The second apartment gave the couple access to a 50-foot long open-plan living and dining area, pictured. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment is approximately 2,600 square feet. The couple have been married 25 years, and they frequently entertain and host family for holiday celebrations, Ms. Yoswein says.

The living room is pictured. Ms. Yoswein, 56 years old, started her own government relations and lobbying firm based in Manhattan 18 years ago. The company is a family firm, with her stepson serving as vice-president and Mr. Van Bramer, 73, working as a consultant a few days a week.

A painting by Gerrit Van W. Sinclair of the New York harbor is one of many artworks in the apartment that pays tribute to the city and its skyline. The couple were living in Park Slope and had no intention of buying an apartment, but after visiting the area for a birthday party and seeing the view from this apartment, they were sold, says Mr. Van Bramer.

 

In order to purchase the first apartment, the couple had to sell their extensive collection of Brooklyn memorabilia, they say. Here, the view from the living room of lower Manhattan. 'We sold everything we owned except for some dishes and some books and some clothes' says Mr. Van Bramer 'It was worth it, just a fabulous place to live.'

A sitting area next to the master bedroom is pictured. The apartment has tilt-and-turn windows. 'You don't just have a view, you live in a view,' Mr. Van Bramer says. Ms. Yoswein says her 85-year-old mother enjoys sitting and watching the outdoor activity, from helicopters flying past to ferries and sail boats on the water. The view has lead to a 'greater appreciation for the environment,' says Ms. Yoswein, 'for the colors of the sky, the water.'

In combining the two apartments, the couple moved their master bedroom to where their former kitchen stood, moved their kitchen cabinets to a utility room with a washer dryer, and kept the kitchen from the second apartment, updating it with new appliances and cabinets. 'The hardest part was living through the construction,' says Ms. Yoswein. 'After four months, I was crazy living under drop cloths,' she says. 'I wouldn't recommend it, but we got through it fine.'

Adding a washer and dryer and central air conditioning was part of the renovation of the apartment, which cost approximately $350,000. 'We knew if we were going to sell, the luxury of a washer, dryer and air conditioning were really important,' Ms. Yoswein says.

Here, the master bedroom, which has an ensuite bathroom and walk-in closet. Mr Van Bramer describes the home's style as 'art deco' with some chandeliers from the time the building was constructed, in the 1920s. The couple are open to offers by prospective buyers on furniture and furnishings in the home.

To purchase the second home, the couple sold a log cabin they owned in the Adirondacks. They've since purchased a new second home in Hampton Bays. 'The real estate goddess has been very good to us,' says Ms. Yoswein. Throughout the home are tributes to the Adirondack home, such as a painting of two bears overlooking a river and a mounted perch fish, made by Mr. Van Bramer for Ms. Yoswein after she caught it while ice fishing. 'She fishes everywhere she goes,' says Mr. Van Bramer.

Ramona, the couple's dog, sits on the bed in the master bedroom. Mr. Van Bramer says the view covers 'several hundred square miles of urban scape.' From the apartment, one can see Ellis Island, Governor's Island, downtown Manhattan, New Jersey, the South Street Seaport and to the east, Jamaica Bay, the Rockaways, Coney Island and Staten Island. 'You live in this view of everything of New York City,' says Mr. Van Bramer.

Here, the master bathroom. Mr. Van Bramer says he will miss 'looking out to the Statue of Liberty when the sun comes up' while in the shower, and spotting birds flying around the building.

Another bathroom in the home is pictured. 'It's almost a luxury living here,' says Ms. Yoswein. 'It's so beyond what we imagined where we would live. It's hard to sell, but it's also exciting that there are other chapters in our lives.' The couple hope to stay in Brooklyn Heights but are looking for a smaller space.

An antique doorknob from a public school is pictured. The apartment was previously listed with Sotheby's for $3.6 million before being reduced to just under $3 million. It was listed with Gail Morin and Sandra Cordoba of the Corcoran Group in March for $2.85 million.