“The $100,000-a-month number is almost normal now,” one broker said.
Page F2From§Eachthe supper edition — 1 September 2026
Met admits mistake on Galliano as luxury rentals hit $100K with tax on pieds-à-terre
The Met’s leadership admits a mistake to its donors over a designer controversy—John Galliano—and the luxury rental market in Manhattan sets new records, with prices reaching $100,000 per month. Meanwhile, a tax on pieds-à-terre is in play. The numbers are not surprising: the Met’s apology is aimed at donors whose wealth is measured in monthly rent payments, not annual salaries. The luxury market is insulated from broader economic pressures; the $100K rent sits beside the museum’s fundraising model, where donors expect both access and influence. The apology is transactional, as is the rental price. The pied-à-terre tax is a revenue measure, but it’s also a filter—only the highest earners need apply. The gap is precise: the apology comes with a handshake, the apartment comes with a lease, and the tax is just another line item. The rest of the column runs the numbers on Manhattan's luxury market, the Met’s fundraising roster, and the scale of the pied-à-terre tax. Hon, the ledger is clear—apologies cost nothing if you pay the rent.
“They say sorry to donors about a designer, then turn around and list apartments for $100,000 a month. The only mistake here is thinking you ever get invited to the party if you don't pay. The rent is a hundred grand, but the apology's free—if you know the right people.”
“The Met is simply responding to its stakeholders—major donors deserve transparency, and the luxury market reflects Manhattan's demand. The tax is about fairness, not exclusion. Did I say fairness? I meant revenue. The apology is sincere, but the rent is just reality.”
The receipts
“There was a conversation that the process did not work and they made the wrong decision,’’ a source told The Post.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.