This tiny New York apartment was Barack Obama’s student house – take the tour
The Obama apartment, on Morningside Heights, is where the former president lived in the 1980s as an undergrad at Columbia University


Barack Obama's former student apartment in New York is up for sale for $1.45 million. And, while we say 'tiny', we mean that it's not quite as grand – by some margin – as Barack and Michelle Obama's house on Martha's Vineyard. In fact, for a student's home, it is of a decent size – plus it is only a stone's throw from where the former president was studying at the time.
Only a few decades before Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States, the former POTUS was a political science major at Columbia University in New York City. A degree which certainly paid off for the former president turned author.
And just like many other students at the Ivy League University, he found himself living with friends in a rental apartment in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan.
The images seen here have been 'virtually staged' to show what the apartment might look like when furnished by the new owners. Take a tour below.
The tiny apartment is a short five-minute walk from campus, situated on a quiet residential block.
'Meticulously renovated, this three-bedroom property is move-in ready', according to the listing agent.
The unit is one of 39 in a co-op apartment that used to rent out to university students; it’s unclear when the building was converted into condos, and what amenities were offered to students at the time.
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However, presently, the unit includes a laundry machine and dryer (a must-have for any college student), and the building has a live-in superintendent, elevator and a rather opulent lobby.
What's more, this hugely desired south-facing home – which sits along tree-lined stretch of Morningside Heights – features high-ceilings, large windows, and enjoys an abundance of natural light – a rarity in Manhattan.
The living room centers the apartment, surrounded by the main suite and two additional bedrooms, as well as an eat-in kitchen.
According to the New York Post, the building has been home to other famous residents as well: A plaque outside the landmarked six-story building reads that famous filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille lived there between 1906 and 1913.
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The listing is held by agent Scott Harris of the brokerage Brown Harris Stevens.
Read Barack Obama's latest autobiography...
Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens. Having worked in the interiors industry for several years in both the US and UK, spanning many publications, she now hones her digital prowess on the 'best interiors website' in the world. Multi-skilled, Jennifer has worked in PR and marketing and occasionally dabbles in the social media, commercial, and the e-commerce space. Over the years, she has written about every area of the home, from compiling houses designed by some of the best interior designers in the world to sourcing celebrity homes, reviewing appliances, and even writing a few news stories or two.
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