9. 677 Fifth Avenue
677 Fifth Avenue was a spacious townhouse on Vanderbilt Row, occupied by Cornelius Vanderbilt III and his wife Grace Vanderbilt. Little is known about the 1904 mansion’s history, but supposedly Cornelius and Grace moved there after spending some time at the Goelet Mansion at 608 Fifth Avenue, which belonged to Grace’s elder sister Mrs. Ogden Goelet.
Upon his father’s death, Cornelius was left with the small sum of $1.5 million, as compared with over $42 million given to his brother Albert. The family strongly disapproved of Grace, which led Cornelius into financial exile. Nonetheless, Cornelius and Grace settled at 677 Fifth Avenue for just a few years before inheriting 640 Fifth Avenue and quickly putting 677 on the market. The mansion was subsequently demolished, and in its place is a Microsoft Store.