The house of William B Astor at 580 Bellevue Avenue was built in 1856. Beechwood was the family's "summer cottage" during the golden age of American tycoons.

In 2010, Beechwood was sold to a private party (reportedly Larry Ellison of the Oracle software company) and is now private property not open to visitors.

William B Astor, son of John Jacob Astor, took over his father's real estate and tea businesses, and took advantage of the burgeoning city of New York, growing along with it.

When he died in 1875, his holdings included more than a thousand properties in New York estimated to be worth at least $100 million (equal to about $13 billion today).

Keep out! This means you.

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