By Holly Dutton
With low inventory and skyrocketing prices, it’s no surprise that in parts of Europe, a castle costs less than a luxury New York City apartment.
Buzzfeed.com recently listed six European castles that are less expensive than a Manhattan apartment.
A 13,993 s/f six-bedroom castle on 24 acres in the Midi-Pyrenees region of France is listed for $1.62 million, while a one-bedroom, 1,200 s/f apartment on East 30th Street near the U.N. is listed for $1.65 million.
In Normandy, France, Chateau Blavou, a 10-bedroom, eight-bath castle on 27 acres comes with a wine cellar, two greenhouses, a guest house and a caretaker’s cottage and is priced at $2.3 million.
A four-bedroom townhouse in South Williamsburg with the “potential” for a backyard is advertised at $2.55 million on Craigslist.com.
A 22,066 s/f chateau on a lake in Dordogne, France has 24 bedrooms and sits on 79 acres and is priced at $5.67 million, while a six bedroom duplex in Bed-Stuy with three and a half baths and a balcony is listed for $7.89 million, according to Craigslist.
In the Vienne region of France, a late 19th century castle with seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms and 8,611 s/f on 66 acres is going for $2.6 million.
It also comes with a farmhouse, barns, stables, and an enclosed courtyard.
An 80-by-120 foot concrete lot in Crown Heights is going for $2.99 million, according to Zillow.com. It comes with just a wrought-iron gate in front of the property.
Despite the price differential, New York City brokers believe there is no doubt the bricks and mortar of the Big Apple are worth their weight in gold.
“New York is the center of the Universe,ˮ said Lawrence Rich, a broker at Douglas Elliman.
“I have traveled extensively, and when anyone hears I’m from New York City, their face always lights up. There are more people from around the world that want to be here than anywhere else. There is limited space and to own something here is everyone’s dream and not only that, it’s a status symbol.ˮ
