Renovated in the City

What: Four bedrooms, five baths in 5,531 square feet

Where: East 60s, Manhattan

Amenities: Renovated carriage house with south-facing garden, formal dining room, gym, office, two-car garage. Master-bedroom suite has two full baths and sun porch. Glass-enclosed atrium off dining room on upper level. Terrace off living room.

Asking Price: $5.25 million.

Opening Bid*: $4.8 million.

Agent: Jed Garfield, Leslie J. Garfield & Co., 212-371-8200

Due Diligence: The New York townhouse market has done particularly well in the past year, with sale prices up as much as 20% on the Upper East Side. Restaurateur Rocky Aoki, founder of the international Benihana chain of restaurants, is the seller of this three-and-a-half-story 1925 one in the East 60s. He paid just $1.4 million for it in 1997, then renovated it, putting in new wiring and plumbing, new windows and reconfiguring the first and second floors to open them up. The former Olympic wrestler is an empty nester (one of his children is actress/model Devon Aoki) and is staying in Manhattan but downsizing to a condo. The townhouse is home to his eclectic art collection, including a series of brightly-colored portraits of Mr. Aoki by artist Peter Max, as well as a trove of vintage slot machines. The home has a two-car garage, a scarce amenity in Manhattan.

Additional Photos

*The opening bid is Weekend Journal's estimate of a reasonable starting point for negotiations to buy the property, based on past sales, prevailing market conditions and interviews with local real-estate experts.

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