Taylor Swift’s Tribeca neighbors hate & fear her latest real estate purchases

Taylor Swift leaving her apartment in New York

For just one day, I would love to know what it’s like to have elite real estate drama. Like, I want to know what it feels like to beef with my neighbors over $10 million-plus properties. Does it feel different from middle-class real estate drama? I bet it does. In any case, Taylor Swift always seems to be causing real estate drama wherever she goes. Tay is big mover in elite real estate circles – she easily owns $100 million worth of real estate in America, from Nashville to LA to New York to Rhode Island. She flips properties, she buys properties close to whatever boyfriend she’s dating, and she’s always adding to her real estate portfolio.

Well, Taylor has gone on another real-estate purchasing binge in New York – late last year, she bought a three-story townhouse next to her current penthouse duplex in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York. Taylor used to be mostly based out of New York, but these days it feels like she’s moving steadily between London, LA, NY and Nashville. My point? I have no idea how much time Taylor even spends in New York at this point, and whether her constant penthouse renovations have anything to do with that. Now her Tribeca neighbors are worried that she’s taking over the block and that she’s going to cause so many headaches as she renovates and converts these properties into some massive Tay Compound.

Tribeca residents better be nice, or Taylor Swift might write a vindictive song about them. As The Post recently revealed, the singer has been building up her downtown real estate collection, adding a $9.75 million apartment at 155 Franklin St. — the address where she already owns an 8,000-square-foot penthouse duplex created from two units. And this past fall, it was reported that she purchased a three-story townhouse next door, at 153 Franklin, for $18 million. Total worth of her block domination: a cool $47.7 million. But not all of Swift’s neighbors in Tribeca — home to the city’s most expensive zip codes — are happy for her.

“We don’t need celebrities here that will draw the focus [of] the paparazzi or extra fan attention. [There’s already a] small swarm of teenage girls lurking and swooning outside [Swift’s home regularly],” said an entrepreneur who lives in the neighborhood. “Yes, we have celebrities living here — [but] we like not having conspicuous celebrities here. That’s why we live in Tribeca. Because the flashier famous people are clustered [in neighborhoods] like the West Village.”

Days after it was reported this past October that Swift had purchased the townhouse, someone posted a flier reading “Taylor Swift Can Go F–k Herself” to a Tribeca lamppost…. Although no work has been reported since Swift purchased the property, neighbors are worried she might begin a large-scale construction project to combine units from the two buildings — just as she combined two apartments to create her 155 duplex.

“People are concerned. Everyone’s wondering what she’ll do — if she will connect the buildings for the garage access [as the townhouse has its own garage with a private entrance] or make a massive compound,” said one resident who lives nearby and who, like the entrepreneur, asked that The Post withhold her name for fear of angering Swift. “There was speculation on what she needs the new townhouse and second unit for. Some think [the townhouse] is for parking!”

“Franklin Street has a history of being an apocalypse of construction,” said the entrepreneur. “When even one lane is blocked off it can cause chaos.” A commenter on the Tribeca Citizen Web site wrote of how Swift’s presence already inconveniences residents of 155 Franklin: “There’s one elevator and if she’s coming or going, [her] bodyguards won’t let anyone get in. They’ll hold the elevator on the top floor for 30 [minutes] waiting for her.”

Meanwhile, the singer has created waves in the real-estate world. Brokerage Douglas Elliman is suing her for unpaid commissions of $1.6 million related to the townhouse sale.

A Swift insider insisted, “It’s not that she’s a bad neighbor — but the [paparazzi loitering outside] really is a problem.” The insider added that Swift had a tough time finding co-op boards and buildings that would sell to her, given the baggage that comes with her level of fame. “People aren’t thrilled that she’s down there, but it comes with the territory. Tribeca is filled with two types of people: older people with a lot of money who want to be left alone and young, cool people who don’t care that she’s there.”

[From The New York Post]

Imagine how wealthy you have to be to even own property in this neighborhood. And then imagine that your day-to-day routines are being disrupted by a snake pop star who is converting an $18 million townhouse into a personal parking garage. Ha! I mean, I’ve always respected Taylor’s business sense, and hell, if I had her money, I would go on a real estate purchasing binge too, so I can’t fault her, in general. Plus I think this is mostly “snooty people being snooty.” But I’ll wait to see what she does next – will she cause more aggravations for her neighbors now that she’s close to owning half a Tribeca block??

Taylor Swift seen leaving secret performance at South St., Seaport

Taylor Swift out and about in New York City

Photos courtesy of WENN, Backgrid.

