Reel Estate: Buy an apartment in Seinfeld's infamous "doorman" building

By Virginia K. Smith | May 28, 2015 - 11:59AM

When a movie or TV show is set in New York City—and if the people making it are savvy—real estate becomes part of the story itself. In Reel Estate, we look at some of the more memorable domiciles to grace the screen.

Big news for Seinfeld obsessives (who also happen to be multi-millionaires): You can now buy into the building featured on the show's classic 1995 episode, "The Doorman," if you've got a cool $3.69 million.

The ivy-covered condo at 640 West End Avenue was famously used on the show as the residence of Elaine's eccentric boss, Mr. Pitt. When Elaine house-sits for him during a trip to Scotland, Jerry has a series of tense run-ins with the building's doorman, eventually taking over his spot (and inadvertently allowing a couch to be stolen from the lobby). Here's a brief refresher:

As for the real-life apartment for sale, it's actually for two adjacent and "lovingly renovated" apartments that, according to write-up from Warburg Realty, are ripe for combining back into their original classic-7 layout—three-bedroom, three-bath configuration. And while we're suspicious at the lack of bathroom photos in the listing, the "carved wood paneling, pocket doors, and ceiling medallions" are all pretty appealing details. (And yes, the building has a doorman.)

So, what do you think? Would you splash out a few million for this pre-war spread and a built-in cocktail party talking point?

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