MANHATTAN — With the dual Easter and Passover holidays this weekend, there are fewer open houses to select from than usual. However, for those willing to venture out, here are some worthwhile spaces to put on your calendar. Just be sure to plan ahead — because of the holiday, two of the three listings require appointments.
284 Fifth Ave., Apt. 4D, Midtown South
Studio/1 Bath
Co-op
Approximately 500 square feet
$499,000
Maintenance: $983.82 per month
Open House: Sunday, April 5, 2-4 p.m. (by appointment only)
Lowdown: For history buffs and fans of Art Deco architecture, this Fifth Avenue studio has much to offer. The exterior of the 19th-century Wilbraham Building was landmarked in 2004. The interiors were updated in 1935 by starchitect of the era Emory Roth.
“Apartments in this building don’t come up very often,” said Joseph M. Testone of Halstead Property. The building was designed as high-end rentals for bachelors, “which is really interesting and a slice of 1890s high-society New York.”
The sellers modernized the eat-in kitchen about five years ago, adding stainless appliances and a subway tile backsplash, yet retained many of the apartment’s pre-war details elsewhere in the unit, including the original bathroom. “The sink, toilet and tile was intact, which is really sweet,” Testone noted. “The floor is a little rough, but the wall tiles are pristine.”
There also are 11-foot ceilings, 8-foot front windows with transoms, a working fireplace, the original moldings (although they’re painted over) and room enough for a queen-sized bed.
The building includes a live-in super, laundry, basement storage and “one of the first Otis elevators,” Testone said. Roth also kept the lobby's original marble interior with wainscoting.
Location: Centrally located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 30th Street — with the Empire State Building just a few blocks north — it’s easy to access both east and west side subway lines as well as taxis and buses on Fifth. Little Korea is on 32nd Street; several new restaurants and bars have opened in the vicinity since the Ace Hotel opened a few years ago.
“The Ace has been such a good neighbor and made the area better,” said Testone, who also lives in the Wilbraham.
Why put it on your open house calendar? “If you want to live in a unique and historic apartment, this is the one to see,” Testone said.
Note: To make an appointment for the open house on Sunday, Testone prefers to be reached via email: jtestone@halstead.com.
255 Cabrini Blvd., Apt. 2D, Hudson Heights/Washington Heights
1 Bedroom/1 Bath
Condo
Approximately 983 square feet
$545,000
Common Charges: $666 per month
Real Estate Taxes: $434 per month
Open House: Sunday, April 5, 1-3 p.m. (by appointment only)
Lowdown: The seller purchased this large one-bedroom condo about five years ago and made minor renovations.
“The small room off the living room had been closed off as a second bedroom, and he opened it up to its original layout and used it as an office,” said Richard Wasley of Bellmarc. “But if someone really needs that second bedroom, they can close it off.”
The Art Deco unit includes a sunken living room, and the seller replaced the usual wrought-iron railings from the foyer on either side of the stairs with built-in bookcases, Wasley noted. He also refinished the floors and painted.
The kitchen in its current configuration does not have room for a table, but new owners can redo the space and make room for one, Wasley said. It also doesn’t get a lot of light because it’s on the second floor and in the back of the building, “but a plus is that you’re not on the street so it’s really quiet.”
The spacious bedroom, with herringbone flooring, has three ample closets and faces north.
Common amenities include a doorman 80 hours per week and 24-hour laundry. There’s currently an assessment of $40 per month for a roof and boiler fund, which is ongoing until December 2016, Wasley noted. It’s one of the few pre-war buildings in the area that is a condo rather than a co-op.
Location: Situated in the enclave of Hudson Heights, “it’s like a small village,” said Wasley, who also lives in the 78-unit building. “It’s a fantastic location and convenient for shopping and restaurants.” The sponsor owns 13 commercial units, which include a market “like an uptown version of Zabar’s,” a diner, tailor, beauty salon, restaurant and bar, and a new Indian restaurant that is opening in a former pet store.
Also nearby are Fort Tryon Park and the Cloisters. The building is equidistant from the 181st and 190th street A train stations, and the George Washington Bridge is just a few blocks south.
Why put it on your open house calendar? “You’re getting close to 1,000 square feet in a great neighborhood at a very reasonable price, especially for the New York market,” Wasley said. “There are a lot of positives.”
Note: To make an appointment for the open house on Sunday, Wasley prefers to be reached via phone: (212) 928-5100 ext. 105 (office) or (718) 404-6810 (cell).
754 E. Sixth St., Apt. 5A, East Village
2 Bedrooms/2 Baths
Condo
Approximately 970 square feet
$1.1 million
Common Charges: $388 per month
Real Estate Taxes: $711 per month
Open House: Sunday, April 5, 2:30-4 p.m.
Lowdown: The seller did “meticulous renovations” to the kitchen and baths within the past year, said Landis Hosterman of Compass. “Down to the smallest nuance, he put in a lot of love, and the space is very modern and stylish.”
He also extended the breakfast bar, doubling the counter space. In the master bedroom, behind the green chair in the photo, there’s a sizable office nook next to the window. “The unit is exceptionally spacious, especially for the East Village,” Hosterman noted.
“Because there are so many windows, it’s very loft-like and there’s a lot of flexibility,” Hosterman said, adding that owners of other A-line units in the building have shifted the rooms, giving the master bedroom just one window, moving the second bedroom down, and opening up the living room space
Another plus of the space is that “it’s a condo in a traditional co-op neighborhood.” The elevator building includes a second-floor deck that overlooks a green space, common storage, basement laundry and a video intercom system.
Location: The building is at Avenue D, “which can be a challenge for some buyers, with public transit a bit of a hike” — the 6 train is at Astor Place and the L is at 14th Street and First Avenue. But the M8 crosstown bus is a couple blocks away, and there’s a CitiBike stand at the corner of D and Sixth Street.
It’s also just three blocks to Tompkins Square Park, has coffee shops and restaurants along Avenue C, and there’s a grocery store on the first floor of the building.
Why put it on your open house calendar? “The buyer is getting a mint apartment at $1,100 per square foot,” Hosterman said. “And it’s in a relatively quiet portion of the neighborhood — it’s somewhat secluded yet accessible to the nightlife. It’s very competitive.”
