5454 Palisade Ave, Bronx, NY 10471

Architect Julius Panero designed his own mid-century modern open-plan home and studio on a terraced hillside a block from the Hudson River and the Metro North Station. The home is nestled on the north side of a bucolic 1/3 acre lot in Riverdale's estate area, giving the house bright southern exposure to its private gardens. This private oasis is enjoyed from south-facing wall to wall windows and floor to ceiling glass, filling it with light on all of its three levels. The home consists of four bedrooms, two full and two half baths and has central air conditioning, driveway parking and a garage plus a garden shed with terraced gardens. You enter this sun drenched home through a sky-lit hall open to a sunken living room with a wood-burning stove. From the living room one can step onto a deck and to the garden. A dining area with a ribbon of windows adjoins a center island eat-in windowed kitchen with Italian Val Cucine cabinetry, white Carrera marble and Vermont granite countertops. The kitchen opens onto a quaint decked bridge to a terraced garden. The ground level includes a finished family room with built-in cabinets, a half bath, hidden laundry and a two room office, which has a private entrance. Upstairs, four bedrooms and a full bathroom surround a central skylit library/playroom/yoga space. The master bedroom has its own ensuite full bath. The landscaped grounds include a garden shed which can be converted into an artist's studioor make it your own. Also, an open greenhouse frame is the perfect setting for entertainment and al fresco dining, with a built-in charcoal grill. The home is part of Hillside, developed in the l950's as a planned community with architecturally significant mid-century homes and scenic private pathways leading to an exclusive to Hillside community swimming pool. There are nearby parks and gardens within walking distance: Riverdale Park, a forested fifty-acre nature preserve is great for dog walking; Wave Hill, a public estate with spectacular views of the Hudson River, a botanical garden and music and arts programs; Van Cortlandt Park offers golf courses, stables, ball fields, cross-country and bicycle trails. You can reach Grand Central in less than a half hour from the Riverdale Metro North rail station.