thumb image

2405 E. Lake of the Isles Pkwy., Minneapolis

Asking Price: $2.395 million
Selling Price: $2.3 million

The Victorian at 2405 East Lake of the Isles Parkway has been a charmer since day one. Since 1887, that is, when it was one of the first houses built on Minneapolis’s Lake of the Isles. The urban oasis even lured Josh Hartnett, who purchased the property in 2002.

The home’s history and locale made for a combination the acclaimed actor and Minnesota native couldn’t resist. “Everything is right outside your door, yet it’s somehow isolated,” he muses. “It’s fantastic and unusual.” He took full advantage of the prime real estate, often taking to the biking paths literally just outside the front door.

Though the star’s affection for the manse remains strong, his busy schedule affords him little time to enjoy all it has to offer. “It’s such a big, grand, beautiful house,” he says. “It needs people living in it and taking care of it.” And that’s exactly what it got.

Hartnett entrusted Smith + Roffers of Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty to sell the 5,056-square-foot property. The four-bedroom, four-bathroom residence boasts a gym, wine cellar, billiards room, four-car garage and plenty of character, like original woodwork. And that’s to say nothing of the incredible lake views.

In recent times, the mansion has undergone a number of updates, adding modern touches that honor its history. It inspired the 1986 book Dreaming in the Dust, in which Katherine Chrisman detailed her painstaking renovation of the property. In 2001, it was an American Society of Interior Designers showcase home. Hartnett also commissioned a number of upgrades, including the installation of a gourmet kitchen — his favorite space and the spot where everyone seems to congregate, he says. (As for his culinary chops, the star divulges, “I like to cook — but I’m a terrible cook. It’s fun.”)

The actor is far from abandoning his Minnesota roots. Quite the contrary: He’s on the hunt for a smaller Twin Cities residence. Chances are wherever he ends up hanging his hat, he’ll still be able to partake in his beloved pastime, cycling around the City of Lakes. As for 2405 East Lake of the Isles Parkway, the home has found its new keepers.

Read the article as it appears in the magazine.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This