NEW YORK — The open house schedule for this holiday weekend is, not surprisingly, sparse. But if you’re in town, here are three apartments in three boroughs that show what $459,000 can buy.
330 Third Ave., Apt. 15L, Gramercy, Manhattan
Studio/1 Bath
Co-op
600 square feet
$459,000
Maintenance: $1,069/month
Open House: Sunday, Sept. 1, 2-3:30 p.m., by appointment
Lowdown: The convenient location — between Gramercy and Kips Bay — is one big selling point for this long, 600-square-foot alcove studio that can be converted into a junior one-bedroom.
The vibrant and well-cared for building is another selling point, said Halstead Property’s Andrew Saracino, who not only is a broker for the building, but also has lived there for 16 years.
“There [are] new elevators, updated laundry, new sidewalks,” he said of the 1960s, 20-story structure, “and the staff is great. New York Magazine named our doormen as the best in the city a few years ago.”
As for the apartment, the current owners, who live in Connecticut, use it as a pied-à-terre, Saracino said, staying a couple nights a week when they work late and have early morning meetings.
They completely renovated it after buying it about five years ago, and the oven still has its original cardboard in it, Saracino added, indicating that it probably has not been used.
The maintenance is 49 percent tax deductible.
Location: On Third Avenue between 24th and 25th streets, the building sits in a neighborhood where new bars, restaurants and shops are always opening. It's also just a couple blocks from the increasingly fashionable “North of Madison Park” aka "NoMad" area. The 6, N and R trains are a couple avenues away on 23rd Street.
Saracino concedes that the apartment doesn’t have the best views — it faces west and overlooks the back of Baruch College, however for just $50 a month, you can join the gym at Baruch, which has an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
Why put it on your open house calendar? It's centrally located, and though a studio, it’s large enough to carve out a sleeping area and office space. The ample closet space — especially the dressing room — gets high marks from potential buyers, Saracino said.
Note: Please email or call Andrew Saracino — asaracino@halstead.com, (212) 381-4235 — to schedule an appointment during the open house hours.
5800 Arlington Ave., Apt. 15J, Riverdale, The Bronx
2 Bedrooms/2 Baths
Co-op
1,300 square feet
$459,000
Maintenance: $1,499/month
Open House: Sunday, Sept. 1, noon to 2 p.m., by appointment
Lowdown: You'll give up Manhattan's convenience, but get a balcony and more than twice the space for the same money with this west-facing, two-bedroom apartment in Riverdale's Skyview on the Hudson development.
"People move here for the extra space, the Hudson River and Palisades views, and the sunsets," Michelle Badour, of Douglas Elliman Real Estate, said. “The three-building complex is very much like a resort. There’s a year-round café by the Olympic-sized pool, a kiddie pool, dog park, and the complex is very community oriented, with events for kids and adults.”
The owners renovated the kitchen after moving in in 2007, then redid the bathrooms and removed a wall to convert a third bedroom into a dining room.
All amenities are included in the maintenance, which is 52 percent tax deductible.
Location: The apartment is on the north side of Riverdale and within walking distance to a grocery store, Badour said. It’s less than a mile to Van Cortland Park. Local and express bus stops to Manhattan are located behind the building, and during morning and evening rush hours, there’s a shuttle to and from the Metro-North Riverdale station, from where it's 22 minutes to Grand Central Terminal. There are two Zipcars in the building’s parking lot.
“In the middle of the day, there’s the rail link, which is like a jitney and is part of Metro North. It comes before scheduled trains, and you board with the swipe of a Metrocard,” Badour said. “They try to make it as easy as possible for the residents here. You can get by without a car.”
Why put it on your open house calendar? If light and space are your top priorities, along with on-site amenities — including pools, fitness center and playground — this is a good deal for the price.
Note: Please contact Michelle Badour at (469) 831-3581 to schedule an appointment.
40 Bay Ridge Ave., Apt. 1A, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
1 Bedroom/1 Bath
Condo
500 square feet
$450,000
Common Charges: $355/month
Real Estate Taxes: $0 (tax abatement to 2018)
Open House: Sunday, Sept. 1, 1-2 p.m.
Lowdown: In south Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge, this budget can net you this 500-square-foot one-bedroom condo. On first glance, that may seem overpriced, given its size and compared to the location and amenities included in the above listings, but it’s main selling point is its 1,080-square-foot private patio — that's larger than most apartments at this price range.
The newly renovated unit also comes with a dishwasher, washer and dryer, basement storage and a parking space. Taxes are abated until 2018.
Location: The apartment is on Bay Ridge Avenue, which is essentially 69th Street, in the northern end of the neighborhood. It’s less than two blocks east of the Belt Parkway and Shore Park, with a bike path along the waterfront, a pier at 69th Street for fishing and dramatic views of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. It’s also one block south of Owl’s Head Park, which has a dog run, views of Manhattan’s skyline and Millennium Skate Park. The R train Bay Ridge Avenue station is less than a mile east. Manhattan express buses are one block away.
Bay Ridge has plenty of bars and restaurants, ranging from Italian to Asian to Middle Eastern. Two subway stops away is the 86th Street shopping strip with a T.J. Maxx, United Colors of Benneton, Gap and a Century 21 where locals skip the crowds and long lines guaranteed at the lower Manhattan location. A Brooklyn Industries opened in March.
Why put it on your open house calendar? Landscape the large patio properly and you can have your own private oasis right in the city. The price on the unit also has dropped $100,000 since it was first listed in March.
