Rachel Maddow Buys Michael Stipe's Apartment

New York City real estate circles, still eager for any sign of good news, buzzed this week with word that MSNBC host Rachel Maddow and her partner Susan Mikula have purchased a West Village apartment from R.E.M. front man Michael Stipe for $1.25 million.

According to Curbed, "MSNBC host Rachel Maddow once described her New York apartment, which she moved into in 2004, as "the size of a van" at about 275 square feet. But Maddow's star has risen, and now she and partner Susan Mikula have invested in an apartment that could fit at least a few vans--two combined units at 130 Jane Street, which they purchased at the end of June. The seller is none other than R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe. A tipster points us to the deal, which closed for $1.25 million, less than Stipe's $1.325 million listing price."

The real estate listing, which has since been removed, said that the loft apartment is approximately 1,325 square feet, with direct Hudson River views. The building, which served as a paper warehouse in 1898, turned into a co-op in 1976.