Rosie O'Donnell's New Digs at Times Square

Rosie O'Donnell closed on a new 2 bedroom condo at The Platinum.

By: Ann Mathisen

Rosie O'Donnell, no stranger to real estate in Manhattan, she recently closed on a new pied-a-terre at The Platinum at 246 West 46 Street, near Times Square. Rosie must be tired of commuting from the idyllic Hudson town she planted her family in a few years ago. She's a Long Island girl, born and bred, and you know what they say, "you can take the girl away from the salt water, but you can't take the salt water away from the girl." Or something like that. Now, she'll be closer to the island for a quick day-trip to Jones Beach or her ancestral town of Commack.

The purchase price was reported as $1.97 milllion - considering Rosie's level of celebrity, it seems pretty reasonable. She hasn't lost those roots that urge one "'not to live above your means." After all, she has several college tuitions to pay for. If any of her kids choose to follow her in the family business nd want to study at NYU's Tisch School, her financial prudence in securing the developers model, was a sharp move. Tisch's latest tuition on an annual basis runs $57,000 a year or so, excluding Starbucks, subways, and sing-a-longs on Bleecker Street. Good for Rosie! Her kids will be able to crash at the apartment in a few years.

And wait until they see what their new home boasts! The Platinum's lobby features a floating island, surrounded by a moat. Not quite what they're used to with the Hudson River as their backyard, because a 26 foot fireplace and enormous plasma screens also share the space. One can only imagine that this looks like a space-age Camelot, set in the 22nd century. The building boasts tons of luxurious amenities for "power" people. My favorites include a social sauna (is there any other kind), a billiards room to host casual gatherings, and most fantastic of all, "The Recovery Zone." No joke - this isn't an in-house "rehab" but a quiet retreat with calming audio, video and relaxing chairs. The Platinum seems to be following the trend of "lifestyle" condominiums. That, the streets of Manhattan may be too gritty for those that make it their home. The real players don't even need to step foot on them, just lower the drawbridge of wealth and stealth!