Spike Lee has been a New York man for over four decades, ever since he moved to the Big Apple to pursue his graduate degree from New York University in the early '80s.
Many of his film projects have put the city, specifically Brooklyn, front and center, most notably 1989's Do the Right Thing, which depicted the clash of its multicultural inhabitants.
However, the director himself has called New York's swanky Upper East Side home for nearly three decades, living in one of the most iconic landmarks of the area.
In 1998, Spike and his wife Tonya Lewis purchased a stunning 5 bedroom-5 bathroom townhouse known as the Barbara Rutherford Hatch Residence for a whopping $16.6 million.
They bought the home from artist Jasper Johns and raised their two children, now adults Satchel and Jackson, in that home, turning it into their very own with diverse works of art, rugs and Spike Lee memorabilia.
The home has an interior courtyard, original fireplaces, staff quarters, an elevator, a gated entryway, many plush finishings, high arched windows, plus a library, and stands three stories tall.
© Getty Images for MoMAIn 2014, the home was put on the market after weeks of speculation for a stunning $32 million. The asking price was lowered to $28.5 million three months later, followed by a $4 million dip two months after. By September 2015, it was taken off the market, with Spike and Tonya reportedly continuing to live there.
The home has a storied history. Per Zillow: "On January 11, 1977, this extraordinary building known as The Barbara Rutherford Hatch house was designated an individual landmark for its special character, historical and aesthetic interest and value to the heritage and cultural characteristics of New York City."
© Getty ImagesBarbara "engaged Frederick J. Sterner as her architect," with the next owner being "Charles Dillingham, a theatrical agent and producer who managed Irene Castle and Beatrice Lilly" and also owned The Globe Theater.
"Charles Lanier Lawrence was the following owner. A graduate of Yale and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, Lawrence's creativity expressed itself in the development of an air-cooled airplane engine that made possible Charles Lindbergh's famous solo flight to Paris in May 1927."
© InstagramThe following owner was the artist Jasper Johns, from whom Spike bought the home. He is described as "one of the most significant and influential American painters of the 20th Century who was given his first solo show by Leo Castelli. Johns' painting False Start was sold in 2006 for $80 million, the highest price ever paid for a living artist."
A further description of the home's features on StreetEasy reads: "Wonderful and unique stucco townhouse boasting a 32' expanse and a distinctive Frederick J. Sterner designed neo Renaissance facade."
© Instagram"The versatile interior layout is perfectly suited to grand entertaining and gracious living. Sunny and well renovated, the house is further graced with triple exposures and boasts a lovely and rare interior court garden that allows for extraordinary privacy and provides pretty green leafy views."
