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Open House Agenda: 3 Apartments to See This Weekend

By Donna M. Airoldi | March 13, 2015 7:41am | Updated on March 13, 2015 4:41pm
 Units with buzzwords that most match buyers' desires, per borough.
Buzzword-Rich Apartments
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NEW YORK CITY — Words matter. Or, more precisely, the right words matter, especially when crafting a real estate listing.

This week’s DNAinfo Apartmentality column found that each borough has its own key buzzwords that most match would-be buyers desires — and brokers who employ them have an easier time selling those units.

Today’s featured apartments hit multiple marks for their respective boroughs.

4-74 48th Ave., Apt. 39E, Long Island City/Hunter’s Point
1 Bedroom/1 Bath
"Condop"
Approximately 695 square feet
$530,000
Maintenance: $1,493 per month
Open House: Sunday, March 15, noon to 1:30 p.m.

Lowdown: The most sought-after feature for Queens’ buyers is to be near train lines. This apartment is just two blocks to the 7 train and one stop to Midtown Manhattan.

Called Citylights at Queen’s Landing, this luxury high-rise also has a 24-hour doorman, fitness center with free classes, two landscaped decks and parking.

The unit faces north, but because of “very large windows,” there are views of Long Island City, the East River and Midtown Manhattan, including the United Nations, said Darleen Krimetz of CityView Real Estate Inc. “It’s the best of both worlds. You have a fabulous view and can keep a car inexpensively, but you’re only five minutes from Manhattan.”

The seller customized the unit’s closets, and the bedroom is spacious enough to “put in an extra closet” if needed. The building is a "condop," which means “you own shares like in a co-op, but you have a lot of benefits of condo ownership,” Krimetz explained, noting that owners can sublet.

Commercial space in the development includes the parking garage, dry cleaner, nail salon and pre-school, Krimetz said.

Location: In addition to being near the 7 train, the building is near the East River Ferry landing and Long Island City station for the Long Island Rail Road. Gantry Plaza State Park is a block away.

Why put it on your open house calendar? “You’re getting the best bang for your buck,” Krimetz said. “It’s a [full-service] waterfront property and the people in the building are just the nicest. I love selling there.”

111 Fourth Ave., Apt. 4A, Greenwich Village/East Village
Studio/1 Bath
Co-op
Approximately 500 square feet
$685,000
Maintenance: $771.33 per month
Open House: Sunday, March 15, noon to 1 p.m.

Lowdown: Manhattan buyers want to be in the heart of the city yet also have a tranquil abode. This loft unit on the edge of the East Village and steps south of Union Square provides that, and more.

“It’s extremely quiet because it doesn’t face the avenue,” said Wigder Frota of Halstead Property, noting that the apartment is on the fifth floor and has 10-foot windows. The condition is also “really top of the line,” with the owners renovating the entire space less than four years ago.

The sellers installed a thermostat in the shower, stainless steel appliances, storage drawers and shelves beneath the loft’s staircase, and the office space. Because of the structural beams in the ceiling, the sleeping loft has anywhere from five to six feet of headroom, Frota noted.

The full-service historic International Tailoring Company Building has laundry on every floor, two landscaped roof decks, central A/C and heat, a bike room, and storage.

Location: The post office is next door; historic Grace Church is at Broadway and 10th Street. Restaurants, bars, shops and services abound. The New School is creating a performing arts hub a few blocks west on 13th Street.

Seven train lines are two blocks away at Union Square. There’s also some cache to living on a street that is only a few blocks long, Frota noted, saying some locals call it the “Fourth Avenue Strip.”

Why put it on your open house calendar? “When you consider it’s a loft and the low maintenance and strong building [financials], it’s one of the best values in the neighborhood,” Frota said.

167 Bond St., Apt. 3, Boerum Hill
2 Bedrooms/1 Bath
Co-op
Approximately 1,100 square feet
$1.45 million
Maintenance: $669 per month
Open House: Sunday, March 15, 2:30-4 p.m.

Lowdown: Retaining “classic Brooklyn charm” while being updated to provide modern amenities is what many Brooklyn buyers look for, and this floor-through unit in Boerum Hill fits the bill.

The sellers renovated the kitchen and bath after buying the top-floor unit about nine years ago, said Cara Sadownick of Corcoran Group. The 25-foot wide space also includes exposed brick walls on either side of a wood-burning fireplace, “fantastic light” from two skylights and a private 400-square-foot roof deck. In addition, gated parking in a lot at the back of the building is included.  

“The apartment is beautiful. Everyone who walks in goes 'wow,'” Sadownick said, noting its width and because it’s on the top floor, it “recaptures square footage normally in the hallway. It’s very wide and open with three big windows across the living room.”

Two shelves in the living room made of reclaimed hardwood match a bench on the deck, which the seller is willing to leave with the apartment. The unit also includes a wall of four floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, a walk-in closet under the staircase and additional storage in the basement.

Some buyers are turned off by the unit having only one bathroom, but it is possible to add a second bath, Sadownick noted.

The six-unit co-op is self-managed and there is no underlying mortgage, so maintenance is low. The parking lot next door includes a basketball hoop and a shed for small bikes and scooters.

Location: The F and G trains are two blocks away at Smith and Bergen streets. Nine other lines, along with the Long Island Rail Road, are four blocks in the other direction at Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center. Trader Joe’s is at Court St. Popular nearby restaurants include Mile End and Rucola.

Why put it on your open house calendar? “Because it’s the trifecta of the roof deck, parking and wood-burning fireplace,” Sadownick said. “And you have the character of the exposed brick and recycled wood, and the light is absolutely exquisite.”