NEW YORK CITY — Though Juno wasn’t quite as colossal a storm as predicted, for many residents it meant spending a cozy snow day at home — especially for those with wood-burning fireplaces. And since the city ban on building new fireplaces took effect July 1, 2014, they are becoming “a dying breed,” said one broker.
But they’re hardly extinct just yet. Here’s your chance to snag a WBFP at one of these three open houses this weekend.
111 E. 36th St., Apt. 3A, Murray Hill
1 Bedroom/1 Bath
Co-op
Approximately 650 square feet
$669,000
Maintenance: $1,068 per month
Open House: Sunday, Feb. 1, noon to 1:30 p.m.
Lowdown: This 10-unit 1910 co-op in Murray Hill has a feature rarely seen in brownstones of this era: an elevator. The board also “smartly” installed A/C units through the walls prior to the building obtaining landmark status, said Donald Cantasano of Sotheby’s International.
Another distinguishing feature is the wood-burning fireplace’s original door, which combined with the original marble mantle “is extremely rare. It usually breaks or disappears,” he said.
The one-bedroom apartment is on the third floor and used to be the music room or ballroom when it was a single-family dwelling, Cantasano noted.
That could account for its original gilded mirrors above the fireplace and between two large south-facing windows, as well as the detailed plaster moldings on the 11-foot ceilings. Cantasano does not know for certain if the ornamentation above the windows and the elaborate parquet floors are from 1910, “but they’re in extremely good condition.”
The building has laundry in the basement and designated open storage spots for each owner.
According to Streeteasy, the unit has been on the market for about a year, however it was in contract but the deal fell through, Cantasano explained. The good news for current buyers is that the price has dropped about $80,000 since it was first listed.
Location: The building is between Park and Lexington avenues, with “many embassies around that area that are quite beautiful,” Cantasano said. It’s also walking distance to the Morgan Library, the trendy NoMad area and to the subway, Metro-North and shops at Grand Central Terminal.
Why put it on your open house calendar? “It’s truly townhouse living at it’s best, and it’s not cookie cutter. People walk in and go ‘wow’,” Cantasano said. “And for where it’s priced, if you were to go to the Upper East or Upper West sides, the West Village or Chelsea, the price would be at least twice as much.”
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72 E. 93rd St., Apt. 4A, Carnegie Hill
1 Bedroom/1 Bath
Co-op
Approximately 700 square feet
$759,000
Maintenance: $1,150 per month
Open House: Sunday, Feb. 1, 2-4 p.m
Lowdown: When someone in the design industry buys a new apartment, they usually want to put their stamp on it, and the prior architect owners of this fourth-floor walk-up did just that. When current seller Patrick Derosier, also an architect, bought it, the style was already to his liking.
“They did exactly what I would have done. It’s got great details,” he said. “The only work we did was add storage, such as the built-ins, shelves on either side of the fireplace and the big credenza, along with storage in the bathroom.”
Light streams in through three north-facing windows in the living room, which has the fireplace the sellers used often. The view overlooks an “architecturally significant Federal townhouse” and a Russian church at the corner of Park Avenue.
The updated kitchen has separate stainless steel Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer beneath a custom countertop with a deep sink with garbage disposal. There's also a dishwasher and 24-inch Viking gas range.
Derosier initially thought he would remove the floating closet in the living room, but ended up liking its functionality — one side works as a coat closet, the other has drawers for office supplies and is wired for stereo equipment.
Location: Situated between Park and Madison avenues, the apartment is only a block and a half from Central Park and Museum Mile. The owner’s favorite nearby dining spots include Island Restaurant, Le Paris Bistrot, Paola’s and Sfoglia, Derosier said. The Hotel Wales around the corner on Madison is great for guests.
The nearest train is the 6 at 96th Street and Lexington Avenue. Multiple bus lines run along Fifth and Madison.
Why put it on your open house calendar? “It’s just a really special apartment that has a traditional vibe but is also contemporary,” Derosier said.
341 Third St., Apt. 2A, Park Slope
2 Bedrooms/1 Bath
Co-op
Approximately 910 square feet
$869,000
Maintenance: $845 per month
Open House: Sunday, Feb. 1, 1-2:30 p.m.
Lowdown: New owners of this sunny two-bedroom apartment never have to worry about a new building blocking their light, because the unit overlooks the J.J. Byrne Playground in Washington Park, directly across the street, said Debra Bondy of Corcoran Group.
“A ton of light streams in through the front, which faces southwest,” Bondy noted. “It’s wonderful.”
The second-floor unit has exposed brick and a newly renovated kitchen that “is beautiful and flows nicely into the dining and living room.” It also has plenty of storage space, including on both sides of the island. The bedrooms “are large enough so the kids can play in them,” and have “ample” closet space. The seller recently redid the floors as well. “The fireplace just adds to the whole ambiance of the apartment,” Bondy said.
The self-managed, eight-unit co-op has free laundry in the basement, along with storage and a bike area. The maintenance recently went up from $801 to account for real estate property taxes, “not because of the building, which is in great financial shape.”
Location: The building is between Fourth and Fifth avenues, with its many shops, restaurants and services. A new Whole Foods is down the block at Third Avenue. A Blue Bottle Coffee café, known for crafting each order individually, is slated to open on Seventh Avenue this spring.
Both the Union Street and Ninth Street R trains on Fourth Avenue are equidistant; the latter also includes the F and G trains. Nearby bus lines include the B63 and B103.
Why put it on your open house calendar? “It’s in a fantastic location with lots of space and two real-sized bedrooms, and it has the wood-burning fireplace,” Bondy said. “It’s one of the best-priced two-bedrooms in Park Slope. Most are over $1 million.”
