Exclusive | Leonard Bernstein’s family sells NYC penthouse where they hosted parties and ran errands for the maestro

The family of late legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein has sold a Midtown Manhattan penthouse — one where they often gathered, partied and took care of the maestro’s business at Parc Vendome, Gimme Shelter has learned.

Final sale price, we hear: $3 million, down from its final asking price of $3.65 million.

The new owners are Broadway and television producer Flody Suarez and his partner, Gino Filippone, a broker with the Corcoran Group, who represented the couple in the transaction.

While Bernstein famously lived in the Dakota, this three-bedroom, three-bathroom penthouse at 353 W. 56th St. served as an office center and party venue for Bernstein’s family to manage the composer’s affairs felt.

Bernstein, one of American music’s greatest conductors, composers and educators, died in 1990 at the age of 72, just days after announcing his impending retirement for health reasons. Most recently, he was portrayed by Bradley Cooper in the 2023 film Maestro.

“We walked in and immediately felt at home,” Suarez said. “It didn’t hurt to be surrounded by Bernstein’s beautiful furniture, memorabilia and art – some of which they were kind enough to leave for us.”

This included, he said, a “beautiful Russian brass bed from the 1800s” and an “extraordinary dining room set”, along with “perfect” wrought iron patio furniture.

“The apartment did not speak to us, it sang to us. They passed the baton. It’s a legacy apartment and a generational purchase because these penthouses never show up,” said Filippone.

“We are people under the roof,” Filippone added. “It’s an incredible, magical place. It was part of his family’s trust and the whole family used it as a family compound in the city. It was a big party place. From the moment we walked in, it was magical. It screamed social gatherings, with large, gorgeous three-leaf tables. It was an extension of that whole era. We hope to recreate some of them. It just breathes the old New York magic.”

Bernstein – the son of Jewish immigrants born in Ukraine when it was part of the Russian empire – became one of America’s greatest musical talents. He conducted the New York Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, where he was their youngest conductor. He also composed for ballet and theater, including plays such as On the Town in 1953, Candide in 1956, and West Side Story in 1957.

Suarez, meanwhile, is known for The Cher Show and the upcoming Tom Jones musical What’s New Pussycat? – as well as the TV shows “8 Simple Rules”, “Tick” and “Rise”.

The plane comes with 10-foot ceilings and an enclosed terrace with views of the city skyline. Measuring 2,758 square feet, it all opens onto a foyer that leads to a gallery lined with bookshelves. An open living room features a wood burning fireplace.

Casement windows run the length of the house, and glazed doors open onto the 817-square-foot terrace from three rooms, including the master bedroom.

The 19-story building dates back to 1929. It features a gym, spas, a game room, a library, a banquet room and a residents’ lounge.

The listing broker is Alexandra Rhodie, also of Corcoran.