From sleek apartment blocks to historic brownstones, the world's top cities aren't short of amazing residential properties that stand out from the skyline. But scratch beneath the surface of Paris, London, New York City and more, and you'll find a host of secret homes hiding in plain sight. Step inside the secret city pads you never knew existed...

A luxury 6,8000-square-foot apartment with one of New York’s best views was never going to be cheap but we’re tempted to say that this jaw-dropping home might just be worth it’s $15 million price tag.

This is the Dumbo Clocktower at 1 Main Street, the second most expensive sold condo in Brooklyn’s history. The incredible space has four clock faces for windows, ceilings that reach up to 50 feet and its own bespoke glass elevator.

Seriously, have you ever seen a cooler living room than this? With views of lower Manhattan, you can see from Manhattan Bridge to the Statue of Liberty, even when you're sitting in the tub. There's also a sky roof cabana and open decked outdoor space to relax in the warmer months.

Living space is no problem for the lucky owner of this huge triplex. There are three bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, a massive living and dining space and expansive designer kitchen fitted with the very best appliances. Architectural details like the wraparound staircase and white oak flooring give the space a unique style.

Rome is a city that wears its history on its sleeve, but the sumptuous Palazzo Pamphilj on the Piazza Navona hides a secret. Inside the historic building, which was built by Italian architect Girolamo Rainaldi for Pope Innocent X in the 1600s, there's an opulent apartment available to rent: the Holy Deer San Lorenzo City Lodge.

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The grand property spreads over 3,767 square feet and is filled with intricate details, from Baroque frescoes to gilded stuccos. The floor plan of the sumptuous space unfolds in a horseshoe and includes a library, a spacious dining room, and a bar-cum-lounge. Soaring ceilings and an elegant grey colour scheme throughout the space adds to the contemporary feel.

The luxury finishes continue into the kitchen, where smart cabinetry, a chandelier, and a marble table are opulent focal points. Another decadent touch is the dedicated music room, which features a striking Yamaha piano that's pre-programmed to play music for guests.

Best of all, though, are the two lavish bedrooms. The Via dell’Anima bedroom looks onto a picturesque Roman street and includes a mammoth walk-in closet. The Pope's Room is even more regal, with views over Piazza Navona and an ensuite bathroom complete with a whirlpool and golden mosaics.

A trendy property in Dalston, east London, The Gouse was built on a site that once housed a garage. Interior architect Marta Nowicka worked wonders with the tiny 484-foot plot, building a light-filled three-storey house. From the road, though, the little home is inconspicuous – in fact, passersby are likely to completely miss the unassuming brick and cedar-shingle facade.

The secretive exterior gives little hint as to the property's imaginative interior. Indoor-outdoor living was an important part of Nowicka's vision and inside, floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto lush stretches of greenery. In the hallway, large sections of glass floor open up the space even further.

An open staircase leads down to a light-filled basement area, where you'll find a dining room and kitchen laid in Herringbone oak flooring. Access to a leafy terrace continues the indoor-outdoor theme, while the basement wood burner adds cosiness to the uber-modern space.

A secret slice of nature in a thoroughly urban location, the concealed home is disguised even further by the site's surrounding greenery. The property backs onto the beautifully kept gardens of neighbouring Victorian homes, and the wood-and-brick exterior blends seamlessly into these surroundings.

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This striking 19th-century building, with its cast-iron facade and arched pediment, is located in Manhattan's Tribeca neighbourhood. The Stealth Building was thoughtfully renovated by New York City-based architecture firm WORKac in 2016. As part of the project, the innovative studio decided to add a modern penthouse. But, given the historic nature of the building, the Landmarks Commission dictated that the new apartment couldn't be visible from the street.

WORKac met this requirement by hiding the impressive penthouse behind the building's existing pediment and topping it with a sloping black roof. The 3,400-square-foot penthouse has three airy storeys, with a spacious open-plan kitchen, dining and living area on the second floor. A reception room looks out onto the deck and over New York City's forest of skyscrapers.

Modern open staircases connect the three floors and crisp white-washed walls add to the apartment's spacious feel. On the first floor you'll find the master bedroom, featuring a large walk-in closet. The third floor, meanwhile, was built for relaxation, with a loft bed, a herb garden and a snug reading nook.

From the terrace, homeowners are granted enviable views across Manhattan, including glimpses of the Woolworth Building and One World Trade Center, which stands head and shoulders above the rest. There's also an outdoor hot tub built into the building's old elevator bulkhead for the ultimate spa spot.

Blink and you'll miss this three-bedroom detached house, a stone's throw from the sprawling green expanse of London's Hampstead Heath. Tucked behind a solid wooden fence, the two-storey home features a subterranean level, meaning the house is almost impossible to spot from the road.

