Look Inside Howard Johnson's Former Home That's Selling For $6.5 Million

Howard Deering Johnson, the famous American businessman, started his career by working in his father's cigar store. His was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1885 and decided not to continue with school after eighth grade. After years of working with his father, Johnson was pulled into World War I, where he was tasked to be a part of the American Expeditionary Force. Encyclopedia.com states that after Johnson's return home after the war, his father unfortunately died, leaving a load of debt for Johnson to pay off. The cigar store had to be sold and Johnson was left struggling for another source of income.

In 1924, however, Johnson decided to take a major leap of faith. After borrowing $2,000 from the bank, he invested in a small drugstore and soda fountain. The store became a major success, but he wanted to do better. He then invested in a $300 ice cream recipe to enhance his product and it didn't take long for people to take notice. Eventually, Johnson's name was used on a restaurant, which slowly turned into a chain of restaurants, which eventually transitioned over to hotels, as well. By the time Johnson retired, he had nearly 770 restaurants and 265 hotels to his name. 

Although the Johnson name does not reign supreme anymore, his legacy will always be remembered, especially on Fifth Avenue — as his stunning New York City home hits the market for $6.5 million (per the New York Post). Let's take a look inside the property.

Howard Johnson's apartment is located at 812 5th Ave in New York City. Civitatis New York states that Fifth Avenue is one of the most popular streets in New York City, which is sometimes as known as Millionaire Row due to the string of mansions that are located there. High-end shopping and plenty of luxurious restaurants are also scattered plentifully throughout the area. Due to the many New York City attractions that are located on the block, the area may be fairly dense with tourism, but it still provides a comfortable urban feel with plenty of nightlife.

Although Johnson's home doesn't include any private outdoor space away from the urban environment, the building has a small garden where residents can escape to breath a breath of fresh air or relax for a bit (per Zillow). The building also overlooks Central Park, providing a stunning view without leaving the comfort of the apartment. Being located so close to Central Park provides residents with easy access to a variety of fun recreational activities when the weather is nice.

Carrying on to the apartment itself, there are three luxurious bedrooms stationed throughout the space. The master bedroom in particular opens up to a very spacious area with room for a variety of bedroom furniture with the addition of a small seating area. Attached to the master bedroom are also two walk-in closets, according to the New York Post, which provide an even more extensive amount of space for extra living and storage needs. The area then continues over to the master bathroom, which boasts plenty of vanity space, a bathtub, and walk-in shower.

The luxury then spreads over to the main living area, which has a section of seating arrangements perfect for entertaining guests or spending time with family. Not far from this area is also a library that is lined with bookcases with multiple seating positioned in the middle, acting as a comfortable reading and study space (per Zillow).

Unlike the rest of the home, the kitchen doesn't appear to have nearly as much living space. The small area is lined with long counters on two sides of the room. These counters provide an ample amount of cooking space and even more storage above and below the counters. Near one end of the kitchen is also a small breakfast nook, but a more formal dining arrangement is also available is a separate area not far from the kitchen.

Upon entering the home, one is immediately met with a very classic and elegant style. The walls are decorated with fancy design that transitions between a creamy white and peach color, which are matched with a delicate light hardwood floor. Topping off the entrance area is also a beautiful crystal chandelier that brings even more elegance to the look of the home. This style continues into the living area where the walls are all a crisp white color that matches the cream-colored carpet, per Zillow.

Deviating slightly from the classic and elegant style, the bedrooms boast a more modern aesthetic; this is specifically seen in one of the guest bedrooms in which the crisp white colored walls and carpet are deeply contrasted by slick black shelves built into the room. The master bedroom shares a similar modern style with hints of the classic elegance still seen throughout the room. The master bathroom, however, steps right back into a full classic and elegant style with slick marble lining the entire bathroom and elements of gold scattered about.

Moving to the kitchen, the home takes a complete turn back to a modern style by consisting of slick white cabinets that are contrasted by the slick black countertop. This style, however, remain strictly in that area because as soon as one steps into the formal dining area the original style of home presents itself again.