1588 viewsLove stories are all around us—written in books, played out in movies, and even woven into the places we walk past every day. In New York, if the walls could talk they would reveal unforgettable moments, grand gestures, and stories of love. A mansion traded for pearls, a castle abandoned after heartbreak, a meeting at the top of the skyline that changed two lives forever. These places prove that love, like real estate, is all about timing.
A Love Story Set in Stone: The Cartier Mansion
Fifth Avenue’s Cartier Mansion isn’t just a jewelry store. It’s a love story, etched in limestone. In 1917, Morton Plant’s wife, Maisie, fell in love with a double-strand natural pearl necklace, a rare luxury at the time, worth $1 million. Pierre Cartier, searching for the perfect New York home for his legendary maison, saw an opportunity.
Instead of selling the necklace outright, Cartier proposed a trade. Maisie would get the pearls she adored, and in exchange, Morton Plant would give up his Fifth Avenue mansion. That single deal turned a piece of jewelry into a lasting legacy and cemented Cartier’s place in New York. More than a century later, the mansion still stands, its grand exterior unchanged, a reminder of a love story sealed in pearls.
Palazzo Chupi: A Love Letter in Pink
Love often inspires art, but in Julian Schnabel’s case, it inspired an entire building. Perched above an old stable in the West Village, Palazzo Chupi is impossible to miss—painted in a deep, romantic shade of Pompeii red, it looks like it belongs in Venice rather than downtown Manhattan.
The artist built it as an homage to old-world grandeur, naming it after his pet name for his wife, actress Olatz López Garmendia. The apartments inside, with their soaring ceilings and oversized windows, have drawn famous residents like Richard Gere and Johnny Depp. But beyond its well-known occupants, the building itself is a love letter, written in plaster and brushstrokes, standing tall above the cobblestone streets below.
Boldt Castle: A Love Story Left Unfinished
In the Thousand Islands region of upstate New York, a castle sits on Heart Island, its turrets towering above the St. Lawrence River like something out of a fairy tale. But this is no ordinary love story. George C. Boldt, wealthy hotelier behind the Waldorf Astoria, built the six-story, 120-room Boldt Castle as a gift to his wife, Louise. It was meant to be the grandest of gestures, complete with Italian gardens, a drawbridge, and a children’s playhouse. But in 1904, just as it neared completion, Louise died unexpectedly. Heartbroken, Boldt stopped construction immediately. He never set foot on the island again.
Empire State Building: Love at the Top
Few buildings in the world are as closely tied to romance as the Empire State Building. From An Affair to Remember to Sleepless in Seattle, its observation deck has been the backdrop for countless love stories, both on-screen and in real life.
One real-life love story began there in 1996, when Dawn Dixon and Paul White met in person for the first time after months of exchanging emails across the Atlantic. Inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, they chose the Empire State Building as their meeting place. Snow was falling that day as Paul stepped onto the deck and saw Dawn waiting for him. He wrapped his arms around her in their first embrace, a moment that changed everything.
Dawn had traveled from Atlanta, while Paul had flown in from London. Six months later, they were married. Decades after that first meeting, on their 15th anniversary, they returned to the Empire State Building. As they stepped into the elevator, their song, The Eagles’ “Love Will Keep Us Alive,” unexpectedly played overhead. Neither of them had arranged it—it was just one of those moments that felt like fate.
Sevilla: Romance Over Sangria
Not every love story needs castles or skyscrapers. Sometimes, romance is found over a candlelit dinner, in a place where time seems to stand still.
For agent Jeff Goodman, that place is Sevilla, a Spanish restaurant tucked away in the West Village.
“This is going to be an unconventional choice, as I am choosing an interior. And it’s the interior of my favorite restaurant in New York, Sevilla, in the West Village. The décor is from the 1940s and very reminiscent of southern Spain. Every time I’m there, it harkens me to a romantic setting in Andalusia, with its red walls, pictures of bullfighters, flowing sangria, and a very passionate atmosphere. Of course, the food is great, but the interior seethes romance.” - Jeff Goodman, Brown Harris Stevens Agent
Jeff, known for his award-winning walking tours and real estate podcast Rediscovering New York, has spent years exploring the city’s most historic spots. His love for Sevilla proves that sometimes, the most romantic places aren’t the ones in the skyline. They’re the ones where memories are made over candlelight and conversation.
These places may be made of stone and steel, but their stories are built on love. They remind us that romance can be found in the most unexpected corners of New York.
