Richard Meier on Prospect Park

PPark: about 4 months ago

I walked past the building again last weekend. I have to say it is looking like it's becoming part of the neighborhood more than I thought it would have, given the contemporary design. the doorman told me that there's a number of people closing and moving in this month. Other than the ugly parking sign (can that really be permanent?) it looks very nice.

jasonkyle: about 4 months ago

they must have thought that puff piece in the real deal was gonna make them popular again

NYCMatt: about 4 months ago

Yeah, that's the way to sell an apartment ... raise the price!

11201: about 4 months ago

Prices on some of their units increased today??

http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/53354-condo-1-grand-army-plaza-prospect-heights-brooklyn

http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/building/1-grand-army-plaza-brooklyn

Increases?? I don't get it. Maybe they're trying to stop lowball offers.

nyc10022: about 4 months ago

62% plus they pay closing costs and drop 50k in cash in your closet.

bignycfan: about 4 months ago

NYCMatt: Anything more than 70.5% from the initial asking price would be insulting. Other than that, you should be fine. That blogger nailed it spot-on. I'm sure he's talking from experience, so we'll go along with his advice.

NYCMatt: about 4 months ago

" I got the distinct impression that no serious offer would be dismissed, as long as it wasn't insulting."

Define "insulting".

These prices need to come down another 70%.

ILoveMuayThai: about 4 months ago

the common charges seem very high in this building. i wonder what the unabated taxes are going to be. if they are not unusually low, in a few years the monthlies will be out of control.

bignycfan: about 4 months ago

I believe the discounts were in the order of at least 20% off the original pricing. But I got the distinct impression that no serious offer would be dismissed, as long as it wasn't insulting. So, I'd try 35% and see where that got me. My best advice is to stay away from the rear of the bldg. The agent said that there were plans to build an elaborate water feature back there, or something like that. But whatever it's going to be, it won't be anything for a good while yet. An Apt facing the park, without a balcony overhead, seems like a best buy.

And nightshade is right in his/her over all assessment. Finishes are so-so, but 35% off can help remedy most of the small stuff.

nightshade: about 5 months ago

I had a very different experience at the building. Although I'm not buying, the units we saw were great, and there's no comparison to other new construction in park slope. The 'starchitect' thing is done for now, for sure...nobody assumes anymore that simply attaching a good architect's name to a project means it's automatically worth 25% more. But in reality he is one of the world's great architects for a reason-- and that does matter to how the building will be seen 5, 10, 20 years down the road. As opposed to some other unnamed developments in brooklyn and even manhattan this one, IMO, will be looking great.
Regarding the finishes, not good to be showing apartments with warped floors, I agree. As someone with some construction experience I can tell you that as the floors adjust to humidity they will expand and contract...if this is the case this problem is easily solved. Certainly the deal with new construction is, at your walk through inspection, anything amiss is added to the punchlist and must be taken care of to meet the specifications at the developer's cost.
I thought the rest of the finishes were great...functional, clean, not over-the-top.

mintmeow: about 5 months ago

bignycfan: How much discounting is being offered? What apt size (or #s) did you see?

I'm curious to get more insight into the latest pricing/availability in this building.

Thanks
M

bignycfan: about 5 months ago

I was very unimpressed with the finishes. The day I checked out apts there, the agent just brushed aside my observation that the floors in one unit were severely warped. "Oh, I hadn't noticed." The flooring were buckling to the point where someone could actually trip! Anyway, great design of the bldg over all, but the quality of construction and finishes left me with a very bad feeling. Simply not worth the price, regardless of the hefty discounting being offered. You do get what you pay for. Period.

NYCMatt: about 6 months ago

I have to admit, from what i've seen on their website, it's a gorgeous building. And I'm not really one for the glass curtain walled buildings. But the views are beautiful, and I adore Prospect Park.

That said, it IS on the wrong side of the tracks, and anyone moving there will be forever crossing the equivalent of an Interstate highway in Grand Army Plaza to get to Park Slope, since God knows there's no reason to think of even turning your head in the other direction.

And as I commented in another thread, moving this far into Brooklyn is for people who actually want to live and play in Brooklyn. Manhattan-centrics will spend either half their life on the subway to and from the city, or half their paychecks on cabs.

carnegie: about 6 months ago

vecie, you will get that poor lady fired...

vecie: about 6 months ago

I passed by there on Monday (Mem day) to check it out and there was a very nice cleaning lady acting as doorman. None else. According to her the building is really empty, and fewer than 30 apts are sold. I think that figure is too low 'cause some may actually use it as piede-a-terre, but nontheless they are clearly having occupancy issues.
I would be surprise if they don't start lowering prices.

