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Open House Agenda: 3 Apartments to See This Weekend

By Donna M. Airoldi | August 14, 2015 8:46am | Updated on August 14, 2015 6:31pm
 These units are good-looking and offer relative value — along with a few additional perks.
Beautiful Apartments With Added Value
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NEW YORK CITY — At least three of the apartments with open houses this weekend offer beautiful spaces that also offer good value, relatively speaking, with a little something extra.

85 Eighth Ave., Apt. 2P, Chelsea
Co-op
Studio/1 Bath
Approximately 500 square feet
$595,000
Maintenance: $917 per month
Open House: Sunday, Aug. 16, noon to 1:30 p.m.

Lowdown: Though technically a studio, this east-facing Chelsea unit “feels larger than some one-bedrooms," and even though it’s on the second floor, it gets great light as there are only low-rise structures across the street, said Wigder Frota of Halstead Property.

The seller bought it in 2012 after the prior owner completed a gut renovation, and he didn’t use it much, so it “almost looks like new,” Frota said.

The layout has “a good flow, and every inch of the space is usable," with an elevated bedroom area separated from the living room with a partial wall.

Additional features include a tiny balcony and built-ins that provide an office area. The bathroom, which has only a shower, also includes shelving.

The doorman building has a “beautiful landscaped area” at the lobby level, a free bike room, laundry on every floor and an attached garage.

There is a monthly assessment of $96.84 to cover current façade work.

Location: The building is on the south end of Chelsea between 14th and 15th streets, steps to the West Village and the Meatpacking District with its newly opened Whitney Museum. The neighborhood is getting a Momofuku restaurant at 21st Street and Eighth Avenue.

The 14th Street station for the A/C/E and L lines is below the building. The 1/2/3 trains are at Seventh Avenue.

Why put it on your open house calendar? “The location and its condition,” Frota said. “In Manhattan, the apartments that are selling best are those that are in move-in condition. Most buyers don’t want to deal with construction.”

1 Hanson Pl., Apt. 14A, Fort Greene
Condo
1 Bedroom/1.5 baths
Approximately 824 square feet
$899,500
Common Charges: $782 per month (with a current assessment of $169 per month)
Monthly Taxes: $54 per month (abated until 2024)
Open House: Sunday, Aug. 16, 1:30-2:30 p.m., by appointment only

Lowdown: The listing agent also happens to be the seller of this condo in the landmarked former Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower. He purchased the unit from the sponsor who converted the building into condos in 2008.

“I grew up in Boreum Hill and could see the building from my grandma’s house,” said Halstead’s Ronell Kirkley. “I wanted to be in [it] because of its unique, historic status as well as its location.”

The Byzantine-Romanesque style building, completed in 1929, remained the tallest in Brooklyn until 2010, and the clock at the top of the building is still one of the largest four-sided clocks in the world.

Powder rooms are rare in one-bedroom apartments, and this one comes with a single-unit washer/dryer, but there’s room for stackable units. Kirkley, who rented the space the past year, didn’t make many updates, other than to add light fixtures from Design Within Reach and the backsplash in the kitchen.

Common amenities include three terraces with views of New York Harbor and the Manhattan skyline, a gym, laundry room, billiard room and children’s room.

Kirkley said he already has offers on the apartment and interested buyers must make an appointment either via text (917-622-5481) or email (rkirkley@halstead.com) to see the space Sunday.

There’s also a near-identical apartment that just went on the market this week and has an open house at the same time — the big difference is that it comes with a 500-square-foot terrace.

Location: The area continues to see an influx of new developments and retail spaces. One Hanson Place is steps from Barclays Center and BAM, which is expanding. When complete, it will be one of the largest cultural districts in the country and will be the new home of the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts.

Transporation could not be more convenient: The building is above the Atlantic Terminal, with access to the Long Island Rail Road and nine subway lines.

Why put it on your open house calendar? “It really has everything that you would need: the generous size, the location, the view,” Kirkley said.

382 Prospect Pl., Apt. 4, Prospect Heights
2 Bedrooms/1.5 baths
Co-op
Approximately 1,066 square feet
$1.125 million
Maintenance: $1,400 per month
Open House: Sunday, Aug. 16, 1-2:30 p.m.

Lowdown: This beautiful duplex is one of the last two apartments available in this newly converted 18-unit co-op. Prior apartments went on the market in September 2014 and sold out quickly, said Mary Lowe of Corcoran Group, adding that all the prior units sold to first-time buyers.

“This is a special apartment in the building; the others were much more compact, did not have chef’s kitchens, were not duplexes and had no outdoor space,” she said, adding that the final unit (No. 5), which is similar to this one, will hit the market in September.

This unit is on the first floor with the second floor below ground. The lower level is currently configured as a den and second bedroom area, and it has access to the bi-level patio space that has a southern exposure. The sponsor, Oak Tree Residential, did not want to put it on the market until the gut renovations were complete and the backyard could be finished, Lowe noted.

The kitchen, with stainless steel tiles, has Bosch appliances, a countertop stove, two wall mounted ovens, and additional black-glass cabinetry. The unit blends pre-war detailing with modern finishes in the kitchen and bathrooms. The gallery hallway keeps the space quiet and removed from the entryway to the building.

Building amenities include a roof deck, live-in super, bike storage and laundry. The co-op board is in the process of being formed.

Location: It’s a short walk to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Museum and Prospect Park, which will soon be the site of Smorgasburg Sundays. Washington Avenue at the corner has several coffee shops and cafes, restaurants and other amenities.

Within three blocks are the B/Q trains at Seventh Avenue, the 2/3 trains at Eastern Parkway, and the Franklin Avenue Shuttle at Park Place.

Why put it on your open house calendar? It’s a rare opportunity to get a space this nice that is sunny and has an extraordinary amount of outdoor space, Lowe said. “You just don’t find 550 square feet of outdoor space on two levels.”