72 EAST 3rd STREET
The Facts: Two-bedroom, two-bath 1,105-square-foot East Village condo.
Asking Price: $1.245 million.
Charges and Taxes: $670 per month.
Agent: Jason Walker, Prudential Douglas Elliman.
Given that it’s home to a guy who’s one of the biggest stars in R&B, this East Village condo in a renovated tenement building is surprisingly modest. But John Legend, the Ivy League–educated, Grammy-winning, Obama-supporting heartthrob in question, bought the place in 2005, just after his album Get Lifted took off, and has stuck around ever since. He’s done a thorough and very sleek renovation of the apartment, but that can’t make it any bigger. And, says his broker, Jason Walker, Legend is looking for more space—maybe, he jokes, enough space for a grand piano instead of the current upright. “He’s ready to try out something a little different,” says Walker, who describes the singer-pianist as “down-to-earth.” He also adds that Legend wants a big open kitchen “where he can interact with other people while he’s cooking,” says Walker. He composes and cooks? No wonder the girls love him.