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Open House Insider: 3 Apartments to See This Weekend

By Emily Nonko | January 21, 2016 5:15pm | Updated on January 22, 2016 5:08pm
 Three apartments with open houses and flexible floorplans. 
Open House Insider: 3 Apartments to See This Weekend
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MANHATTAN — These three apartments offer flexible floorplans with the option to build out extra bedrooms.

93 Lexington Ave. #3, Bedford-Stuyvesant
Studio/Two bathrooms
Approximately 2,074 square feet
Co-op
$1.575 million
Maintenance: $900 a month
Open House: Sunday, Jan. 24, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Lowdown: This loft apartment, occupying the entire third floor of a former industrial warehouse, has a history of creative owners.

The current one, a set designer, built nearly ceiling-high wardrobes to break up the expansive space, said Corcoran broker Jodie Garay.

The previous owner, an architect, designed three wood-and-steel cabinets on wheels, creating a partly moveable kitchen in the middle of the apartment.

Because they are topped with a thick layer of poured concrete, they have remained in the apartment and will be included in this sale.

“They must weigh close to 200 pounds,” said Garay.

Complimenting the kitchen design is a full-length, poured concrete counter in one of the bathrooms, which also has a refurbished claw-foot tub.

The current owners use the north end of the apartment as an office, living and dining space. The other end of the apartment, which is narrower due to a stairwell, holds the sleeping area.

“With a good architect, a buyer could figure out any number of configurations,” Garay said.

The building's copper freight elevator enters directly into the current bedroom area.

The owners use the elevator to bring up groceries or art supplies, Garay said. But because you have to return the elevator back to the ground floor after use, they typically take the stairs.

Other historic details of the building include a large tin door which opens into a small extra space (not in use by the current owners) and exposed brick.

“It's a really warm, comfortable space, which you don't always encounter in a former industrial loft,” said Garay.

Location: This block of Bed-Stuy, near the border of Clinton Hill, is home to other warehouses and some townhouses, according to Garay. There are some bars, restaurants and cafes on the surrounding drags of Classon and Franklin avenues.

The closest subways are the G train at Classon Avenue and the C and shuttle trains at Franklin Avenue and Fulton Street.

Why put it on your open house calendar? The "sheer amount of open space with total flexibility” has already attracted interest, said Garay.

176 Johnson St., #7E, Downtown Brooklyn
One bedroom/one bath
Approximately 1,179 square feet
Condo
$1.2 million
Common charges: $362 a month
Taxes: $611 a month
Open House: Sunday, Jan. 24, noon to 2:00 p.m.

Lowdown: All of the apartments in this 56-unit condo building — formerly a toy factory — were originally sold as open lofts, said Town broker Philip Henn, who has lived in the building 11 years. Some owners have kept the apartments open; others have built walls to create one or two bedrooms.

This owners of this unit built out a single bedroom as well as extra closet space. They decided to use frosted, sliding glass doors (with clear glass on top) to ensure light came into the rest of the apartment.

“You have a bank of windows looking over Downtown Brooklyn in the bedroom,” said Henn.

Henn shows potential buyers his own apartment, kept open, as an example of how the unit looks without that wall. He also came up with an alternative floor plan in which a second bedroom is carved out of the entry foyer.

The apartment first hit the market this fall for $1.3 million “but we didn't see any action,” said Henn.

He took it off the market for the holidays and just relisted it at a lower price.

“Now, we have some interested parties,” he said.

Location: Downtown Brooklyn "offers every possible amenity," Henn said, noting that local politicians and residents are working to open a public school in the area.

Nearby subway lines include the A/C/F at Jay Street/MetroTech and the 2/3/4/5 at Borough Hall.

Why put it on your open house calendar? “This is one of the few real Brooklyn loft buildings in the neighborhood,” said Henn.

300 East 40th St. #21G, Murray Hill
Alcove studio/one bath
Approximately 650 square feet
Condop
$719,000
Maintenance: $1,184 a month
Open House: Sunday, Jan. 24, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. by appointment 

Lowdown: Converting this alcove studio into a one-bedroom is much cheaper than buying a one-bedroom apartment at this condop building, said Noble Realty broker Richard Goldberg.

“A work permit to build out an interior wall would cost you $3,000,” he said. “And there's a renovated one-bedroom on the market in the building for $100,000 higher than this asking price.”

Because some open house visitors didn't seem to want to take on the work in renovating the apartment, the price was lowered by $20,000 about a week ago.

“We've got several offers already,” he said.

The current owner has been there 30 years and hasn't done any major renovations, so a buyer will likely want to upgrade the kitchen and bathroom, Goldberg said. “Otherwise, it's in very good original condition,” he said.

The 32-story doorman building, known as the Churchill, comes with amenities like a roof deck with a pool and a gym. The apartment, located on the 21st floor, has eastern-facing windows with views of the East River.

Location: The Churchill is located just east of Second Avenue, two blocks from the United Nations. Most of the bars and restaurants are located on Third or Lexington avenues.

The closest subway, about a 10-minute walk away, is the 4/5/6/7 at Grand Central Terminal.

Why put it on your open house calendar? “At 650 square feet, this is the average size of a one-bedroom apartment in New York City,” said Goldberg. “But because it's in alcove studio form, the price and maintenance are lower.”