Sale at 40-50 East 10th Street #6J

What do you want to know? I already gave you some information. Perhaps it would be helpful if you had specific questions.

http://streeteasy.com/nyc/talk/discussion/24288-building-at-50-east-10th-street

I looked seriously at the 6J type layout in this building when shopping for a 1 bdrm or jr-4 in GV. The building you ask about is certainly a nice building, prewar dowager--not flashy, plenty of older people who are not amused. Prices are at the top end of 1-bdrooms in the central GV area. I don't think the dorm across the street is a big deal at all. Generally, NYU students make quite nice neighbors and additions to the flavor of the area. I wouldn't want to share a building with them, but being in one across from the students is fine. This is a refined, you-arrived-at-a-certain-station-in-life building. Rooms are nicely proportioned, very gracious entry gallery, "bonus" powder room off kitchen (common in the old days), decent closets, high ceilings, fireplaces were nice features, and I always like a window in the kitchen and bathroom.

But there are negatives -- enough that we ruled out the line of apartments like 6J. 1) high maintenance 2) prices at top of 1-bdrm category and not worth it because of layout issues which are... 3) that gracious entry area is hard to use for anything other than graciously entering. Not wide enough for a real dining area or more than a small desk it accounts for a lot of square footage but offers little in practical terms 4) i find a powder room in the kitchen disgusting and guests either have to use it (and it is TINY) or go into your bedroom to use the full bathroom--for this kind of money that is not acceptable to me; 5) no hallway between livingroom and bedroom is decidedly ungracious and again, not becoming of a unit in this price range; 6) no dining area--you have to eat in the living room or at a tiny table in the entry way, neither of which is acceptable to me at this price. At least in a jr-four post-war you get a real area to call a dining area.

Given all these compromises, I thought the high price of the apartments didn't warrant what I would be getting in terms of layout. And the maintenance really is very high and will only go up. If you spend anything on renovations after buying at $1.25MM+, you ain't getting a penny of that back.

So it boils down to a taste and budget thing. Is this a layout that speaks to you or a layout that mocks what you are to pay to own it? Personal choice. But, still a very nice building--if you buy here, your friends will all ooo and ahhh when they visit.

We looked at an L-line, with almost the same layout but south-facing, in 1991. I almost went for it, but passed for some of the same reasons you did. Really liked the LR with its wall of steel casements. The kitchen and bath had a good 1970s renovation (reddish mottled tile) with the bath and lav connected so you could get to kitchen from BR without making the whole circuit. But for two people, one of whom has the f'ing stereo always blasting, it was too tight. We ended up paying less for more and bigger rooms uptown.

I still pine for it, though. When one of us dies I'm selling and moving to 40-50, where I can be one of those older people who aren't amused....

LOL. I still dream of 40 Fifth.

actually-the nyu dorm across the st IS a big deal. I lived across the st from it briefly and, despite the double pane windows in my bldg, i was woken up constantly by the loud drunken antics of the nyu students hanging out in the st on their way home from the resevoir etc.

I will take your word for it villager. I lived across from the dorm on Fifth Ave b/w 10th and 11th, but that is grad students I think and was always very tame. Now, living further south and closer to the park, and surrounded by NYU students on the streets, but as I've said before, I kind of love the injection of youth the bring to the cityscape. But if Brittany Hall on 10th Street and Broadway is loud as you say, then it is different.

Thank you all for your comments. We just started looking in this area. My partner and I would love to find a 1 preferably 2 bedroom for $1.2 -1.3 in move-in-condition, I've had my fill of renovations. I looked at the 2 bedroom apartment at 30 Fifth Ave which is now in contract. I really liked the layout in that apartment and love the lower Fifth Ave area.
I was told by a realtor that after the New Year there will be an influx of apartments to the sale market.

Good luck alexsierra. 30 Fifth's K-line, as you point out, is very appealing as I said in the "How To Unload An Apartment" thread today http://streeteasy.com/nyc/talk/discussion/13561-how-to-unload-an-apartment . But they aren't going to be $1.3 and most will need some reno.

I think 2 bedrooms in this area within your budget and also not needing reno are going to be tough to find. If I were you, I would look at some of the post-wars where you still get this amazing area of AAA real estate but in more affordable (and admittedly less charming) buildings. In particular, keep an eye on 30 East 9th and 40 East 9th Street--both very nice places to call home. 20 East 9th has some good layouts and you may just find something that fits the fill there but their maintenance crosses over to the high-side. 60 E 8th St is Georgetown Plaza which you might want to watch, also. The building is grotesque, but from the inside it is nice and you don't have to look at the exterior when home. It is a condo and maybe some of the 2 bedroom units there would appeal to you, but there aren't many that seem to come up.

I'm a huge proponent of buying in this section of the city if you are in the market. Its a sophisticated island of calm surrounded by spectacular vitality and a jewel of a park. A couple times this summer on gorgeous evenings I threw together a moveable dinner from Citarella and when my b/f came home from work I took him for an impromtu "date night" picnic on Washington Sq's new lawns. I moved to the area 3 years ago this month, and I still can't believe I get to live here. IMO, living here actually exceeds the hype.

Thanks Kylewest for your insight.