By Juliet Linderman
Special to DNAinfo
226 W. 11th St. #3R
1 bedroom, 1 bath
$595,000
Maintenance: $922/month
WEST VILLAGE — Even on a dreary Sunday afternoon, house hunters streamed into the classic West Village townhouse at 226 W. 11th St. with wet hair and soggy umbrellas.
The third-floor unit in the back of the seven-unit co-op, selling for $595,000 was attracting plenty of attention after being on the market for just five days.
"It's on one of the sweetest blocks in all of New York,” said the broker representing the property. "And it's quintessential townhouse living; there aren’t that many townhouse co-ops, so it's a product that's very rare on the New York housing market."
Certainly, the location — prime West Village, just two blocks from Magnolia Bakery and one from the popular brunch spot Tartine — proved a draw to this one-bedroom with a working wood-burning fireplace in the living room and two bay windows looking out onto a neighboring garden.
But for those who don't want butter cream cupcakes or escargot every night, the kitchen was in desperate need an upgrade, as was the bathroom.
"The kitchen is beat," said a man from Connecticut who was looking with his wife for quest to find the perfect "middle-aged crash pad."
He added: "At this point in my life, I need something that’s ready to move into. And at my age, do I really want to walk up three flights of stairs?"
But one young couple, a man and a woman, shopping for their first apartment were enamored by the townhouse, the charming block — and most of all, the price.
"We're very picky," the man said. "We love the townhouse, and it's priced really well for the location. It’s better and cheaper than a lot of places we’ve seen."
Another couple, around the same age, loved the townhouse, but was put off by the strict coop rules: no dogs, no smoking, and no subletting.
"This place is so cute, it's got such classic West Village character," the male half of the couple said. "And it’s a great price for the apartment. There aren’t a lot of other one-bedrooms in this price range. But ultimately, we want to be able to react to the job market; we need to be able to sublet."
