US man built his own $200,000 home on top of a NYC skyscraper because it reflected how he wanted to live in New York
Published on Feb 20, 2026 at 8:52 AM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Feb 20, 2026 at 8:52 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Molly Davidson
He once fantasized about helicoptering a trailer onto an NYC skyscraper.
Years later, he built his own $200,000 wooden chalet on top of one instead.
It started with a tiny janitor’s apartment on a 1926 Upper West Side block.
And nearly 30 years on, he’s still living above it all.
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How a US man built his own $200,000 home on top of a New York skyscraper
In the late 1980s, architect Andrew Tesoro had what he calls a fantasy.
He’d toured a $19,999 mobile home and thought about buying one, then airlifting it onto a Manhattan roof.
The appeal wasn’t the trailer itself, it was the light, the outside space, the idea of carving out something airy in a city that feels permanently stacked on itself.
Eventually, he found a roof he could work with.
The building, constructed in 1926, had a small janitor’s apartment sitting on top.
Tesoro bought it for more than $150,000 at a time when comparable studios were selling for $50,000 or $60,000.
It stretched his budget, but he’d already confirmed the crucial detail: the property still had development rights.
That meant he could legally build upward.
The original skylight became the opening for a stair.
Walls came down.
A large window facing the park went in.
Over time, the roof transformed into a multi-level wooden chalet with bedrooms, open living space, and a top room with windows in all four directions.
He chose a copper roof – expensive, but designed to last a century – because it felt right for New York.
It’s not polished.
The main stair is still technically a temporary construction stair because he ran out of money.
For years he barbecued outside instead of installing a proper kitchen, and one faucet was pieced together from a Home Depot run and duct tape.
But Tesoro doesn’t seem bothered.
He says homes shouldn’t be too perfect.
After all, people aren’t.
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Building on a NYC skyscraper is complicated… but possible
According to Tesoro, someone could still pull this off today.
The catch is zoning.
New York City’s zoning resolution reads like, in his words, a kind of ‘bible,’ and not an easy one.
It’s dense, technical, and often confusing.
Still, if development rights remain and you’re willing to work within the parameters, there’s room for creativity.
His design thinking draws heavily from the Pantheon in Rome, particularly the way light moves through its oculus.
He talks less about technical precision and more about space – how light shifts during the day, how rooms connect, how openness can matter more than strict privacy in smaller footprints.
Even the building’s water tower, which supplies the entire block, is left exposed because he sees it as sculptural, part of the city’s character.
He’s lived there for 28 years, raising a son and building a life above the 10th floor.
He says he built it because he wanted to build his own house.
The value of the property isn’t the point.
The fact that he made it happen is.
No helicopter required.
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With roles at TEXT Journal, Bowen Street Press, Onya Magazine, and Swine Magazine on her CV, Molly joined Supercar Blondie in June 2025 as a Junior Content Writer. Having experience across copyediting, proofreading, reference checking, and production, she brings accuracy, clarity, and audience focus to her stories spanning automotive, tech, and lifestyle news.
