Ọ bụrụ na ihe ị na-achọ bụ ụlọ na-eme ka ị kwụsị ozugbo i banyere n’ime ya—ụlọ na-eme ka ị chee, “Ee, nke a bụ ya”—gụọ n’ihu.

N’ihi na penthaus a pụrụ iche n’ezie, anaghịkwa m eji okwu ahụ eme ihe n’ezighị ezi.

Site n’oge i banyere n’ụlọ mbata—nke sara mbara, ìhè anyanwụ jupụtara na ya site na windo dị n’elu ụlọ—ị ga-aghọta na onye wuru ebe a nọ na-egwu egwuregwu dị iche kpamkpam. A tụlere sentimita ọ bụla nke ọma. Ọ bụ naanị ebe nchekwa e wuru n’ime mgbidi ga-eme ka onye na-arụ elekere Switzerland kwaa ákwá n’ihi ọṅụ.

Gaa n’akụkụ ugwu, ị nọkwa n’ime nnukwu ọnụ ụlọ obibi na ebe iri nri, nke mgbidi windo jupụtara na ya na-adọta akwụkwọ ndụ akwụkwọ ndụ nke ogige tozuru etozu kpọmkwem n’ihu gị. Tupu i kwuo, “Ọ dị mma, osisi ọ̀ gbochiri ya?”—mba. Osisi ndị ahụ na-akpụzi echiche ahụ n’enweghị izochi ya. Ị na-enweta akwụkwọ ndụ akwụkwọ ndụ NA mbara igwe. Ọzọkwa, ọnụ ụlọ obibi ahụ dị n’okpuru nnukwu windo dị n’elu ụlọ nke nha 10x10, nke na-eme ka ìhè anyanwụ jupụta ebe ahụ nke ukwuu ruo n’ókè ị ga-amalite ịjụ onwe gị ma ọkụ eletrik ọ̀ dị gị mkpa n’ezie. Mgbe ahụ, e nwere ọkụ a na-eji nkụ agba. Tupu nkọwa ahụ amalite ime ka ahụ ruo gị ala nke ukwuu, mara na e nwere abụọ ọzọ dị ka ya. Ọkụ nkụ atọ n’otu apartment dị na Manhattan. N’ime afọ 25 m na-ere ụlọ, ahụtụbeghị m ihe yiri ya, echere m na gị onwe gị ahụtụbeghịkwa.

Terrace nke dị n’akụkụ ugwu bụ kpọmkwem ihe oghere onwe onye dị n’èzí kwesịrị ịbụ—nke dị nso n’obi, ihe ọkụkụ tozuru etozu gbara ya gburugburu n’ụzọ mara mma, ma nwee mgbidi nkume mara mma nke nwere ike bụrụkwa, ma ọ bụrụ na i chọọ, ebe a ga-etinye ihuenyo sinima n’èzí. Nri ezinụlọ n’abalị Tuzdee. Obodo ahụ na-adị ka ọ dị ezigbo anya.

Terrace nke dị n’akụkụ ndịda bụ ihe dị iche kpamkpam. Nke a bụ ebe ị na-anabata ndị ọbịa. Ọ jikọtara kpọmkwem na kichin na ebe pụrụ iche a na-eji eme barbecue, nke nnukwu grill Kalamazoo dị sentimita 48 na-akwado—n’eziokwu, ọ karịrị akarị n’ụzọ kasị mma enwere ike. Ụzọ si na kichin gaa n’ụlọ ịsa akwa, gaa n’ebe barbecue dị, ruo na terrace ahụ na-aga nke ọma—onye ọ bụla na-esi nri anaghị efunahụ oriri ahụ. N’ile anya n’otú oghere dị, oriri ahụ nwere ike ịdị ukwuu.

Ihe na-ejikọta ihe ndị a niile bụ akwụkwọ ndụ akwụkwọ ndụ. N’akụkụ ọ bụla, site n’ime ụlọ ọ bụla, n’oge niile nke afọ, ihe ị na-ahụ bụ osisi tozuru etozu na nhazi ogige jupụtara n’ahịhịa ndụ nke were ọtụtụ iri afọ too, nke a na-apụghị imepụtaghachi. Ọ na-eme ka ụlọ a maa mma n’ụtụtụ Febụwarị nke igwe ojii dị ka n’ụtụtụ ma ọ bụ mgbede Juun zuru okè.

