Luxury Chronicler Buys 'Responsibly High-End' West 98th Street Pad

Envying the over-wealthy is a terrible thing. Despite the pleasure of writing a Manhattan real estate column, every time I report on another $25 million real estate deal, or a type of marble in a master bathroom that I can’t really pronounce, or an en suite dressing room that is literally bigger than the entire sixth-floor walk-up apartment that I share with a roommate, something inside of me dies.

So Morgan Hertzan, an ex-MTV executive who launched LX.TV, an online television luxury lifestyle brand that makes short, fawning videos about the well-to-do city lifestyle—especially the real estate part—must have innards of steel to resist the dejection and existential malaise you’d think anyone who produces videos on $16.995 million Southampton villas and L.A. wine-tasting parties would suffer.

According to city records, Mr. Hertzan and his wife, Beth, just spent $1.72 million on a condo at 240 West 98th Street, a slightly above-average apartment for Manhattan, but a modest spread by LX.TV’s standards. Not that Mr. Hertzan particularly cares. “I think this apartment is responsibly high-end and comfortably luxurious,” he said, “not ostentatious or ridiculous large.”

In fact, his apartment’s floor plan lists two bedrooms, a nicely sized living and dining room, a 17.5-foot-long kitchen and even a petite “servant’s room.” Still, it doesn’t compare to the $40 million, 113-year-old townhouse and the $18 million condo across from Le Cirque that were recently featured on his show for NBC’s local station, Open House NY. “I do not watch the show and get depressed, although I hear that sometimes,” he said. “I think I look at some of those places like, ‘Gosh, I’d love to have it.’ But I think I wouldn’t want to mow the lawn and change all the light bulbs,” he said.

Earlier this year, a month before he signed a contract on the West 98th Street place, LX.TV was sold to NBC, which reportedly paid Mr. Hertzan and his partners around $10 million. “I’m perfectly happy with my life and the way it is,” he said.

mabelson@observer.com