Brooklyn’s Century-Old Gingerbread House is NYC’s Most Adorable Home

It’s no secret that New York is home to some of the world’s most fabulous real estate. But once you’re done with expansive penthouses, jaw-dropping condos, and insanely pricey brownstones, there’s one Brooklyn home that shouldn’t escape your prying eyes.

Georgie Mihaila
3 Min Read
Image via the official listing – Douglas Elliman

Nestled on a private 20,000-square-foot lot in Brooklyn’s now trendy Bay Ridge, the insanely adorable Gingerbread House is quite possibly the closest thing to a fairy tale come true.

Built back in 1917 — when it immediately grabbed the title of ‘most magnificent residence in New York City‘ — the 5,746-square-foot home at 8220 Narrows Avenue home beautifully retained its unique charm throughout the decades.


The the real-life gingerbread house, built from uncut stone, stays true to the rolling topography of the land with a pitched roof and gabled windows that look like they’ve been taken straight out of The Shire.

A captivating archway leads to a secret oasis of emerald lawns and flowing fountains as well as the home’s private entrance and three-car garage. Spacious rooms and an open layout reveal glittering stained glass windows, intricate woodcarvings, hand-painted ceilings, and whimsical door knockers.


Despite all this, the real-life Gingerbread House has been repeatedly struggling to find a buyer.

First listed in 2009 for $12 million, the unique home quietly went off market only to return in May 2014 with a fresh asking of $10.5M. Despite failing to find a buyer — and even after giving renting a shot — the Gingerbread House is now surprisingly priced at $10,999,000.

But a home like the one at 8220 Narrows Avenue isn’t looking for just any buyer; there’s probably just a handful of Hansels and Gretels in the world with pockets deep enough — and tastes this particular — that can afford to take the house off of the witch’s hands (sorry, owners; nothing personal).

Now let’s skip to the good part and take a closer look at this enchanting storybook home:

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The Gingerbread House in Bay Ridge. Image credit: Douglas Elliman
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The Gingerbread House in Bay Ridge. Image credit: Douglas Elliman
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The Gingerbread House in Bay Ridge. Image credit: Douglas Elliman
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The Gingerbread House in Bay Ridge. Image credit: Douglas Elliman
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The Gingerbread House in Bay Ridge. Image credit: Douglas Elliman
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The Gingerbread House in Bay Ridge. Image credit: Douglas Elliman
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The Gingerbread House in Bay Ridge. Image credit: Douglas Elliman
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The Gingerbread House in Bay Ridge. Image credit: Douglas Elliman
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The Gingerbread House in Bay Ridge. Image credit: Douglas Elliman
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The Gingerbread House in Bay Ridge. Image credit: Douglas Elliman
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With a decade-long career as a digital content creator, Georgie started out as a real estate journalist for Multi-Housing News & CPExecutive. She later transitioned into digital marketing, working with leading real estate websites like PropertyShark, RENTCafé and Point2Homes. After a brief but impactful stint in the start-up world, where she led the marketing divisions of fintech company NestReady and media publisher Goalcast, Georgie returned to her first passion, real estate, and founded FancyPantsHomes.com