"Turtle Bay" seemed like the title most likely to make this a broadly-useful thread in the future; I thought of naming it after Miss Hepburn, but as far as I'm aware, being neighbors for decades only ever yielded surprisingly few anecdotes -- as most of us have probably heard, they were never exactly BFFs.
The link below was posted on the FB group, and as far as Sondheim/Hepburn-iana goes, this article includes links to several other nuggets. It also includes a nice potted history of Turtle Bay itself:
https://culturedarm.com/earthy-anecdotes-katharine-hepburn-steals-stephen-sondheims-plant/
New York magazine: Stephen Sondheim's Turtle Bay Townhouse is for Sale (https://www.curbed.com/2023/07/stephen-sondheims-turtle-bay-townhouse-is-for-sale.html)https://www.compass.com/listing/246-east-49th-street-manhattan-ny-10017/1352939100748859761
He's really gone. :'(
WSJ: Stephen Sondheim's Longtime New York Home Sells for $7 Million (https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/luxury-homes/stephen-sondheims-longtime-new-york-home-sells-for-7-million-787ba5aa?st=08a5j25ijdp7ow8&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink&fbclid=IwAR0kV3dys__PVmRWUufCHtCYWVZysRCH4j-vzgKWkkYE_b-WF7ccyEh5xQQ)
Includes yet another breathtaking real-estate-porn slideshow. And:
"[Listing agent Michael] Franco declined to name the buyer, but said the purchaser is a Sondheim fan based in New York City who plans to make the Midtown townhouse his primary residence. [...] Franco said the house sold quickly because of its notable history and because it was well-priced."
Cottages & Gardens: Sondheim's Beloved Connecticut Home Sells for Full Ask (https://www.cottagesgardens.com/legendary-composer-stephen-sondheims-beloved-connecticut-home-sells-for-full-ask/)
(Again with lots of pretty pictures).
Speaking of SJS's town-and-country neighbors, Hepburn's birthday (what would be her 117th) was this past Sunday:
NYT: In a Secret Manhattan Garden, a Birthday Party for Katharine Hepburn (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/15/style/katharine-hepburn-birthday-party.html)
Every year, a small band of New Yorkers gathers in a tucked-away Midtown park to celebrate the actress, (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/15/style/katharine-hepburn-birthday-party.html)
a beloved neighbor they remember as an everyday city dweller. (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/15/style/katharine-hepburn-birthday-party.html)
Slate: Inside the Stephen Sondheim Auction That Stunned Even the Auctioneer (https://slate.com/culture/2024/06/stephen-sondheim-auction-tonys-merrily-we-roll-along.html)
The auction house thought these thesauruses were worth $300. They underestimated the nerdiness of theater kids. (https://slate.com/culture/2024/06/stephen-sondheim-auction-tonys-merrily-we-roll-along.html)