A family blockbuster

In the late 1970s a glamorous young couple moved into The River Mansion, a landmark New York townhouse overlooking the Hudson.  

Sherry Bronfman was an ingénue actor, who had starred in the 1971 movie classic, Shaft. Her husband, Edgar, a scion of the Seagram distilling family, was running a film production company, and the Upper West Side was a diverse and up-and-coming neighbourhood.  

Charismatic, ebullient, and, frankly, fabulous, Sherry devoted decades to restoring the 120-year-old Beaux Arts townhouse, putting her own maximalist spin on its interiors. “The house is definitely a reflection of my personality,” she says. “I wanted people to say ‘Wow’ as they walked into every room.” 

Sherry and Edgar divorced in 1991 but she stayed on at the house, raising their three children and frequently using the 10,000 sq ft property to host glittering charity events. 

Now, with her children grown up, it’s time to move on, swapping Manhattan for a more rural home in Long Island (and another renovation project) that’s closer to her kids and their families. “I feel it’s time for me creatively to be somewhere else,” Sherry explains. 

The red brick and limestone River Mansion was built at the turn of the last century, on a prime corner site by Riverside Park. 

Originally a private house it had been carved up into apartments during the Depression, and then purchased by a music trust. To buy it, the Bronfmans teamed up with another couple, taking two and a half floors each. When that couple wanted to move on, Sherry and her former husband bought them out, and embarked on an ambitious two-year renovation of the entire building. 

Preserving the house’s historic bones was a priority for Sherry, who has a keen appreciation for period architecture. “We tried to save as much of the character and detailing as possible,” she says. “But, I was very intent on always having a little bit of something to catch the eye. It didn’t matter whether we were dressed up or not, I wanted to feel elegant in the house, but at the same time I wanted it to be a home, not a showpiece.” 

Every inch of the house was carefully thought out, from the witty trompe-l’œil decoration around the lift, to the hand-painted wallpaper, to the peach undertones to the wall colours which Sherry chose as a flattering backdrop for all skin tones. 

Leaving will be a wrench since the River Mansion is full of family memories. “There were playdates, birthday parties and sleepovers,” Sherry says. She laughs as she remembers the time when her 11-year-old son formed a punk band with his friends, to the horror of a former neighbour who would try and drown out their din by turning up the volume of her preferred operas. 

“What I am going to miss about the house is all the joy that we had there,” Sherry says. “The huge Christmas trees that we used to decorate, my older daughter helping me to pretend to be Santa, Thanksgiving celebrations – we have just had so much joy and laughter here.” 

The River Mansion has a guide price of $19,000,000. To make an enquiry, contact jason.mansfield@knightfrank.com. Explore more properties for sale in New York, or contact one of our agents to request a market appraisal.