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While privacy for proprietors is an added bonus, Langtry House was actually built this way due to planning restrictions. The site was previously home to a row of garages and any replacement property was not allowed to be taller than the original structures. Despite its underground design, the house still benefits from 25-foot-high ceilings, however, the star of the show has to be the triple-height reception and dining room.

Beyond the lavish living areas, other perks include a soundproof cinema room, a home gym and a generous wine cellar. There's also a state-of-the-art kitchen packed with every amenity imaginable, while the plush master bedroom comes complete with a dressing room and an ensuite bathroom.

The outside spaces are as impressive as the interior. Each of the three bedrooms enjoys direct outdoor access, with the master bedroom leading out onto an elegant paved patio. There's also a decked terrace on the lower level, perfect for a sun lounger. The property was on the market with Aston Chase in 2015 for £4.5 million ($5.9m).

A former electricity substation, this New York building was the home and live-in studio of lauded American artist Walter de Maria, who passed away in 2013. The unique space, which retains an industrial feel, was then reportedly snapped up by billionaire businessman Peter Brant in 2014. Despite functioning as a residential property for decades, from the outside, this hidden home still looks like the substation it once was.

The building, which has five modestly-sized bedrooms, is thought to date back to the 1920s, though it wasn't until the 80s that Walter de Maria decided to make the property his home. The pared-back living areas celebrate the home's industrial past, with exposed brickwork and huge, Crittall-style windows.

The family living areas occupy only a fraction of the home. The remainder of the 16,402-square-foot space is dedicated to studio space and storage, where artist Walter de Maria created some of his finest works.

Imposing cast-iron staircases add to the industrial aesthetic, as do the 32-foot-high ceilings in some areas of the property. Tucked away in New York City's East Village, this home has an enviable location too. Upper floors grant breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline, including the iconic Empire State Building. 

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St. Pancras International railway station is one of the finest examples of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in Britain and is one of the busiest terminals in the country, with a steady stream of passengers from around the UK and Europe on the Eurostar. Redeveloped in 2007, this beautiful red brick station contains a five-star hotel, luxury shopping complex and a secret apartment hidden inside its clock tower.

The original gold ceiling and restored Victorian tiled floors form a fitting frame to the incredible180 degree views over London through the huge bay windows. The apartment has been furnished with salvaged treasures, fitting for such a special and secret place.

This two-bedroom apartment is situated in the clock tower, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and built in the 19th Century in a gothic style. Now Grade-I listed, these rooms were once used to hold meetings for the railway’s Board if Directors and are amongst the most opulent in the building

With enormous 15-foot ceilings, there’s plenty of space including a large master bedroom and ensuite bathroom, complete with a copper bath and double sink. There's also an additional sleeping area in a mezzanine space above the library. The apartment is available to rent for £7,200 ($9,488) a month.

Now a chic family loft, this Parisian property, protruding from the back of a 19th-century apartment block, was originally a fabric warehouse. When it was snapped up by couple Marie and Gilles Ballard, it was a dark, windowless space, but the creative pair saw potential nevertheless. Architecture firm Le LAD helped them realise their dream of turning the property into a modern and comfortable family home.

In the very centre of the property, architects built a 387-square-foot open courtyard, an instant solution to the property's lack of light. The rest of the rooms wrap around the central courtyard, with sunlight flooding in through floor-to-ceiling windows.

The couple wanted a natural aesthetic and this was achieved with the use of pine plywood throughout the property. In the stylish lounge area, the raw wood is complemented by mustard furnishings and a steel and leather coffee table – a nod to the property's industrial past.

Pared-back corridors wind around the central courtyard, leading through to the kitchen-dining area and two children's bedrooms. In the master bedroom, an exposed stone wall is softened by neutral layered bedding, crisp white curtains and plenty of greenery. When the mercury rises, the courtyard, dotted with rattan furniture and plants, is a lovely spot to dine alfresco.

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You'll find this white-washed Art Deco-style building along Bondi Beach's historic Campbell Parade. From the street, you'd never know that a secret penthouse apartment hides on its rooftop. Architecture firm MHN Design Union, who designed the residential rooftop property in 2010, made sure that the new addition did not alter the appearance of the existing building's historic facade.

The tasteful apartment is concealed by the original building's facade and its white-metal cladding adds to its camouflage. Outside, the decking area grants views over Bondi Beach, including sweeping vistas of the sandy shoreline. 

 

Frameless floor-to-ceiling windows mean light pours into the main living areas and the property's contemporary feel is enhanced by the angular ceilings, whose joints are fitted with LED lights. Timber floorboards and a cool white and grey scheme complete the uncluttered look.

