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Open House Agenda: 3 Apartments to See This Weekend

By Donna M. Airoldi | October 23, 2014 7:38pm | Updated on October 24, 2014 5:01pm
 Affordable three-bedroom, two-bath apartments for less than $900,000.
3 Bedroom, 2 Bath Apartments for Under $1 Million
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NEW YORK CITY — Finding an apartment with multiple bedrooms and baths on a budget can seem like an impossible order in New York, especially when one-bedrooms and even some studios are now at the $1 million mark. Do you give up? You don’t have to. We found multiple three-bedroom/two-bath apartments on the market that look great and are in increasingly desirable neighborhoods — with prices starting at $389,000. Here are three with open houses to check out this weekend.

1494 Ocean Ave., Apt. 4H, Midwood
3 Bedrooms/2 Baths
Condo
Approximately 900 square feet
$389,000
Common Charges: $564 per month
Real Estate Taxes: $360 per month (abatement expires in 2015)
Open House: Sunday, Oct. 26, 2-3:30 p.m.

Lowdown: Developers purchased this pre-war Midwood rental building with 44 units about three years ago and converted it to condos. As tenants move out, they’re renovating the spaces and putting them on the market, said Andrew Booth of Corcoran Group.

Price is the obvious main draw for this three-bedroom walk-up, but it’s also “a corner unit and gets the most amazing light,” Booth noted. It has three exposures: east, west and south.

After entering through a long hallway, the space opens into a kitchen/dining/living area. One of the bathrooms is a “Jack and Jill” — a bathroom with direct access from two bedrooms. The two-door mirrored closet “is huge.” Though its three bedrooms are of average to good size, for those looking for a larger living space, the walls to the bedroom off the living room could be removed.

The building has laundry and a full-time super, and common charges include heat. The new owners restored the lobby and kept all of the original marble and integrity of the building, Booth said.

Location: Situated on Ocean Avenue at Avenue J, the apartment “is in a great neighborhood. People are surprised when they come out here,” Booth noted.

Avenue J is a retail hub and includes “great kosher candy shops and restaurants” as well as the famous Di Fara Pizza. A few blocks farther toward Coney Island Avenue is a 16 Handles frozen yogurt shop. Pomegranate, an upscale kosher grocery store a la Whole Foods, is at Coney Island Avenue and Avenue L. The Q train is four blocks from the apartment on J at 16th.

Why put it on your open house calendar? “The value, the neighborhood, the space is great, the light is fantastic,” Booth said. “For someone who is buying their first apartment, this is a perfect fit.”

67 Park Terrace East, Apt. C10/C11, Inwood
3 Bedrooms/2 Baths
Co-op
Approximately 1,400 square feet
$739,000
Maintenance: $1,432 per month
Open House: Sunday, Oct. 26, noon to 1:30 p.m.

Lowdown: Two combined one-bedrooms compose this large three-bedroom apartment in Inwood. The sellers purchased it about five years ago — in a bidding war — after it had already been renovated, said Rebecca Pelletier of New Heights Realty, adding that they recently painted and redid the floors.

“It has a lot of pre-war details and charm, and the space is flexible,” Pelletier said. “It also can be a four-bedroom apartment by converting the dining room, which is currently used as a den.”

Design details include beamed high ceilings, original oak-herringbone floors, an eat-in kitchen with pantry, eight closets and built-in bookshelves. The smallest of the bedrooms has been partially soundproofed and was once used as a music studio. It’s ideal “if you need an office or are a musician,” Pelletier noted.

Even though entrance to the unit is from the lobby, it’s on the second floor, so there are “green views” from each room. Laundry is not allowed in the units, but it’s “just down the hall with easy access from this apartment.” The pet-friendly building includes a roof deck, and a bike room was added last year.

Location: Inwood continues to gain in popularity as prices farther downtown keep rising. There’s “a growing art scene in the neighborhood that includes Upstart Gallery on Cooper Street, comedy nights, poetry nights — it’s been really fun,” said Pelletier who lives on the block. She added that there also are several new cafes and restaurants on Broadway. The area will be getting Alecia Bakery’s first retail store on Sherman Avenue in spring 2015. The nearest train is the 1 at 215th Street.

Why put it on your open house calendar? “It’s move-in ready, has abundant space, endless possibilities for layout, and the first viewing is Sunday,” Pelletier said.

1820 Madison Ave., Apt. 8A, Central Harlem
3 Bedrooms/2 Baths
Co-op
Approximately 1,147 square feet
$875,000
Maintenance: $1,093
Open House: Sunday, Oct. 26, noon to 1:30 p.m.

Lowdown: Sellers purchased this renovated unit from the sponsor in 2012 and further upgraded the bathrooms and kitchen, said Domonique Anderson of Town Residential, adding that it’s the development’s first resale.

“This unit is unique because it’s the only one in the building with two terraces, and they’re full-sized,” Anderson said. “And a three-bedroom at this price point is a great deal. [They] usually start at well over $1.5 million [in the area], so this is a dynamic opportunity for someone who doesn’t have the buying power to afford the higher-priced condominiums.”

The penthouse’s features include skyline views, three exposures, spacious closets and built-ins, laundry and a work alcove, along with energy-efficient appliances, windows and a venting system. All outdoor furniture from the terraces is included with the purchase price, Anderson noted.

The elevator building uses a virtual doorman and if having two private terraces isn’t enough, there’s a common landscaped terrace/lounge.

Location: The building is “perfectly situated” between the 2 and 3 trains at 116th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard/Lenox Avenue and the 6 at 116th and Lexington Avenue. It’s also down the block from Marcus Garvey Park (known by longtime residents as Mount Morris Park), which has “a nice dog run,” a community pool and an amphitheater that’s home to plays and concerts in summer. Central Park is about a half mile south. “Several new developments are coming in the area, as well as a Whole Foods three blocks away,” Anderson said.

Why put it on your open house calendar? “The apartment is perfect for anyone who is wanting to start a new family, is looking for additional space and is looking for outdoor space, that also has easy access to transportation and stores,” Anderson said. “It’s a great opportunity for someone who has been looking for so long and been frustrated with what they’ve seen.”