MANHATTAN — If you're in search of an apartment with some bonus space, consider one that comes with an extra floor. These three duplex apartments, all holding open houses, offer room for lofted bedrooms, offices and outdoor space.
376 President St., #2C, Carroll Gardens
One Bedroom/Two baths
Approximately 770 square feet
Condo
$770,000
Taxes: $144 per month
Common charges: $323 per month
Open House: Sunday 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Lowdown: Compass broker Kristin Thomas-Senior called this “a very dramatic apartment” given the high ceilings allowed by the lofted second floor.
“As you walk in you see the 15-foot ceilings and an 11-foot, oversized window lined with an exposed brick backsplash,” she said.
Located in a 1938 factory building, the apartment still has a gritty loft vibe, Thomas-Senior noted. There's exposed brick and wooden beams, as well as a historic engraving on the staircase's ironwork.
The current owner, inspired by the original details of the building, designed a wood and metal bookshelf from wood beams and iron piping. He also constructed an old-fashioned library ladder to move across a rail in the shelving.
In the kitchen, he built a glassware rack also made of wood and iron, according to Thomas-Senior.
The apartment is located on the second floor of the condo building.
“But from the second level [of the apartment], you're looking out onto green trees and blue skies,” said Thomas-Senior.
The second level, accessed by a spiral staircase, has eight-foot ceilings. It currently holds a bedroom lined with closets as well as a bathroom.
“You're waking up to natural light,” said Thomas-Senior. “You can see out the window from the loft.”
Location: This building is located about a block from the Gowanus Canal, near the border of Carroll Gardens and Gowanus. Smith and Court Streets, the neighborhood's main drags, are a few blocks away. The closest subway is the F/G line at the intersection of Smith and President Streets.
Why put it on your open house calendar? “If you're a loft lover, this apartment is for you,” said Thomas-Senior.
211 Thompson St., #PH, Greenwich Village
One bedroom/One bath
Approximately 675 square feet
Co-op
$849,000
Maintenance: $1,309 a month
Open House: Sunday, 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Lowdown: One of the biggest perks of this Greenwich Village apartment is the view of Washington Square Park from a private balcony, said Corcoran broker Jacob Cohen.
“Because the apartment is higher up, and two blocks from the park, you're not getting the noise from the park,” he said.
Another benefit of the top-floor unit is that it's lit by a large overhead skylight.
“Everyone at the open house has responded to the incredible light from the skylight,” Cohen noted.
The seller, who has lived there four years, gutted the bathroom and kitchen for a high-end renovation, according to Cohen. The corner kitchen is far from spacious, but there is enough room for a wine cooler and dishwasher.
“There's another unit on the market across the hall that isn't renovated and has no park views,” said Cohen, “And people have said that ours was the superior unit.”
The second floor mezzanine has high enough ceilings “where you can stand more than comfortably,” Cohen said. There's enough room for a bedroom, plus a nook that could be used as office space or extra storage. It could even fit a crib, Cohen added.
Location: Just two blocks south of Washington Square Park, “this is in the heart of Greenwich Village,” Cohen said. The West 4th Street transit hub is less than a five minute walk away.
Why put it on your open house calendar? “You're in an iconic section of New York City, but you have all the modern conveniences in the apartment,” said Cohen.
353 Third St., #B5B, Park Slope
Three Bedrooms/Two baths
Approximately 1,258 square feet
Condo
$1.8M
Taxes: $87 a month
Common charges: $630 a month
Open House: Saturday, April 9, 2-3 p.m. and Sunday, April 10, 1-2 p.m.
Lowdown: “People really have a 'wow moment' when they walk into this apartment,” said Corcoran broker Brian Giambalvo.
The elevator exits directly into the top floor unit, then a hallway leads to a double-height living room with two levels of windows.
As you walk up the stairs to the second level of the apartment, “your view of Downtown Brooklyn gets better as you go up,” Giambalvo said.
The owner, an interior designer, renovated all the closets, remodeled the full bathroom and turned the upper floor into an “owner's suite,” according to Giambalvo.
“It is its own living space apart from the rest of the home,” he said.
There is extra space upstairs currently used as an office. It's separated from the bedroom by a wall for extra privacy.
“Someone at the open house thought it would be a good room for yoga or Pilates,” Giambalvo said.
Giambalvo noted that some open house attendees were taken aback by the high price per square foot of the apartment. But he said the loftiness and second floor make the space seem larger than it actually is.
He added there is an extra 406 square feet of outdoor space, including a spacious roof deck, a Juliet balcony off the bedroom and another balcony off the living room.
The living room balcony is large enough for a two-person dining table or extra storage, Giambalvo said.
“There are 18-foot, 6-inch ceilings in the living room and someone asked how you change a lightbulb,” he said. “I showed them that the owners store a massive ladder out on the balcony.”
Location: This condo is located just west of Fifth Avenue, Park Slope's main thoroughfare. Popular neighborhood restaurant Stone Park Cafe is on the corner, and Washington Park is across the street. It's five blocks to the R train at 9th Street and six blocks to the F/G lines at Fourth Avenue.
Why put it on your open house calendar? “The fact of three outdoor spaces... wherever you are in the apartment you can step outside,” Giambalvo said.
