The thinnest house in New York has been placed on the market, with a hefty valuation of $4.3 million being the asking price for the home which measures just 9.5 feet wide.

 

The home, which is four storeys tall, is surprisingly spacious however, with three bedrooms, a basement recreation room and two bathrooms – indeed the total combined floorspace in the property measures 990 square feet, and it also comes with an expansive garden out in the back.

As far as Manhattan goes, it’s actually a very large space, which suddenly begins to explain the price tag. The valuation is even more understandable when you consider it’s located in West Village, one of the city’s most desirable neighborhoods.

 

The townhouse has a surprisingly long and illustrious history, having been built back in 1850. At various times the property was home to the anthropologist Margaret Mead, the poet Edna St. Vincent and actors John Barrymore and Cary Grant, says the description in the listing. The property also served as a candy factory and a shoemaker’s shop before it was converted into a home.

Major renovation work has been performed by the current owners, who bought the property for just $2.17 million last year. The property has a spacious, airy look thanks to the expansive windows and light-shaded walls.

 

“People just can’t believe this is where we actually live,” said one former resident in an interview with the The Villager magazine back in 2004. “People are standing around outside all the time, saying things like ‘does someone really live in that house?’ I feel like sticking my head out the window and saying ‘Yes, and I’m proud of it!”

But while this property might be the skinniest of all in New York, it remains almost twice as wide as the current world record holder – a home in Warsaw, Poland, that is currently under construction. Once complete it will measure a miniscule 5 feet in width.