Ụlọ ihi ụra abụọ ahụ—nke bụ isi dị mita 12'8" x 18'9" na nke abụọ dị mita 12'4" x 17'7"—nwere ụzọ ha si abanye terrace ozugbo, otu echiche ogige ahụ, na nke ọ bụla nwekwara ọkụ nkụ nke ya. Ka nke ahụ rute n’uche gị nke ọma. Ụlọ ihi ụra abụọ ahụ. Nke ọ bụla nwere ọkụ nke ya. N’ime penthaus nwere elu ụlọ ruru ụkwụ 11. Anọwo m na-arụ ọrụ a afọ 25, ahụtụbeghịkwa m ngwakọta dị otú a. N’enweghị ikwubiga okwu ókè, ọ bụ ihe na-enweghị ibe ya.

A haziri ụlọ ihi ụra nke isi n’ụzọ amamihe, nwee ebe ịsa aka abụọ nke e kewapụrụ n’ebe ịsa ahụ dị, yana kọbọd abụọ a na-abanye n’ime. Kichin ahụ ghe oghe n’otu akụkụ, na-ele ogige ahụ anya, ma dị n’akụkụ ụlọ ịsa akwa zuru ezu nke nwere sink nkume soapstone maka ịsa ihe ruru unyi—n’ihi na ụlọ mara mma ka kwesịrị ịrụ ọrụ nke ọma. N’ime apartment ahụ dum, igwe okwu e wuru n’ime ụlọ nke nwere mpaghara njikwa 11 na-enye ọnụ ụlọ ọ bụla na akụkụ terrace ọ bụla ohere ịhazi ụda na isi iyi egwu nke ya.

Ndị nwe ụlọ a ji echiche siri ike, ụtọ mara mma, na enweghị mmasị ịbelata ogo wughachi ya site na oghere efu. Ihe si na ya pụta bụ ihe ị na-enwe mmetụta ya ozugbo i banyere n’ime, nke na-adịghịkwa adị mfe ịpụ n’uche gị mgbe i hapụrụ ya.

Nke ahụ bụkwa ihe na-emekarị mgbe ị chọtara nke kwesịrị ekwesị.

If what you're after is a home that stops you cold the moment you walk in - one that makes you think this is it - then keep reading.
Because this penthouse is genuinely exceptional, and I don't use that word lightly.

From the moment you step into the foyer - generous, flooded with natural light from an overhead skylight - you understand that whoever built this place was playing a different game entirely. Every inch was thought through. The built-in storage alone would make a Swiss watchmaker weep with joy.

Head north and you're in an oversized living and dining room anchored by a wall of windows that pulls mature garden greenery directly into your sightline. And before you say "oh, so it's blocked by trees" - no. The vegetation frames the view without stealing it. You get the green AND the sky. The living room also sits under a massive 10x10 skylight that floods the space with so much natural light you'll start to question whether you actually need electricity. And then there's the wood-burning fireplace. Before you get too comfortable with that detail, know that there are two more where that came from. Three wood-burning fireplaces in a single Manhattan apartment. In 25 years of selling real estate I have never encountered anything like it, and I suspect you haven't either.

The north terrace is exactly what a private outdoor space should be - intimate, beautifully framed by mature plantings, and anchored by a stunning stone wall that doubles, should the mood strike, as a backdrop for an outdoor movie screen. Family dinners on a Tuesday evening. The city feels very far away.

The south terrace is an entirely different proposition. This is where you entertain. Directly connected to the kitchen and a dedicated barbecue area anchored by a 48-inch Kalamazoo grill that is, frankly, obscene in the best possible way. The flow from kitchen to laundry to barbecue to terrace is seamless - whoever's cooking never misses the party. And the party, judging by the space available, could be considerable.

What ties all of it together is the greenery. In every direction, from every room, in every season, you are looking at mature trees and lush landscaping that took decades to grow and cannot be replicated. It makes this home as pleasant on a grey February morning as on a perfect June evening.
The two bedrooms - a 12'8" x 18'9" primary and a 12'4" x 17'7" second - each have direct terrace access, those same garden views, and their own wood-burning fireplace. Let that sink in. Both bedrooms. Their own fireplaces. In a penthouse with ceilings up to 11 feet. I have been doing this for 25 years and I have never seen this combination. It is, without exaggeration, one of a kind.

The primary is smartly laid out with a double vanity separated from the wet area and two walk-in closets. The kitchen is half-open, overlooks the garden, and sits next to a full laundry room with a soapstone slop sink - because a beautiful home still needs to function like one. Throughout the apartment, 11-zone built-in speakers let every room and terrace section control its own volume and source.

This home was rebuilt from a bare canvas by owners with strong opinions, excellent taste, and zero interest in cutting corners. The result is something you feel the moment you walk in and can't quite shake after you leave.

Which is usually how it goes with the right one.