We should be seeing a lot more of Oprah Winfrey in the Big Apple, since her “best friend” Gayle King has bought a Manhattan apartment.
Sources tell us that King, a longtime Connecticut resident, has purchased the penthouse apartment at Place 57 on East 57th Street for approximately $7.4 million. King’s full-floor sky palace has three bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, a large living room/dining area and a 768-square-foot wraparound terrace.
The spacious condo features soaring ceilings, two fireplaces, 360-degree views, a gourmet kitchen with Viking appliances and marble baths.
Amenities in the 36-floor glass building include a high-tech gym, children’s playroom, residents’ lounge and the likelihood of bumping into Winfrey when she’s in town.
“Oprah was very friendly and even took the time to introduce herself to the building’s employees,” said one insider after the media mogul recently appeared in the lobby.
King, the mother of two college kids, is a former TV news anchor and currently editor at large for O, the Oprah magazine. She is also expected to get involved with Winfrey’s new OWN television network.
Last year Winfrey and King went public to deny rumors that they were gay.
We hear that King is also in the process of buying a large apartment on West End Avenue for her children.
Upper West Side story
The former Dakota apartment of Leonard Bernstein has finally sold and closed after first going to contract 10 months ago.
Sources say real-estate mogul Philip Milstein paid just over $20 million for the sprawling northeast-corner residence, which went on the market in November 2006 with an asking price of $25.5 million. But he had to bide his time while the seller, Juliana Terian, completed work on her Fifth Avenue home.
The 12-room, four-bedroom, five-bath prewar co-op features a large living room, a formal dining room, a library, a pantry, a maid’s room, soaring ceilings and several fireplaces.
After Bernstein died in 1990, the apartment eventually sold in 1997 to Dakota resident Peter Terian, the owner of Rallye Motors, for $4 million in a private sale.
Juliana, a trained architect, took over the car dealerships after her husband’s death in 2002, and was in charge of the restoration.
Prudential Douglas Elliman had the listing.
Modern living
He’s only 25 years old, but fashion designer Christian Cota is about to plunk down a very grown-up $4.55 million for a Chelsea condo.
Cota, named one of the top designers to watch for 2008 and whose loyal followers include the ever-present Tinsley Mortimer, just went to contract to purchase the three-bedroom, three-bath penthouse at the Chelsea Modern at 447 W. 18th St. The Mexico City native, who is currently preparing to unveil his winter line during February Fashion Week, will make the new digs his primary residence.
Other Chelsea Modern buyers include Mark Birnbaum of Tenjune and photographer Matthew Betmaleck.
Corcoran Sunshine is marketing the building. Closings are expected to begin this spring.