Leonardo DiCaprio, Tyra Banks, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Cobie Smulders have all called it home (2 River Terrace photo via Charles Rutenberg)
Riverhouse, the super green, eco-friendly building located at 2 River Terrace in Battery Park City is all about natural beauty. Riverhouse sits right on the Hudson River and has water features throughout the building. Designed by David Rockwell, the 32-story, 258-unit condo opened in 2008 and was one of the first new buildings in Battery Park, and is possibly the greenest building in New York City to this day with its LEED Gold certification status.
Camille Duvall, the Sales Director of the Flatiron office for Warburg Realty, who has sold and rented many units in Riverhouse, says of the building, “They thought of every little possible detail, from the sustainable teak cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms to the bamboo floors, the light-filled public spaces, triple glazed windows to let the views in and the heat out, low pollution paint, air filters, water filters, eco-carpet, humidity control. They went a really long way on this building to be as green as possible.” Only non-pollutant materials and finishes were used in construction, the air is twice-filtered air and there is solar-powered energy.”
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What makes Riverhouse standout is not only it’s uber-greenness but the fact that this eco-building attracted one of the greenest celebrities in the city, Leonardo DiCaprio. And going with the water theme, Leo’s presence seemed to create a waterfall of other celebrity residents.
According to New York Magazine, DiCaprio, who was executive-producing the Discovery Channel series Eco-Town when he bought in Riverhouse, commented, “Riverhouse is a prime example of how green technology is both accessible and achievable for new residential developments—it is a groundbreaking building.”
In addition to the eco-perks, the Riverhouse’s other amenities include a 50-foot aqua-tile lap pool with a pool house, a fitness center with a yoga studio, the Treehouse Lounge, a Media Café with a billiard room, a landscaped roof garden with a lounge and a children’s playroom. Additionally, residents have access to concierge service, attended parking, on-site bicycle storage, and a dog spa.
Duvall commented, “River is a great, special building. Everyone who lives there loves it there.”
Duvall commented, “River is a great, special building. Everyone who lives there loves it there.”
Celebrity Residents
Leonardo DiCaprio bought his Riverhouse apartment for $3.67 million in 2008. In 2014, he bought the adjacent 2,327-square-foot, two bedroom apartment with 1,035 square feet of outdoor space for $8 million. DiCaprio, who is one of the rare celebrities who talks the green talk and walks the green walk, clearly christened this building as eco-worthy and many others have since followed suit.
The model and TV personality, Tyra Banks not only has green eyes, she appreciates the green life. Banks combined four units on the 22nd and 23rd floors to create a massive, 7,000 square foot five-bedroom home with five bathrooms, three powder rooms, several kitchens and kitchenettes with the flexibility to divide the spaces into different zones for different needs. Banks acquired the properties in 2009 for a total of $10.13 million but listed the resulting behemoth for $17.5 million in February of 2017. At the time, she told the New York Times, “Farewell, Leo. I’ll miss my houseguests trying to spot you in our building.”
Banks, who was very involved in all aspects of designing of the home, told the New York Times, “New amazing ideas just kept coming and coming to me.” Some of the unique features of the apartment include a salon, mirrored dressing room, a kitchen with a zebrawood island, two Miele dishwashers, a moss green ceiling, and a dining alcove that was inspired by Michelin-starred restaurants.
Before trying to sell the home, Banks previously listed the apartment for rent in March 2015 for $50,000/month.
Before trying to sell the home, Banks previously listed the apartment for rent in March 2015 for $50,000/month.
Leo’s greenness must have rubbed off on director Oliver Stone during their filming of “American Psycho” because Stone bought a 1,982-square-foot, three-bedroom, four-bathroom unit at Riverhouse with the asking price of $4.35 million. The 24th floor unit (perhaps right above Tyra) has floor-to-ceiling windows with stunning views of the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor.
After buying their three-bedroom, three-bathroom condominium in 2011 for $2.07 million, the How I Met Your Mother star Cobie Smulders and her husband, the former Hamilton and Saturday Night Live celebrity Taran Killam, listed their home for $3.995 million in January 2017. After numerous price cuts, the couple delisted the 1,580-square-foot unit in January and moved into their new home in California.
In May, People Magazine reported their NYC pad sold for $3.1 million, just under their asking price of $3.195 million.
Smulders told Architectural Digest earlier this year, "I have been sort of in limbo: I was in New York for three years, and we were in our little house that was in a very busy neighborhood. There is not a lot of neighbor interaction and so I am excited to be a part of a community and go trick-or-treating on this street and Christmas decorations."
Smulders told Architectural Digest earlier this year, "I have been sort of in limbo: I was in New York for three years, and we were in our little house that was in a very busy neighborhood. There is not a lot of neighbor interaction and so I am excited to be a part of a community and go trick-or-treating on this street and Christmas decorations."
"Borat" star Sacha Baron Cohen and actress Isla Fisher rent a three-bedroom in the building. Although their rent is unknown, three-bedrooms in the building range from $8,700 to $15,000 per month. The couple is often spotted out in the neighborhood with their two daughters.
See current availabilities at Riverhouse from $1.75M →
Celebrity Photo Credits:
Leonardo DiCaprio: Photo by PictureCapital (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0]
Tyra Banks: Photo by Digitas Photos (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0]
Cobie Smulders: Photo by vagueonthehow (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0]
Sacha Baron Cohen: Photo by Joella Marano (Flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0]
Leonardo DiCaprio: Photo by PictureCapital (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0]
Tyra Banks: Photo by Digitas Photos (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0]
Cobie Smulders: Photo by vagueonthehow (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0]
Sacha Baron Cohen: Photo by Joella Marano (Flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0]
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Contributing Writer
Michelle Sinclair Colman
Michelle writes children's books and also writes articles about architecture, design and real estate. Those two passions came together in Michelle's first children's book, "Urban Babies Wear Black." Michelle has a Master's degree in Sociology from the University of Minnesota and a Master's degree in the Cities Program from the London School of Economics.
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