One of the homes that the late President John F. Kennedy lived in, as a preteen, has hit the market for $6.4 million.
The estate at 5040 Independence Ave. in the Bronx consists of two residences: The guest house has three bedrooms and two bathrooms across roughly 2,000 square feet with an attached two-car garage. The primary house has nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms across 17,620 square feet and a 10-car garage.
The entrance to the primary home reminds listing agent Dustin Crouse of the Guggenheim, the famous New York City art museum.
"When you enter, one of the most unique features is a three-story atrium in the center," Crouse, of Douglas Elliman, said in an interview. "It really looks like a rotunda. It's not spiral like the Guggenheim, but it almost makes you feel like there's greater accessibility to all the other floors."
The atrium is one distinctive feature of the home, but the property's ties to JFK also make it noteworthy, Crouse said.
To be sure, John F. Kennedy was born in Massachusetts and spent most of his early childhood in New England. A young JFK and his family moved to 5040 Independence in 1927 while he attended Riverdale Country School. The family sold the property in September 1929, according to the website for the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
Since then, other families have owned the mansion and done renovations over the decades, Crouse said.
But there were prolonged periods when the home sat vacant, and the front door was sealed over with concrete, The New York Times reported in 2013.
Riverdale's parks and forestland are a big draw
JFK's former home is in Riverdale — a neighborhood that's technically in the Bronx but looks nothing like the concrete jungle most people associate with New York City. Parks and untouched forests are predominant. The neighborhood's main attraction is the Wave Hill Public Garden & Cultural Center, 28 acres of protected woodlands.
Van Cortlandt Park, a 1,146-acre property where New Yorkers go horseback riding, mountain biking, swimming and hiking, is to the east.
New Yorkers have flocked to Riverdale because the area is close to Manhattan, and the housing styles run the gamut.
Co-ops there typically start at roughly $150,000 for a one-bedroom and range from $200,000 to $350,000 for a two-bedroom. Single-family homes are priced between $750,000 and $900,000. Historic mansions, like the one at 5040 Independence, can go for as much as $6 million, according to Homes.com data.
Crouse called 5040 Independence "a generational property" that has sat vacant for some time, but the owners, who bought the mansion in 1991, are ready for a new family to call it home.
Work still needs to be done on the main house. Crouse said the buyer will receive a temporary certificate of occupancy but will need to finish a few renovations before the city can grant a full certificate: the flooring in some of the rooms, the balcony railings, and the appliance hookups in the kitchen.
"The customizing, they're leaving for a new owner so it can be a dream home for them," he said. "You have a really specific, very unique and beautiful, grand home on this lot, and then you go inside, it’s a canvas for you to complete to your desire."
In New York City, temporary certificates are valid for 90 days, after which someone can renew or have a final inspection.