Jenna Gavigan

SS: How long have you been at London Terrace?
JG: I moved in in late Spring 2004. After a year or so I moved to LA for a job, so we sublet the apartment out for a few years, then I moved back for good in 2011. My now husband and I have lived together here since 2013. (If you can happily live with someone in 400 square feet you should probably marry them.)

SS: What moved you to Los Angeles?
JG: I’m an actress. (My time in the Bernadette Peters Broadway revival of Gypsy is how I bought the apartment!) A show called Commander-in-Chief moved me out to LA. The show only lasted a season but I kept working—mostly on television crime procedural!—so I stayed for almost six years. I moved back to New York because it’s my home; I was born and raised here and my family is here. But also because I missed the theater and I wanted to get back on stage. And, I wanted to finish my degree at Columbia, which I started right as I was moving into the building. (The commute from 23rd to 116th is surprisingly easy!)

SS: What are some of the things that you love about London Terrace?
JG: Well first of all, let’s talk about the pool. Just the fact that there’s a pool should be enough to attract any buyer, but on top of actually existing, the pool is spectacular, historic and well-kept, just like the rest of the building. My other favorite building “extra” is the roof deck. We go up there many nights over the summer for wine and cheese; it’s such a civilized way to spend an evening. The doormen are all kind and friendly. I moved into the building when I was 18, so having a doorman was something my parents insisted upon, but now that I’m older I’m still thankful to have a doorman. I feel safe, my deliveries are safe, and it’s also really nice to walk in the door and have someone to say hello to. The building is spotless at all times. That’s a testament to the fabulous staff who really care about the building and its tenants. And I have a view of the Empire State Building! What more can a gal ask for? (Well, a few hundred more square feet would be great, but that’s on me.)

SS: Speaking of jobs, what are you up to now?
JG: Well, I’m still a working actress. But the biggest career highlight of this year was actually a literary one! I made my authorial debut in October with my middle-grade novel Lulu the Broadway Mouse. It’s about a mouse who lives at the Schubert Theater and wants nothing more than to perform on Broadway. (It’s aimed at 8-12 year-olds, but adults—especially adult thespians—are really loving it!)