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24 Responses to “Taylor Swift’s Tribeca neighbors hate & fear her latest real estate purchases”

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  1. Nicole says:

    I mean they are right. NYC is inconspicuous and we all know the girl invites the attention on purpose. And this isnt the first time she’s pissed people off…remember the drama over the RI beach and the wall? The girl would be a nightmare to live near.
    NYC traffic is already horrendous. I cannot imagine what unnecessary construction would to to tribeca

  2. Saks says:

    Awww a bunch of rich snowflakes are annoyed at another one for buying real state in Manhattan… I wish I have that level of wealth where having paps in my neighbourhood looking for a pop star is my biggest problem

  3. Happy21 says:

    If there was ever a time for the phrase ‘first world problems’ it would be here…

  4. lkaye says:

    I never understood why people do this. It’s New York, these are apartments, if you would like a mansion, move to a place where you can have a mansion.

  5. Green Is Good says:

    Got my violin riiiight here, rich TriBeCa people. Believe me, we feel sooo sorry for you.🙄

    • Bella bella says:

      There’s a lot of people who live down there who bought their places back in the ’70s, when spaces were cheap. Artists and other creatives. People with families. The neighborhood really does have a pretty low-key vibe for the most part, so having a gaggle of teenage fans and paparazzi and the headache of construction (on streets that are narrow) is a real pain in the butt! I feel for the neighbors!

  6. Shambles says:

    Rich white people problems, I know. But imagine how much narcissism it takes to not GAF about inconveniencing people in the massive ways she apparently does. I die of shame if someone goes out of their way to do me a small favor.

  7. Pandy says:

    Seriousy, buy a mansion in NJ and have a driver at your beck and call.

  8. Pandy says:

    Seriously, buy a mansion in NJ and have a driver at your beck and call.

  9. C says:

    I mean I get that this is petty rich people problems, but if I spent that much money to have a peaceful, quiet place to live I would be pretty peeved knowing I had a neighbor that attracts papprazzi attention. Plus if she is having major construction done in that area that has to be a huge hassle since NYC is already so congested. I get that it’s her money and she can do whatever she wants with it, but just because you can doesn’t necessarily mean you should.

    • corporatestepsister says:

      Amen! Taylor could move there and live quietly, but she’s determined to turn that area into a brand new paparazzi playground. Can’t she just buy a small or large place and not mess it up?

  10. Elle says:

    I just don’t feel TriBeCa. If I had tons of money and could live in any great Manhattan neighborhood, TriBeCa wouldn’t even make the top five.

    • justme says:

      I think it makes a rich girl like Taylor feel that she is a bit “edgy” — and we all know that some rich folks enjoy that illusion! 🙂

    • Valois says:

      What would make your top 5?
      (Genuinely curious, I love learning a more about NYC and different parts of the city.)

    • bikki says:

      so true, I lived in NYC and was never attracted to Tribeca (or W Village for that matter).
      I’d rather live in the UES or UWS (or Roosevelt Island tbh)

  11. Eva says:

    Half a block for one girl. I always wonder what on earth people use all that space for. Why is it fun to own 15 rooms you never use? Or do they have roller coasters and racing tracks inside? It just seems like so much trouble.

  12. Cee says:

    If I lived in her same apartment building with only ONE elevator which she repeatedly holds off for 30 mins I would be PISSED AF.
    I live in a massive apartment complex – I’m talking 36 floors with 3 resident’s elevators plus 1 service elevator, and I get pissed whenever someone is holding them off between 6-8 AM and that makes me late for work. Imagine only having the one elevator.

    • Lyla says:

      155 is a really small building though. It only has a handle of units and is only 6 stories. If Tay-tay takes up the top floor, it’s not like 5 stories aren’t doable on stairs. I have to climb that every time I visit my friends in their 5th floor walk up. But I get why it would be annoying. Maybe she wants to move to the townhouse next door instead or maybe she wants to connect the two buildings. If she did connect them, maybe that will solve the elevator problem.

  13. Lo says:

    The idea of being unable to use the elevator for 30 minutes every time she wants to go anywhere makes my blood boil. Just share the damn elevator with your neighbors, Tay. Jfc.

    • corporatestepsister says:

      Fed up with this Hollywood BS; NY shouldn’t be treated as some kind of playground so Taylor can get her rocks off via a power trip or inconveniencing everyone else around her. Many people live in that area to live an unpretentious life, it’s why so many move there.

  14. Lex says:

    LOVE the outfit she is wearing in that top pic – she looks really good in all these photos 🙂

  15. Ce2495 says:

    Yeah, I live in New York ( West Harlem) or SoHa as now is being called) and I can tell you it will pissed me off to no end to have someone hold the elevator for 30mins and my apartment cost 10X less than Taylor’s. We live a fast life and need every min we can get out of the day. I’m sure she can share the elevator with her neighbors… they are rich and I’m sure don’t care for her . Also so weird she will pick Tribeca… many other cool neighborhoods in NYC.