‘Discount mansion in Gatsby territory’ is turning heads — but not for a good reason
A custom-built mansion in New York is drawing attention thanks to its perplexing interior and the history behind the builder .
The ginormous 15-bedroom, 16-bathroom estate — that’s listed for $5.5 million — was built in 1966 by developer William Levitt.
Yes, that William Levitt — the man who is thought to be “the father of modern American suburbia.”
The home is called Villa La Colline and is considered a gem in the area.
“The enchanted drive through lush, wooded grounds leads to an oblong courtyard, reflecting pool and porte-cochere,” the listing on Zillow describes. “The noble residence consists of a central structure with two primary symmetrical side buildings of harmonious proportion complemented by an independent entertaining cabana and inground pool.”
Other features include:
A “royal” theme running through the inside
Soaring ceilings
Marble rotunda
Public salons
Marble floors
Silk wall coverings
Gold leaf accents
But not everyone was impressed by the lavish estate. The home was featured on Saturday Night Zillow, a Twitter segment run by Bloomberg reporter Steven Dennis, and people were — in a word — flabbergasted.
“Discount mansion in Gatsby territory of Long Island,” Dennis said in the first post of the thread. “I’ve posted this before, but it’s now HALF PRICE at $5.5M. You get 15BR, 16BA, the most insane pink theater room ever on Zillow and a crazy backstory.”
He went on to tweet about the interior decor, which he considered “over the top.”
He then spoke about Levitt and broke down the backstory in another Twitter thread.
Needless to say, people weren’t impressed.
“This is gonna give me nightmares,” one person said of the bright, cotton-candy colored bedroom.
“Levitt got rich building the most basic houses possible. Then he built this for himself,” another noted.
“That is something. The kitchen! Like Versailles on Long Island. They should rent it out as a movie set,” someone said. “I’d watch that movie.”
“A tribute to Pepto-Bismol,” one person joked.
Mill Neck is about 35 miles northeast of Manhattan.
This story was originally published February 28, 2023 at 1:15 PM with the headline "‘Discount mansion in Gatsby territory’ is turning heads — but not for a good reason."