Facebook co-founder and New Republic owner Chris Hughes, together with his husband, Hudson River Ventures president Sean Eldridge, has just bought a $23.5 million townhouse in New York City's West Village.
But as it turns out, the home is nothing but ordinary. The landmarked property, on 157 W. 12th Street, comes with an underground tunnel, allowing access to a carriage house.
"The homes are connected via subterranean tunnel, but it's nothing like El Chapo's," joked a visitor of the home. The underground tunnel runs 10 feet wide, and is also "beautifully lit."
The townhouse comes with amenities most people don't have in their homes: there's a screening room and a well-stocked wine cellar, sources claim. The home's floor plan is also quite distinct, the New York Post reports:
"It begins in the townhouse's finished basement, under a garden, and leads to a staircase that delivers visitors up to the carriage house. 'There's no tunnel feel at all,' a source marveled."
Meanwhile, the carriage house could be used for various purposes. In fact, it can be used as either a guesthouse or a studio.
Hughes and Eldridge purchased the Manhattan mansion through an off-market deal with Michael Stewart, who works for UBS in Zurich. The broker for the home was Paula Del Nunzio of Brown Harris Stevens.
Stewart first bought the mansion in 2004 for $3.4 million. According to a source, the tunnel was more rustic then, and was later improved.
Interestingly though, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was initially thought to be the home's buyer - which was obviously a false rumor.
Before purchasing the West Village home, Hughes and Eldridge sold their previous apartment - a former corset factory at 30 Crosby Street - has also just been sold for a whopping $8.5 million.
The home spans 4,164 square feet and housed three bedrooms, one of which was converted into a gym, and three bathrooms. It also has a custom wet bar, a wood-burning fireplace, a chef's kitchen, a home theater, and a book-lined library.
