Madonna’s New York City comeback tour

From The New York Post:

Madonna hits the street on the Upper East Side yesterday during her house-hunting tour. Among the homes that she toured with brokers were these opulent town houses. The Material Mom is said to have her eye on this 14,700- square-foot mansion, which features grand entertaining rooms with double-height ceilings, and marble floors, staircases and fireplaces.

Madonna wants to make New York her playground again!

With handlers and brokers in tow, the Material Mom toured four pricey town houses on the Upper East Side yesterday, and is said to be “seriously looking to buy,” according to a source said. “She’s actually flown here to concentrate on finding a New York home where she’ll spend a good deal of time – and perhaps even send her children to school here.”

“She wants big and grand,” said another real-estate broker familiar with her search. “She’s looking for dramatic ceiling heights, large entertaining spaces and flat-out opulence.”

“She’s looking for a bigger place where she won’t have to go before a co-op board,” said one real-estate source with knowledge of the hunt.

Madonna has already had her fill of persnickety co-op boards. In 1985, the board of the SanRemo on Central Park West refused to let the then-single 26-year-old entertainer buy a three-bedroom apartment for $1.2 million. The co-op board did not give any reason for the rejection. She appeared before the board in a demure black dress, but Diane Keaton was reportedly the only member of the board who voted to approve her.

Real-estate agents cited the building’s desire for privacy as the principal reason for her rebuff. She eventually bought a 6,000-square-foot duplex in Central Park West, with its own beauty parlor and steam room, in the less glam Harperley Hall. She also has homes in London – where she officially resides with her husband, Guy Ritchie, and three kids – and another mansion in Los Angeles, which she bought from Keaton.

Reports say she has been in negotiations to sell the L.A. mansion to British soccer star David Beckham and his singer wife, ex-Spice Girl Victoria.

“I didn’t hear anything from her, but it wouldn’t surprise me,” said Madonna’s publicist, Liz Rosenberg, who noted that her family is growing. “Hopefully, I’ll have a new neighbor. I’d be very happy.”

Check out the full story on today’s New York Post. Thanks to Daniel.