Finding a modern apartment with swank amenities — whether it’s new construction or a condo conversion — can be more difficult than you think. Most of the city’s recent high-end residential developments are sold out, or nearly so. But if sleek luxury is what you crave, and what you can afford, here are three open houses to visit this weekend.
2-17 51st Ave., Apt. 613, Long Island City, Queens
2 Bedrooms/3 Baths
Condo
1,690 square feet
$1,597,000
Common Charges: $1,005/month
Real Estate Taxes: $52/month
Open House: Sun., Aug. 18, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Lowdown: This large two-bedroom duplex — which can be converted into a three-bedroom — sits in a 1906 McKim, Mead & White-designed power station for the Long Island and Pennsylvania railroads that was immortalized by Georgia O’Keeffe as part of her “East River” paintings.
The PowerHouse is now a luxury condo with a roof garden, fitness center, cold storage for grocery deliveries and a Middle Eastern-style water spa with a heated waterfall, deluge shower, Watsu pool and sauna.
“The corner unit gets direct southern light all day long,” Tom Blaze Lattanzio of Modern Spaces NYC, said. “It has 23-foot ceilings, and you feel this openness when you enter.”
It has American walnut hardwood floors, a gourmet kitchen and spa-style baths.
“This could be an exceptional home for an artist, a couple just starting out or someone coming from the city who wants a large space,” Lattanzio said.
All amenities are covered in the common charges, including cooking gas. There’s a 421a tax abatement until 2024.
Location: Steps away is the riverside Gantry Plaza State Park, with a playground, picnic tables, playing fields and fishing pier. Vernon Boulevard has several bars and restaurants; additional local favorites include the well-regarded beer house Alewife and the Vietnamese Cyclo. MoMA P.S. 1 is less than a mile away. For families, P.S 78 and Long Island City Kids are nearby. It's one stop to Midtown Manhattan via the 7 train from the Vernon-Jackson station.
Why put it on your open house calendar: There aren’t many duplex units in the building — especially one this large — and they’re rarely on the market, Lattanzio said. “The sellers are very motivated and they would like to sell immediately,” he added. “It’s priced according to the market perfectly.”
Sunday will be the unit’s first open house.
360 Furman St., Apt. 339, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
Studio/1 Bath
Condo
591 square feet
$655,000
Common Charges: $664/month
Real Estate Taxes: $23/month
Open House: Sat. and Sun., Aug. 17 and 18, noon to 3 p.m.
Lowdown: This southeast, courtyard-facing loft studio is one of only four sponsor units available in the converted One Brooklyn Bridge Park building, which opened in 2009.
One of its main selling points is the 227-square-foot private terrace.
“The terrace is lovely, and the apartment is sunny and very spacious for a studio — some of the one bedrooms in the building are the same size,” said Penelope Stipanovich, director of sales for MNS at One Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Until recently, there were still one-bedrooms available for the same price, so those sold first, Stipanovich said when asked why this unit has been on the market for several months.
The apartment has a large walk-in closet, Sub-Zero and Bosch appliances, oak flooring and a 30-square-foot storage unit on the same floor.
Amenities at the 440-unit building — a former Jehovah’s Witnesses publishing facility — are what you would expect in a new full-service luxury property, including a children’s playroom, billiard room and yoga studio. There’s also shuttle service up the hill, roughly eight blocks, to the subways at Borough Hall and Cadman Plaza.
There are no restrictions on pets, Stipanovich added.
Location: The building is just across from Pier 5 of Brooklyn Bridge Park, which stretches along the waterfront to DUMBO. The Brooklyn Heights Promenade is steps away. Within walking distance are several restaurants, bars, boutiques, a Barneys Co-op, Urban Outfitters and five supermarkets, including a Trader Joe’s and Garden of Eden. For Beastie Boys fans, Adam Yauch Park is on the corner at Atlantic Avenue.
Nine subway lines are within three-quarters of a mile. If you have a car, there’s a valet lot in the building that costs $300 per month to rent or $130,000 to $160,000 to buy, Stipanovich said.
Why put it on your open house calendar? It’s a popular building. Even Elizabeth Stribling, known for representing the high-end Upper East Side residential market, recently purchased a studio there. It’s one of the last chances to get a sponsor unit.
“With the 13-foot ceilings, it’s easy enough to create a sleeping loft,” Stipanovich added.
Please note that the images for this apartment in the slide show are sample photos and are not of the specific unit.
10 West End Ave., Apt. 3J, Columbus Circle, Manhattan
Studio/1 Bath
Condo
600 square feet
$935,000
Common Charges: $600/month
Real Estate Taxes: $170/month
Open House: Sun., Aug. 18, 2 to 3 p.m.
Lowdown: The large alcove studio has city views and gets a lot of light, thanks to its roughly 390-square-foot terrace, floor-to-ceiling windows and corner location with east and south exposures.
“It’s like an oasis. It’s stunning,” Bruce Mishell, of Nest Seekers, said. “The alcove area is large enough to turn into a bedroom, it has beautiful finishes, and the chef’s windowed kitchen is a strong feature.”
There's a 21-inch-deep soaking tub, wine chiller and Bosch washer/dryer.
The unit’s 10-foot ceilings are higher than those of most of the other apartments in the 33-story building. “Other than the very top floors, only the third, twelfth and twenty-fourth floors have 10-foot ceilings,” Mishell said.
The building has a lap pool, fitness center and playroom designed by the Children's Museum.
The pet policy typically restricts dogs to 55 pounds or less, but it’s a case-by-case issue, said Mishell, adding that he recently got approval for a couple with two dogs at 65 pounds each.
Location: In late 2010, there was a problem with odors from the retail truffle shop on the ground floor, but that’s been remedied with a new air filtration system, Mishell said. The Time-Warner Building, Lincoln Center and Central Park are all within walking distance, as is Hell’s Kitchen and Midtown West. The transit hub at Columbus Circle is a few blocks east along 59th Street.
Why put it on your open house calendar? “It’s unusual to find a 400-square-foot terrace attached to an alcove studio,” said Mishell. “To get a corner studio is terribly rare in nice buildings.”
Mishell, who’s sold more than 20 units in the building, including seven in the past two months, said that prices have risen 10 percent since the beginning of summer. “With Riverside Center going up across the street, there’s a lot of movement and the building is hot,” he said.
