A house inspired by Superman's Fortress of Solitude

In 1998, a cosmetics executive paid $625,000 for a 1960s house on more than an acre of land in Harrison, N.Y., a small, verdant town some 25 miles north of Manhattan. Coming as close to a teardown as possible without actually tearing it down, she spent seven years renovating the place so it would fit the only type of home she had had ever known—a high-rise apartment—giving the quiet suburban property the "feel of a high-end Manhattan loft in the middle of Central Park," the owners explain by email.

The spiky, geometric exterior (actually "the original home's cedar siding covered with a malleable material that could be molded to create sharp angles," according to a 2011 Wall Street Journal piece) and confident use of glass were also inspired by Superman's Fortress of Solitude from the comic series she read as a kid.

Inside the 4,247-square-foot contemporary are three bedrooms (including a bi-level master suite with a home office), Volga blue granite floors, remote-controlled skylights, and a Snaidero kitchen with a wood-burning pizza oven. Outside, there's an 1,800-square-foot deck (with ramps for accessibility), a sculptural waterfall, and "plenty of space for a swimming pool and tennis court," according to the listing. Though it's been on and off the market for a few years, the Fortress of Solitude is currently awaiting for a superhero to pay $1.575 million. | By Sarah Firshein, Curbed

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