Martha Stewart and the Mystery Russian
Martha Stewart may have estates in Bedford, East Hampton, Westport, and Maine, but there's one piece of real estate she did not get and from the sounds of it, she's still a wee bit annoyed about it. When the Daily News asked about her biggest real estate regret, Martha tells the story of how she was in negotiations to buy a seven-floor mansion directly across the street from the Met. It was right around Christmas, though, so she decided to take a vacation, which is when a "Russian real estate magnate" swooped in and picked up the place, leaving her out in the cold. So who who is this Russian who is still on Martha's bad side?
Try Tamir Sapir, who picked up the Duke Semans mansion at 1009 Fifth Avenue for $40 million during the first week of January in 2006.
But Martha's probably over it now, years later, right? From the sounds of it, that answer would be no.
"That was going to be my place in New York," says Stewart, who now lives in an apartment on Fifth Ave. "It had stairs, and I love stairs. The dogs could run up and down them. I could entertain before events at the museum. I could have musicians playing. I almost cry every time I go by."
Somehow we think she'll survive.
