Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, the former LSU gymnast turned social media sensation, recently revealed that she and her boyfriend, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, came heartbreakingly close to buying Babe Ruth‘s historic Upper West Side home-only to be rejected at the last minute.
The couple had zeroed in on a landmark three-bedroom, 2.5-bath coop at 345 W. 88th Street in Manhattan.
Built in 1915, the residence not only features high ceilings, oak flooring, a chic open kitchen with a breakfast bar, and abundant storage, but also bears a plaque commemorating the Sultan of Swat‘s decades-long residency.
Listed at $1.59 million in March, the apartment was set to become Dunne‘s first real estate purchase.
Dunne and Skenes were preparing to close the deal in all cash. The pair even engaged an interior designer, with Olivia joking: “I didn’t want to bring my college furniture into Babe Ruth’s apartment-that would be criminal.”
As the handover date approached, the couple expected only one final procedural hoop from the coop board. Instead, they hit a wall.
Unexpected rejection
Just days before they were due to receive the keys, Dunne received the unexpected call: “The coop board denied me,” she said.
The decision puzzled Dunne, who emphasized that finances were not the issue, her bid was full cash, and that she had “no clue” why the application was rejected.
“Honestly, it wasn’t financial,” she said. “They could have been Alabama fans and I went to LSU,” she quipped, jokingly speculating over the board’s motives.
She also raised the possibility that “they didn’t want a public figure living there.”
Despite the shame of losing the historic property, Dunne remains gracious. “So pretty much the people in the building voted to not have me live there, which is fine” she said, laughing in disbelief.
“I’m just disappointed that’s all,” she added later.
That sense of humor seems to be how she plans to move forward after the snub.
More than a home: the legacy of the space the board turned down
The apartment isn’t just any New York City address; it’s a significant piece of baseball history.
From 1920 to 1940, Babe Ruth made this co-op his home, residing there with his second wife, Claire Merritt Ruth, and adopted daughter Julie Ruth Stevens.
According to family lore, the space held special memories: “My fondest memories [of the apartment] are of me and Father listening to ‘The Green Hornet’ on the radio and looking out to Riverside Park,” Julie recalled in 2015.
She added that Ruth often hosted teammates, offering them comfort and camaraderie when they were far from home.
It was more than a place to live-it was a hub for one of baseball’s most storied eras. That legacy no doubt fueled Dunne and Skenes‘s excitement and made the rejection sting all the more.
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