Everyone needs to start somewhere. For some celebrities, their start in New York City began with a No Fee Rental apartment. Some had not yet been discovered, while others were on their way to bigger stardom.
11 Waverly Place, just around the corner from Washington Square in Manhattan, has a very storied history. Four-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke’s first novel Eleven Waverly Place, a romance about an actor who meets a singer in Greenwich Village, was retitled The Hottest State just before publication. This fictional tale is reportedly filled with autobiographical bits. Actress, singer, and model Zoey Kravits rented an apartment at 11 Waverly Place. The daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet had a perfect location for pursing her interests in film, modeling, and singing. In fact, she went back to her New York stomping grounds and the Mercury Lounge on the Lower East Side for the debut of her album with Lolawolf . Mara Wilson of Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire called 11 Waverly Place home while attending NYU’s Tisch School for the Arts. And for those of you who remember Selena Gomez from her Disney Channel days, she stared in the Wizards of Waverly Place for 5 years. Sadly, the sandwich shop that her TV family owned was not real, nor were the sets – the series was filmed at Hollywood Center Studios in California. Today, you can still see tourists walking around trying to see if there are any lingering Wizards artifacts.
Further uptown at 19 West 69th Street, and another No Fee Rental apartment building, there have been all kinds of fun people coming and going. David Schwimmer of Friends fame (who didn’t love Ross Geller?!), called this landmarked building — just steps from both Central Park and Lincoln Center — home for a while.
In New York City, you never know who you are going to see or which neighbor is a rising star. It’s part of the city’s big eclectic fun. It also makes for great party conversation! Ready to start your NYC adventure with the perfect apartment? CLICK HERE
Photo Credit: Marco Manna