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Open House Agenda: 3 Apartments to See This Weekend

By Donna M. Airoldi | September 18, 2014 8:37pm | Updated on September 19, 2014 5:31pm
 These Manhattan co-ops have massive walk-in closets that are practically big enough to be separate rooms.
Apartments With Massive Walk-in Closets
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MANHATTAN — Ample closets in New York apartments almost always come at a premium since space, in general, is so limited. This week, Open House Insider found three units with built-out walk-in closets so sizable they’re gasp-worthy and practically could be counted as separate rooms. One is even windowed.

33 Riverside Dr., Apt. 14E, Upper West Side
1 Bedroom/1 Bath
Co-op
Approximately 875 square feet
$900,000
Maintenance: $1,839 per month
Open House: Sunday, Sept. 21, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Lowdown: The walk-in closet in this Upper West Side space elicits “wows” from prospective buyers, said Mark Chin, of Town Residential.

“It has double racks and shelving, is maybe 8-feet long, and you can walk all the way to the back of it,” he said. “It’s fantastic."

The sellers moved in less than 10 years ago and added built-ins that run the length of the apartment and conceal the radiators, Chin added. They also refinished the floors, painted and plastered a bit, but everything was “already in good condition.”

As a corner one-bedroom in a pre-war building, “the layout is slightly larger and more rare,” Chin said, noting that multi-bedroom apartments are the ones usually reserved for the corners.

This unit also is on a high floor, is “super bright,” and has unobstructed north and east views, which include a “slice of the river.”

For history buffs, the 24-hour doorman building was once home to George and Ira Gershwin, who owned adjoining penthouses.

Location: The building is at 75th Street, across from Riverside Park and with classic pre-war co-ops lining the drive. Vegan fast-food restaurant Blossom Du Jour opened its newest location on Amsterdam Avenue between West 81st and 82nd streets in early September. The 1, 2 and 3 trains are at 72nd Street and Broadway.

Why put it on your open house calendar? “It’s a pre-war building with a view, which is hard to get,” Chin said. And with its overall large size for a one-bedroom and the walk-in closet, “it’s gracious living — you have plenty of space without [your possessions] spilling out of every last corner.”

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363 E. 76th St., Apt. 5LK, Upper East Side
2 Bedrooms/2 Baths
Co-op
Approximately 1,350 square feet
$1.395 million
Maintenance: $2,394 per month
Open House: Sunday, Sept. 21, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Lowdown: This two-bedroom apartment in Sherman Towers was originally a one-bedroom and studio that the sellers bought and combined, said Stacey Froelich, of Urban Compass.

“They took the foyer and kitchen from the studio apartment and made it a beautiful walk-in closet,” Froelich said, adding that it’s carpeted, includes his-and-her sides, a wall just for shoes, as well as a full-length mirror — and women “gasp” when they see it.

The sellers initially lived in the “junior four” one-bedroom and converted the unit’s alcove into a nursery. Three years ago they purchased the adjacent studio and commenced the renovations two years ago. There is bamboo flooring, custom cabinetry in the kitchen and custom lighting throughout, Froelich noted.

The “only negative” is that there are no views as the unit faces the back, but it’s very quiet, and the sellers installed plantation shutters, so it’s also “very pretty.”

The 24-hour doorman building includes a roof deck, and Sherman Towers is “about to convert the white brick to red brick,” said Froelich, who lives in the building. “There will not be an assessment [for that].”

Location: The apartment is between First and Second avenues. Several new restaurants are opening in the area, including a Boqueria at 1460 Second Ave., which will be next door to the Meatball Shop. “So now we’re hip,” Froelich said.

The nearest subway is the 6 train at 77th Street and Lexington Avenue.

Why put it your open house calendar? “The quality of the renovations is very high-end, and you’re getting a lot more space than with a typical two bedroom because of the combination,” Froelich said.

419 E. 57th St., Apt. 10C, Midtown East
3 Bedrooms/2 Baths
Co-op
Approximately 1,450 square feet
$1.975 million
Maintenance: $3,384 per month
Open House: Sunday, Sept. 21, 12:30-2 p.m.

Lowdown: Photographers generally do not shoot closets in apartments, but in this case, the broker insisted because the space “is so beautiful,” said Doug Eichman, of CORE.

The sellers, who purchased the apartment about five years ago, commissioned an architect who worked for Robert A.M. Stern's renowned firm "for many years” to renovate the space “from front to back,” Eichman said. “He reconfigured it and created the [windowed] closet and dressing area. It was a very clever and intelligent redefining of the space.”

In addition, there are three closets off the entrance and foyer, one of which is a cedar closet. All the cabinets are maple, custom-made by a craftsman brought in from Michigan. The bathrooms are marble with heated floors. The architect converted the third bedroom into an office space with pocket doors and his and hers desks.

There’s “beautiful workmanship” throughout the apartment, they found and created storage “everywhere you could,” and all the walls have been “beautifully glazed.” The unit faces south, and the building across the street is historic, so the view is protected, Eichman noted.

George and Edward Blum designed the full-service building, built in 1927. It has a “magnificent” newly replanted roof deck with views to the Chrysler and Empire State buildings, said Eichman, who lives in the building.

Location: This block between First Avenue and Sutton Place South “is considered one of the prettiest blocks in New York City,” said Eichman. There’s a small park at the river, and there’s a Whole Foods between Second and Third avenues, “which has changed the energy in the neighborhood.”

The nearest trains — 4, 5, 6, N, Q and R — are at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue. There are also crosstown and select bus services on 57th Street.

Why put it on your open house calendar? Aside from the “tremendous closet space,” the “flexible” layout “flows beautifully," Eichman said.