Legendary singer and actress Bette Midler lists massive NYC penthouse for $72m

Celebrity or not, there comes a time where the kids fly the coop and downsizing is on the cards. And, that is the case for entertainer Bette Midler, who has listed her seriously spectacular three-level New York penthouse overlooking Central Park.

Midler had shared the home with husband Martin von Haselberg — they have been married since 1984 — and their daughter, but she recently told the New York Times that like many empty-nesters they were looking for something smaller.

The pad has been home for more than 20 years and Midler and von Haselberg plan to remain in the Big Apple.

Brown Harris Stevens has the listing, and the sky-high spread will set buyers back $US50 million ($72 million), which gets you 650 square metres of living space and an extra 278 square metres of outdoor area at the top of the 1125 Fifth Avenue building, constructed in the mid-1920s.

It comprises what was two apartments from  the 15th to 17th floor, remodelled by Frederick Fisher and Partners into a loft-like luxury penthouse. The bottom level has the bedrooms, the middle has the kitchen, dining and living rooms, and the top the library and record room, and terrace.

With six bedrooms and six bathrooms, the home has expansive views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline.

Midler has had a long showbiz career encompassing singing, songwriting, acting and producing. Her hit songs have included Do You Wanna Dance, From a Distance and The Rose , which appeared on the soundtrack of the 1979 movie of the same name,  which scored her a Oscar nomination for best actress for her debut role.

She has appeared in a slew of other films, including Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People, Hocus Pocus, The First Wives Club, and Beaches, which also featured her smash hit song Wind Beneath my Wings.

Midler has returned to Broadway in the past decade, appearing most recently in a revival of Hello, Dolly!