katzen of Prudential Douglas Elliman could not be reached for comment.

‘Hey’ there

Belgian entrepreneur Rob Heyvaert is the buyer of the 54 Bond St. (above) penthouse that was last listed for $14.45 million, down from its $16.5 million price in 2009. Yes, this is the same residence that once caught the eye of Sarah Jessica Parker.

Heyvaert, who runs technology consulting firm Capco, says he loves the light in his new home at the former Bouwerie Lane Theatre. And having four bedrooms and 4,863 square feet gives his brood plenty of room to grow.

“It has the feel of a real family home in the middle of Manhattan — and we just added twins to our family,” says Heyvaert, who found the apartment with Prudential Douglas Elliman broker Wilbur Gonzalez.

Store-ing up for winter

Designer Steven Stolman is back in New York as design director of Jack Rogers, the iconic shoe company that was a favorite of Jackie Kennedy and has now expanded into apparel and accessories. While keeping his Palm Beach pad, Stolman is renting an 800-square-foot studio at 215 E. 68th St.

“It’s like living at the Fontainebleau back in the day, what with its cavernous lobby and wonderful longtime residents who all come down and plotz for the day,” Stolman says.

The location isn’t ideal, with the building sheathed in scaffolding near Second Avenue subway construction, Stolman says, “But it’s probably the biggest studio I have ever seen — 800 square feet here feels like 8,000. I love it.”

On the beach front

A mystery buyer has signed a contract for legendary talent manager Sandy Gallin’s $19.995 million, 14-acre Bridgehampton estate. Gallin (who’s worked with Michael Jackson, Cher and Mariah Carey, among many others) had listed the estate for $32 million in 2009.

The unnamed megabucks buyer is getting a 6,500-square-foot six-bedroom with an additional guest cottage — as well as a 1½-acre pond and a pool. We hear the buyer also has signed a contract to purchase an adjacent home on 3.2 acres. The last asking price on that property was $3.75 million and it just went into contract within a week of Gallin’s property going into contract. There’s been buzz in the Hamptons that the buyer might be Madonna, but that is not the case.

The Gallin estate was co-listed with Linda Haugevik of Saunders & Associates and Susan Breitenbach and Matthew Breitenbach of the Corcoran Group.

We hear . . .

That author/journalist and Upper West Side resident Carl Bernstein was spotted checking out two penthouse rentals at 55 Thompson in SoHo. Both are in the $18,000 to $20,000 price range . . . That authors Denise LeFrak
Calicchio and Roberta Amon will come out with “Rooftop Gardens” in April. The book, published by Rizzoli, promises to showcase some of the city’s most fabulous outdoor spaces. Meanwhile, Denise’s sister-in-law, Karen LeFrak (wife of Richard LeFrak, who runs the family’s massive real estate firm), is coming out with another children’s book, “Best in Show,” which stems from her personal love of poodles. Congrats to the LeFrak ladies.

Looking for Love’s nest

Courtney Love is back on the prowl for a townhouse rental — not far from her former Mercer Hotel lair.

This time, our spies spotted the rocker mom at 24 Thompson St., owned by Miami Heat center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and his wife, Jennifer.

The couple bought the SoHo townhouse in 2006 and spent three years renovating the five-story home, which was built by Bob and Cortney Novogratz of Bravo’s “9 By Design” show. The residence has a garage, elevator and roof deck.

The $37,050-per-month townhouse is listed by Spire Group, run by Kevin Kurland and Bianka Yankov, which opened this month and bills itself as the only New York brokerage firm where brokers keep 100 percent of their commission in exchange for $495 in monthly “agent dues.” Listing broker Josh Fields declined to comment.

Dakota mystery man

It pays to be an ink-stained wretch. At least if you are a best-selling mystery writer like Harlan Coben. The author is in contract to buy a 1,600-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bathroom co-op, listed for $2.69 million, at the storied Dakota building, which could make a great setting for his next novel.

Last week, a Korean tourist snuck into the building at 1 W. 72nd St., which is supposed to be secured like Fort Knox, and ended up face-to-face in an elevator with a spooked Yoko Ono.