A-Rod Slides Into Home at Barnett's Rushmore, West Side's Newest Clubhouse

Once upon a time, people could not wait to break their contracts at the Rushmore and flee Gary Barnett's ultra-luxury twin tower complex in Riverside South. Was it a typo or just bubble-era buyers' remorse? Whatever the case of the case, The Observer suspects people will be fighting to get into the building now that Robin Williams is a Rushmore resident and, as of this morning, Alex Rodriguez is rumored to be ready to buy.

Barnett's Extell Development even went so far as to send out a release bragging about the building's newest signing. "We are thrilled to have Alex and his family buying at the Rushmore. He loved the building, the park and the water views, but we think that the clincher was the baseball field outside the front door." It's an odd choice of words, since Rodriguez' family currently seems to consist of Cameron Diaz and little else. Could the Orthodox Barnett stand the thought of a divorcée in his building?

According to The Journal, Rodriguez' apartment covers the entire 35th floor in one of the towers and cost between $5.5 million and $6 million. No unit fitting the discription is listed on StreetEasy, but there is a similar five-bedroom two floors up, for those curious for a floorplan. It, along with one on the 31st floor, had been asking $7.5 million, so it looks like Rodriguez may have scored quite the steal.

Why would anyone leave the best building of all time, 15 Central Park West, though, where Rodriguez was renting a $30,0000-a-month two-bedroom? The Post reports that "A-Rod loves plush 15 CPW but that the pad is not 'private enough.' It was up for sale while he was renting it—and potential buyers and gawkers were disturbing him by poking around too much." And here we thought he loved crowds.

mchaban [at] observer.com | @mc_nyo