In 1903, State Supreme Court Justice William Jay Gaynor of Park Slope had a summer home built on what would later be known as Wilmot Road in Ocean Beach. It was the first home on the block and one of the first in the area, predating the establishment of both Stay-a-While Estates — which developed around it by 1912 — and Ocean Beach, which was settled in 1908. The three walks in the Stay-a-While community were absorbed into Ocean Beach when it was incorporated in 1921.
Justice Gaynor became mayor of New York City in 1910. For the first time in 60 years, his spacious and unique summer home, known as The Balconies, is being offered for sale. Megan Wallace of Wallace Real Estate is the listing agent. Her grandfather, Dana Wallace, was the agent who handled the sale of the house to the current owners in 1965.
“The Balconies has been the pivot point of our family for most of my life,” said Jon Lieber, son of owners Les and Edith Lieber. “It’s the type of house that invites big gatherings. We counted once, and there are 81 places to sit.” Les Lieber was an advertising executive and accomplished jazz saxophonist who died at the age of 106 in 2018. Although his wife Edith has spent most of her time in Manhattan recently, Jon and his brothers and their families continue to maintain the family summer home lovingly.
The Balconies have attracted a plethora of famous personalities over the decades. Composers George and Ira Gershwin rented the home for two summers before the Liebers moved in, and the harp from their piano is still on display. The current piano is from Goldie’s, now known as the Island Mermaid. Actors Tony Randall, Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, and his son Eddie were among the many family friends who attended frequent parties. Les Lieber hosted Jazz at Noon, a showcase of amateur and professional talent, at various city locations over the decades, beginning the same year the family bought the house. Later, he would host his signature “Chill Out” concerts on the ballfield in Ocean Beach every summer until his death. Singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester had a home down the block and babysat the Lieber kids.
“Our door was always open,” said Jon. “My dad always told us as kids that anyone could wander in at any time and that we should hide our money. I hid mine in the polar bear’s mouth.” Two tiger skins have been mounted on the walls of the soaring two-story living room with vaulted ceilings since at least the 1920s, and a polar bear skin that previously hung over the balcony railing was hung on a wall by the Liebers in the ’60s. The second-story balcony overlooking the living room lends the property its name.
“There were quite a few guests at some of my parents’ parties,” said Jon. “One time, a neighbor called the police because of the noise. When they showed up, there wasn’t much they could do: Ocean Beach’s mayor Arthur Silsdorf greeted them at the door.”
Screened porches, which originally surrounded the home, were enclosed to create an enormous amount of additional indoor living space. The current five bedrooms and three bathrooms, are impeccably decorated and maintained.
“Back when we bought this place, we had no choice but to maintain it ourselves,” said Jon. “You didn’t buy a house out here unless you had some kind of an inkling on how to do this stuff yourself. I knew where things were at Cedar’s Hardware better than the owner did.” He noted that the home has 2,348 windowpanes and that he has sealed all of them himself multiple times.
The posts supporting the home were replaced in 1979, helping the structure to remain plumb and level. Many original details, including a brick fireplace, original newel posts and railings, and natural wood beadboard, give the home a classic Fire Island look.
“The lots on Wilmot that became part of Stay-a-While are 20 feet by 100 feet,” noted Jon’s brother David, who owns his own home in Ocean Beach. “The lots in the rest of Ocean Beach are 80 feet deep. We have four lots, one of which is undeveloped.” When their parents rented the house, Jon and David would sometimes camp on the undeveloped lot. Comprising a total of four lots, the property is today the largest on Wilmot. A large storage shed at the rear of the property is included.
“Words cannot describe this historic house,” reads the the Wallace Real Estate listing. “It’s huge and super-solid and filled with charm… This is what people talk about.”
The home, located at 212-215 Wilmot Road, is listed for $1,200,000 alone or for $2,400,000 with the adjacent vacant lot.
