"It’s what Marie Antoinette would have done if she had money." That was Joan Rivers’ favorite way to describe her home. Honestly, she wasn't exaggerating. If you walked into that triplex penthouse at 1 East 62nd Street, you weren't just entering a celebrity’s house. You were stepping into a gilded fever dream of French limestone, 24-karat gold leaf, and more drama than a Fashion Police marathon.
But here is the thing: the Joan Rivers apartment in New York that everyone remembers is technically gone. Or at least, the version she spent 28 years meticulously curating has been "ripped to shreds," as the New York Post once put it.
The Versailles of the Upper East Side
When Joan moved back to Manhattan in 1988 after her husband Edgar Rosenberg’s death, she didn't want a "cozy" flat. She bought the top floors of a mansion built in 1903 for John Drexel. We are talking about a space designed by Horace Trumbauer, the guy who basically built the Gilded Age.
The centerpiece was a two-story ballroom and music room. It had 23-foot ceilings. 23 feet! Think about that for a second. That is taller than most two-story suburban houses. She used that space to host everyone from Martha Stewart to Princess Diana. It wasn't just a living room; it was a stage.
Joan called the style "Louis XIV meets Fred and Ginger." It was over-the-top. Gilded columns. Ornate fireplaces. Parquet-de-Versailles flooring that museum-trained pros had to come in and restore. She even had the walls of the entry cove painted in a specific shade of rose marble. Why? Because she swore it made people's skin look better as they aged. That is classic Joan.
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The Ghost of Mrs. Spencer
You can't talk about the Joan Rivers apartment in New York without talking about the ghost. Specifically, Mrs. Spencer. She was J.P. Morgan’s niece and the original resident of the building.
Joan was convinced the place was haunted. She told stories about how her dog, Spike, refused to enter certain rooms. She claimed the ghost bit the heads off the cherubs on her chandelier. She even brought in a voodoo priestess from Louisiana to perform an exorcism. Eventually, Joan found an old portrait of Mrs. Spencer and hung it in the lobby. She said once the ghost felt "recognized," the weird cold drafts and electrical glitches finally stopped.
What Happened After 2014?
When Joan passed away in September 2014, the real estate world went into a frenzy. Her daughter, Melissa Rivers, listed the 5,100-square-foot property for $28 million in February 2015.
It sold pretty quickly. The buyer was Prince Muhammad bin Fahd of Saudi Arabia. He paid the full $28 million. But he didn't share Joan’s love for French Baroque opulence. Almost immediately after the closing, reports surfaced that he was gutting the place. The gold leaf? Gone. The Marie Antoinette vibes? Erased. He wanted a modern, high-security space for his sons to use when they were in town.
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The $38 Million Re-Listing Saga
By 2021, the apartment was back on the market. But it looked different. The prince had turned it into a "modern refresh." It was sleek, beige, and arguably a lot more boring. It was listed for a staggering $38 million.
The market didn't bite.
Over the next few years, the price bounced around.
- 2021: Listed for $38 million.
- 2023: Price dropped to $34.5 million.
- 2024: Taken off the market after failing to find a buyer.
- 2025: Relisted for $28 million (exactly what the Prince paid for it a decade earlier).
It seems even billionaire royalty struggles with the NYC real estate market when you strip away the "provenance" of a legend. People didn't just want the square footage; they wanted the Joan Rivers magic. Without her leopard-print carpets and joke-filled filing cabinets, it became just another expensive white box in the sky.
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Lessons from the Rivers Estate
If you are looking at the history of this property, there are a few actionable takeaways for any high-end real estate enthusiast or investor:
- Provenance has a price, but it's fragile. Joan’s name added millions in "clout," but once the interior was gutted, that value evaporated. A house is often only worth its history if you keep the history intact.
- Specific taste is a double-edged sword. Joan was told for years to "bland up" her apartment to make it sellable. She refused. While it made for a harder sell, it created a landmark. If you are renovating for resale, keep it neutral. If you are renovating for life, go full Marie Antoinette.
- The "Ghost Premium" is real. Believe in spirits or not, the story of Mrs. Spencer is now part of the building’s DNA. It’s a marketing point that listing agents still have to address today.
Currently, the penthouse at 1 East 62nd Street remains a symbol of a bygone era of Manhattan glamour. Whether the current "modern" version will ever command the $30-million-plus price tag again is anyone's guess. But for most of us, it will always be the place where the Queen of Comedy held court among gilded columns and ghosts.
Next Steps for Research:
- Check the current public records for Unit PH at 1 East 62nd Street to see if any new "off-market" transfers have occurred in early 2026.
- Look into the Spencer Condominium board requirements; they are notoriously picky, which often impacts the sale price of these units regardless of who owned them.
- Compare the price per square foot of this unit against other Horace Trumbauer-designed buildings in Lenox Hill to see if the "Rivers Premium" still exists in the data.