NYC landmark home with world’s tallest private rock-climbing wall lists for $20M

New York’s real estate market is no stranger to jaw-dropping listings, but one Greenwich Village townhouse is literally climbing to new heights — boasting what’s believed to be the tallest private rock-climbing wall in the world.

The sprawling, 4,200-square-foot, five-story townhouse at 9 Minetta Lane, just steps from the Comedy Cellar, is the creation of architect Adam Kushner, an avid rock climber who took his passion to the next level by incorporating an 83-foot climbing wall into the home’s design.

Kushner, who has owned the property since 2013, transformed the circa-1925 structure into a modern marvel.

The original façade of the building had to remain intact due to the property’s location in a landmarked area of Greenwich Village.

But once you pass through the door, the home tells a completely different story.

“He basically built a whole new building inside of that landmarked façade,” Diane Wildowsky of Sotheby’s International Realty told Realtor.com.

“There is nothing like it anywhere in the city, nothing. It’s really quite original.”

The centerpiece of the home, of course, is the colossal rock-climbing wall that soars from the courtyard to the rooftop.

Kushner, who has been climbing since the 1980s, initially envisioned a wall of family history that visitors would climb, but the idea quickly evolved into something far more epic.

“I was going to have this wall of family history, and you’d climb it to finally reach the top of the house,” Kushner told Bloomberg. “That morphed into a rock climbing wall.”

Now, climbers can scale the transparent wall and, upon reaching the pinacle, enjoy breathtaking views of Greenwich Village.

“When you get to the very top, you clear the roofline and the trees and you have a lovely view of the village,” Wildowsky adds.

The climbing wall is so unique that it’s attracted attention from the rock-climbing community.

“Different rock-climbing publications have said that as far as they know, it’s the tallest privately owned rock-climbing wall in the world,” Wildowsky said. While the wall steals the show, the house itself is a feat of architectural ingenuity.

Inside, the home is bathed in natural light, with retractable glass walls and a gym encased in a glass structure that allows you to work out while watching the rain or snow.

“You could be working out in the rain, you could be working out in the snow, you could be watching the sun come up in the morning,” Wildowsky said. “It’s very nice up there and very bright.”

Kushner didn’t stop at the climbing wall and gym. The property also boasts four bedrooms, 4½ bathrooms and a double-height living room that connects the original façade to the new building.

The townhouse also features a roof deck with a plumbed kitchen and barbecue area, along with solar panels.

For those seeking tranquility amidst the city’s cacophony, vines and latticework surround the home, creating a feeling of being in the woods.

“You’ve got the buzz of the city outside, and when you walk through [the gates], you’re in an entirely different environment,” Wildowsky said.

As for the future of the townhouse, Kushner admits that his climbing wall doesn’t see as much action as he initially anticipated.

“I had some guy knock on my door and say, ‘Hey, can I use your wall?’ And I’m, like, ‘Well, I don’t really know you,’” he said.

Still, for a buyer who loves the outdoors but doesn’t want to leave the city, this unique home could be the ultimate escape.

Now listed for a cool $20 million, Kushner and his wife are ready to pass the torch.

“It’s a lot of house, and it’s just my wife and me,” Kushner said.

After more than a decade of renovations, he’s looking forward to his next chapter — but promises his wife that their next home will be move-in ready.