Smart and minimalist, a large Calcutta marble island is the star of the kitchen. The secret apartment also hides three ensuite bedrooms, including a sizeable master bedroom. Altogether, it's a unique family home and a private haven in this busy slice of New South Wales.

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This covert Tokyo house was built with privacy in mind. It's the work of Satoru Hirota Architects, who designed a multi-layered exterior which encloses the residence with large concrete walls for extra seclusion. You'd never guess that this unassuming facade hides an airy two-storey family home.

Despite its secretive exterior, carefully placed windows mean the 1,478-square-foot property is light and airy. The open-plan living, dining and kitchen area is cool and contemporary with pendant lighting and a neutral scheme of grey and white, paired with warm wood textures.

The white-washed walls continue into the kitchen, introducing more light to the interior. This floor is also home to a small study and a pantry, plus there's space for private parking within the property's outer walls – a premium in this buzzing metropolis.

The dramatic double-height living space leads out onto an intimate walled terrace, while an open steel and wood staircase leads up to the second floor. This level contains three decent-sized bedrooms and a utility room.

Hidden behind a wall of silver chestnut cladding, this next architectural marvel in northwest London looks like little more than a shed from the street. The work of architect Takero Shimazaki, the elusive residence hit the market in 2018 for £1.25 million ($1.63m).

Designed as a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city, the two-storey house includes a subterranean lower ground level with arched, cathedral-like doorways. The property's sunken courtyard draws light down into the minimalist living spaces, keeping the busy road above at arm's length.

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Exposed concrete and wood offer a pared-back palette in this unique property, evoking the industrial landscape outside whilst at the same time offering residents something calmer and quieter than the city above. In the kitchen, sleek white units brighten the bare walls and simple rustic accessories warm the stripped-back space.

Vast monastic windows flood the master bedroom with light. Whilst three of the walls have been softened with plaster, the rear wall has been left in raw blocks like an oversized concrete headboard.

From the outside, this crane in Copenhagen looks similar to any other you might spot in a busy city – but its interior is far from average. A converted coal crane in Nordhavn harbour, the industrial facade hides a luxe one-bedroom property which is available to rent.

The vision of architecture firm Arcgency, the private living space is tucked away at the top of the crane in its old engine room. The 538-square-foot residence, known as the Krane Room, is completely clad in black – from its walls and floors to its leather furnishings – and is intended to evoke a feeling of calm.

The spa area boasts two vast stand-alone tubs and a sauna, while floor-to-ceiling windows look across the historic harbour and out to the water. Beyond this, there are also two terraces situated at either side of the structure which are perfectly positioned to give guests a glorious view of both the sunrise and sunset.

The Krane's final trump card is its contemporary meeting space – a glass box finished with a black boardroom-style table and enviable views of the water. Giving little away from the outside, this curious property seems like an ideal place to work, stay and play.

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It's one of the most famous landmarks in the world and an enduring symbol of Paris but the Eiffel Tower also hides a delightful secret at its very pinnacle.

French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (1832 - 1923), the designer of many notable bridges and viaducts and most famously, the Eiffel Tower, had the genius idea to build a small apartment at the top of tower to conduct his most important meetings and entertain eminent guests.

Now a hugely popular tourist attraction, the apartment has been dressed to recreate the meeting between Gustave and the prestigious US scientist and inventor, Thomas Edison. The decor is authentically Parisian and 19th century, down to the elaborate patterned wallpaper and fine wooden furniture.

Although just a tiny studio on the third floor of the tower, Monsieur Eiffel was inundated with requests from people who wished to stay a night at the most orestigious address in London. But the engineer refused and it was only ever used to entertain his closet relations and friends.

If there was ever a home you’d want to spend time in, this would surely be it. A 1920s San Francisco clock tower that’s been converted into a marvellous modern apartment. Part of a former factory, it was covered in 1992 by architect David Baker, who took great care to preserve the building’s fabulous quirks and original features, incorporating them into the fabric of the new spaces.

In the main clock room the faces, hands and gears are all on display, framed by the beautiful red brick, exposed steel girders and concrete floors that give this space such a cool industrial vibe.

The main living space is very comfortable and set up perfectly for modern life. There are two bedrooms, an open-plan living room, kitchen and eating space, all spread over 3000 square feet. There's also a cool outdoor deck for drinking in the mind-blowing San Francisco skyline views.

The apartment is set up for a good time, with a games room fitted out with a pool table and arcade games for whiling away the hours. Through the huge arched windows, the views of the city are absolutely knockout! The apartment sold for $8.5 million in 2016. 

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