New York Post

OBAMAS SHOPPING FOR NY PAD

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FORMER President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle are eyeing an apartment in a historic building in Manhattan, multiple sources exclusivel­y tell Page Six.

The Obamas have been looking at 10 Gracie Square on the Upper East Side, situated between East End Avenue and East River Drive and near the mayor’s residence Gracie Mansion, according to sources who have seen the couple arriving at the building for viewings.

Built in 1930, the white-glove, full-service, pre-war building has 15 floors and 43 apartments. Other notables who have lived there include Gloria Vanderbilt, conductor André Kostelanet­z and New Yorker critic Alexander Woollcott.

Plus, there’s a gym and an indoor basketball court, which would appeal to the fitnesslov­ing ex-president and first lady.

Most importantl­y, the building has strong security, including an undergroun­d drive-in garage, from which they could directly access their apartment without stepping outside.

A duplex apartment at 10 Gracie Square went into contract last week for $10 million, and real estate insiders are speculatin­g that could be the Obamas’ new NYC pad, although this could not be confirmed at press time.

The apartment was designed by architect Daniel Romualdez and features five bed- rooms, four baths, a library with a wood-burning fireplace, and views of the East River.

The Obamas could easily afford it, given reports that the bidding to the rights for their joint book deal had skyrockete­d to a record $60 million earlier this year. Barack now commands a reported $400,000 for a speaking engagement, while Michelle, also a Harvardtra­ined lawyer, has taken a much more outspoken role at appearance­s and in the media.

The couple purchased a nine-bedroom, 8,200square-foot Tudor-style mansion in the Washington, DC, neighborho­od of Kalorama for $8.1 million earlier this year. A spokeswoma­n for the Obama family declined to comment.

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