GraffitiGrammarian: about 6 months ago

oh dear, I think there are some shills on this thread!

how dumb to talk about this location as if it were the Slope. It's very near the boundary between Prospect Heights and Crown Heights. Crown Heights is full of drug problems and poverty problems.

It's so funny to me when people come into a New York neighborhood they don't know and say, my, what an undiscovered country! As if all the generations of people who went before somehow missed out on something. As if they were all stupid.

They weren't. There's a reason this area didn't gentrify for generations. Buyer beware.

PPark: about 6 months ago

delaware...what price per square foot are you referring to for a 'beautiful renovated house in park slope?'

HunterDouglasBlinds: about 8 months ago

Comment was deleted by moderator.

delaware: about 8 months ago

the prices are ridiculous for the location. you can get a beautiful renovated house in park slope, which is a much better place to be, for half the price/sq ft. basically nothing in richard meyers is moving----apartments have been on the market forever. there are recently price reductions. the building is on the wrong side of the tracks and you have to cross flatbush ave, which is essentially a highway, and walk several blocks to park slope to find some amenities. but it seems like the developer is counting on folks like those who entered the previous postings---folks just arrived from manhattan who dont know the difference between park slope and prospect heights (there is a BIG difference) and say, "wow it's cheaper than manhattan" (though not much), and dont do any shopping a few block away.

delaware

PPark: about 8 months ago

what's happening with this building? prices seem to be holding steady? i'm surprised given how we've seen manhattan prices fall, and given the fact the developers must have planned on an early sell out.

rzakem: about 17 months ago

My partner and I purchased a large one bedroom/two bathroom unit in the building. It is a beautiful building inside and out, but that beauty does indeed come at a price. It is pricey for Brooklyn, but it's a very nice location...being near the Park, the Museum and the Library. Park Slope is just a short walk away, and Prospect Heights actually has a nice bohemian feel to it. If you need space and want to be in that neighborhood, for sure, buy a brownstone. For us, it's simply a pied-a-terre, for half of what the same apartment would have cost in Manhattan (forgetting even the signature architect). The same apartment in a Richard Meier building in Manhattan would have been quadruple the price. I guess for us, when you're use to Manhattan prices, the price of this apartment seemed reasonable for what we're getting. Actually the larger apartments are really a bargain, but I would agree that the two bedroom units are less so.

eric_cartman: about 17 months ago

I think it sticks out like an eye-sore in an otherwise beautiful brownstone area. The building itself is beautiful, but its the wrong neighborhood for that design. I'd just go out and buy a brownstone rather than a 2 bed in this building.

mayhouse: about 17 months ago

I was visiting the Brooklyn Museum a weekend ago, and was immediately struck by the building, without knowing that is was a Richard Meier design. It is attractively located near Prospect Park, BUT...you also had the feeling that it was more suited for exhibitionists as the floor to wall windows and particular location suggests that your life is for "all the world to see." With windows like that and natural light...who wants to put in blinds and curtains. I could only wonder if it wasn't a inside joke by Meier.

kierbaudy: about 19 months ago

I remember as a kid how frightening that neighborhood was, it is amazing how much things have changed in the last 20-30 years. It used to be a beautiful place in the 1950's and it sounds like it is nice again.

cleanslate: about 19 months ago

I've never been to an open house. I get updates for this building and a few weeks ago, a 4 mil unit went into contract. It does not look like the prices are budging.

I do not know if it was on the wrong side of the park, I've never gone to Prospect Park. Anyway, it's in front of the largest library in Brooklyn, and that building looks nice. And a few blocks away is that newly renovated museum, which looks great. The botanical garden is pretty close too. The best thing about it though is that there's a monument like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris (though not exactly the same thing) on that circular road. It looks amazing at night. Transportation is not a problem too, the subways are just right there. I also saw some restaurants around the area.

SSNYC: about 19 months ago

I looked at it but thought it was on the wrong side of the park. I also thought it was too far from any support that would be needed like stores. Seems out of place to me , for the money. How are sales going?

cleanslate: about 19 months ago

I'm surprised nobody is talking about this building. This is probably one of the most expensive new dev't in Brooklyn. It looks darn nice outside, plus the location is very desirable. Anyone seen this place yet?