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Open House Agenda: Three Apartments to See This Weekend

By Amy Zimmer | September 5, 2014 7:44am | Updated on September 5, 2014 4:35pm
 These three multi-level co-ops are anything but ordinary.
Open House Agenda: Three Apartments to See This Weekend
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MANHATTAN — For house hunters who prize apartments with character in buildings with rich history, these three new-to-market co-ops fit the bill.

Each one — a Gramercy "starter unit" in a former ice cream factory, a one-bedroom across from the Museum of Natural History and a two-bedroom Park Slope duplex loft — has multi-level layouts that are anything but cookie-cutter.

215 E. 24th St. #125, Gramercy
1 Lofted Bedroom/1 Bath
Co-op
Approximately 800 square feet, including outdoor space
$450,000
Maintenance: $1,240 per month
Open House: Sunday, Sept. 7, 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Lowdown: When you walk into the English Tudor lobby of the Penny Lane, which was designed to resemble the Liverpool street from the Beatles song, there's a door leading to this first-floor apartment, which looks like "a little house," said Elise Ehrlich, of Halstead.

"It's adorable. It's the perfect starter home," she said of the split-level unit with an outdoor patio.

The unit opens into the kitchen/dining area. To the right, some stairs lead up to the living room, where a floor-to-ceiling north-facing window overlooks the private patio. Up a few more stairs, over the kitchen, sits the lofted bedroom with 5-foot-6-inch ceilings and two closets.

A buyer would likely want to renovate the kitchen and redo the floors, which are now carpeted, Ehrlich noted.

"That's why it's priced the way it's priced," she said. "You can make it exceptional."

Penny Lane's roughly 170 units are housed in a former ice cream factory built in 1977 and converted into a full-service co-op in 1988, Ehrlich said. The rooftop, once outfitted with a tennis court, is now a planted deck with impressive views of the Chrysler and Empire State buildings.

Location: Only two blocks from the 6 train, this apartment is also a short walk to restaurants and shops of Gramercy Park, the Flatiron District and Union Square.

Why put it on your open house calendar? It's conveniently located, has private outdoor space and a relatively low price tag since it needs some work. "I priced it to sell," Ehrlich said.

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44 W. 77th St., #1B, Upper West Side, Manhattan
1 Bedroom/1 Bath
Co-op
Approximately 700 square feet
$725,000
Maintenance: $2,017 per month
Open House: Sunday, Sept. 7, 12:30-2:30 p.m.

Lowdown: This quiet one-bedroom with oak paneling, glass-paneled French doors and ample closet space is tucked into the ornate lobby of the stunning 1907 neo-Gothic landmarked "Studio Building."

The apartment is spread out over a few levels: upon entry through the foyer, there's a high-ceilinged living room with a few stairs leading to a large and long kitchen/dining area. Through there, it's a few steps up to the bedroom.

The building is famed for its large articulated windows. This unit's windows, however, face an interior courtyard so there's very little light, Rhea Stein, of Corcoran, acknowledged.

But the seller, who moved in roughly 20 years ago, turned this drawback into a feat of smart lighting design.

"There are these Shoji-like permanent screens where (artificial) light comes through and is uniform throughout," Stein explained. "They did a great job with the lighting."

The maintenance is "on the higher side" because the full-service building only has 33 units. Owners are paying assessments to bring down some debt, Stein explained. It's projected to drop after the building renegotiates its mortgage in 2016.

The co-op allows for pied-a-terres, which is rare for a "premier" historic building, Stein added.

Location: The building sits across from the Museum of Natural History, steps from the New-York Historical Society and half a block to Central Park. Shops abound nearby at Columbus Avenue.

It's a quick walk to the B and C stop at 81st Street. The 1 train at 79th Street is close, as is the 72nd Street stop for the 1/2/3.

Why put it on your open house calendar? Despite the lack of natural light, the unit is a unique gem. "The layout is unusual, the building is unusual, and the location is beyond the beyond," Stein said.


459 12th St., #3D, Park Slope, Brooklyn
2 Bedroom/2Bath
Co-op
Approximately 1,485 square feet
$1.06 million
Maintenance: $950 a month
Open House: Sunday, Sept. 7, 2-4 p.m.

Lowdown: This industrial chic loft has pre-war touches, like exposed brick walls and original pine plank floors, as well as a modern kitchen and two full bathrooms. One has a washer/dryer and the other has a "gorgeous egg-shaped tub and separate shower for a spa like feel," said Jessica Levy Buchman, of Corcoran.

The two bedrooms are housed "upstairs" in a customized mezzanine made of glass and steel, with cleverly-designed sliding wood screens that can be opened to the living room with its nearly 15-foot ceilings and huge south-facing factory loft windows.

"It's a pretty sexy apartment," Buchman said. "It's so unique, and loft stock out here is pretty slim pickings."

The layout is flexible, Buchman added. A previous owner had a third bedroom where the den is now, under the lofted area.

The self-managed walk-up co-op has a "tremendous roof deck with killer views of the city" and a very community-oriented feel with ample room for bikes and strollers in the lobby, Buchman said.

Apartments in the building "don't trade often," she said. "I think the people in there are just happy as clams."

Location: This South Slope building is on a quiet tree-lined street amid the area's Ansonia Clock loft buildings, though it's unclear whether it was part of that company, Buchman said.

It's a block from shops and restaurants along Seventh Avenue and a block from Prospect Park. The building is three blocks to the F/G train at Seventh Avenue.

Why put it on your open house calendar?  With lofts in the area selling for as high as $1,400 a square foot, this one is priced well, Buchman said. After two days on the market, she got 50 inquiries, saying, "It's a cool space."