

After popping on the real estate scene in late January with a $475,000 ask, the NOLA Art House, an 1870s Tremé house-turned-art collective, is officially off the market with a $395,000 sale price. The 5,943-square-foot Esplanade Avenue dwelling, split up into 17 private rooms with two kitchens and five bathrooms, was known for its backyard playland with a tree house 50-feet in the air, a man-made pond, rope swings, and a collection of fast-food playground equipment. While the residents "are not being evicted as of now" it's looking like an end of era as far as the bonkers backyard is concerned. A post on the NOLA Art House's facebook page from Saturday (June 14) read, "The Tree House is being dismantled this week. The rope bridge was taken down this morning. This was the decision by the new ownership..." A couple tipsters named the owner of the Claiborne Express Conoco gas station, whose business backs up to the property, as the buyer but that hasn't been confirmed (yet).



From the NOLA Art House facebook page:

"Ok, Here's the story about the fate of The NOLA Art House.

After about 10 years of providing a platform for collaboration between artists, 1614 Esplanade Avenue has officially changed hands today. Although we are not being evicted as of now, many residents, including most of the people who maintain the Tree House, are choosing to moving out. Whether of not the house will remain an art collective is uncertain but new management is now in place.

The Tree House is being dismantled this week. The rope bridge was taken down this morning. This was the decision by the new ownership

But there is hope! The NOLA Art House has been the home of over 100 artists of all mediums throughout the years, and nobody who ever spent time in the branches of that tree house was left uninspired by the audacity of it. The friendships we've formed and the connections we've made will hopefully stay with us the rest of our lives, and onto the next big project. In the foreseeable future, we are going to continue working over at the Red House [on St. Claude Avenue], trying to make it a vibrant community where artists can feel free contribute. In addition to that, Our goals are to eventually own and manage our own intentional art community."

· NOLA Art House archives [Curbed NOLA]

· The NOLA Art House [Facebook]