building at 70 Berry Street--williamsburg

has anyone looked at the thread for 72 berry?

I just reread the 69 and 72 threads, which talk some about 70, and saw this (which I had forgotten about, and confirms my impression that the heater was noisy). I don't know who meow is but this carperson wrote this on the 69 thread:

chairman_meow
about 2 weeks ago
ignore this person
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The heaters/air conditioners in 70 Berry looked pretty janky to me - they are hotel style units that stick out from the wall. Any idea how well these work? In the model unit they were extremely noisy - hard to hear myself think loud. Is this typical? The broker insisted that it was loud because the building is still under construction, but then again, she also said that she finds the white noise "soothing".

Moxie -- why did you mention the 72 thread? It contains a lot of the doom talk from driggs (whatever happpened to him???) and others, that hasn't quite happened yet.

I believe all electric heaters are noisy because of their fans. Coming from a building with hot water heat in an old-fashioned radiator, this was a surprise... but since there's hot water going through the (ugly and intrusive) heater whether or not you use the fan, can't you just turn it off most of the time?

i am spooked by the parts of the thread which i don't want to reference for fear that they may happen to me. Just hope my lawyer finishes soon.

i have had the same heating units when i lived at the Helena on w57th. they are noisiest when they kick on but just hum afterwards. where i currently live i have central/air heat that also is at it's nosiest when it kicks on but i also hear the one's above and below me do the same. neither really bothers me as it takes a sonic boom to wake me up.

With all due respect folks, the idea that all of these units sound the same or are the same just makes no sense. I , and at least one other poster thought the model unit heater was strikingly loud, and that may or may not be fair, but unless the commenters here know what the specific brand and model is this is not something that can be generalized about. I just spent two weeks in an apartment with a similar LOOKING unit that was very loud, that did not settle down and hum, or whatever. Each reader can decide whether characteristics are different in any material way , and decide whether any difference matters to them, but to argue implicitly or explicity that they are all the same is simply not accurate.

Personally - to be clear -- I want people who are picky about refrigerators to post what they think, people with a floor fetish to post what they think, etc....so that those of us who might not notice this or that at first glance can at least be aware that there　ＭＩＧＨＴ be an issue. Get my point?.....Remember the developer (who might have cut cost...or maybe just made a bad design or product choice) has not incentive to have us cogitate over this, nor does the broker.

as i hae said before i agree with Jim on his point that the board does not need to be a love fest. i'm thrilled it hasn't devolved into a shouting match(most do)concerning the inevitable market destruction of Wburg. it should be a sounding board of concern on certain construction choices made by the developer.
the heating/a.c unit does bother me if its noisy. i am not lucky enough to sleep thru sonic booms like wannab in fact if my cat steps on the carpet it wakes me up.would like to find out make and model of this unit so i could pull up customer reviews on its performance(anyone who revisits maybe you could provide this info?)
as for another building concern: the windows...i have 2 cats and i am concerned that it appears screens are not an option for this window. i understand the window only opens partially as per child safety requirements but if this lock is removed does anyone know if screens are an option? would hate to think a beautiful spring day could be ruined by flies in the apartment or worse a kitty flying out the window.

Re flies - Stuck in nyc and went to a friends apartment in Wmburg last night, which is 6th floor penthouse loft, and he is installing screens because last summer when he moved in he was surprised by what he called mosquitos, I've always been in hi-rises in nyc, without screens, and never noticed flies, so this surprised me a bit...and I was wondering how many windows even allow that. (By the way, the doors on the terrace in this apartment are sliding doors, which is much nicer than swinging as I have said, and they have a track for a screen but the developer didn't put it in.)

I live on the 15th floor in LIC, on the water. Open windows=mosquitoes and flies. Re: noise. This is New York and not a place for light sleepers. I have lived in New York since 1982 and have yet to live in an apt where the heating/ac did not make some noise. Central air/heat tend to be the quietest. Wall units such as those at this development, are louder. In NYC you should assume you will be running the AC quite a bit in the summer and the heat a few times in the winter. I find most apts overheated just by the building common space heat.

Let me clarify "light sleeper". i have lived in the city for over 20yrs as well and have developed the skills to sleep thru sirens, jackhammers, car horns ect. However if you put a clock nxt to me that ticks too loud it will keep me awake all night. so the prospect of "white noise" troubles me. hence for me i would love to find out the make and model of the hvac unit?
also would like to know if custom screens will be able to be made for our windows?
as for whether flies or mosquitoes can enter your place like wannab if my windows on the 8th fl(on uws) are open= flies and mosquitoes

Signed contracts back from lawyer. Now the real fun begins.

going to sign contracts at my lawyer tomorrow

Anyone know if the parking spaces are deeded and if so what's the asking price?

40,000 bucks....deeded...ribboned and bowed...

screens? anyone?

Moxie, my friend, the developer is a nice guy (met him on the site), and he personally selected the windows in discussions with the factory somewhere down south (they swing outward because he felt that would be the best way to prevent rainwater getting in), and he plans to live in the building himself in the last unsold unit, so he would be the best one to discuss screens with, I would think. I really like the building, but wasn't wild about the windows, which is a big issue for me.

thanks jim. i will ask him when(hopefully)i move in....understand windows being a big issue..when your buying a good ole' nyc apt the size of a postage stamp(like me) windows are a huge consideration.

they are making decisions about things like the lobby...you buyers should weigh in ...

That's good to know. We were walking through and met the developers' vp of construction, didn't ask about windows (or heaters) but asked about moving a door - which they can't do until they pass inspection, which has to conform exactly to plan, apparently. My husband hates the "hand-planed" floors but apparently that's not flexible either, even in apartments that don't have them in yet.

Anyone have details regarding the lobby? I was told they're putting some sort of office center there, but seems kind of odd.

The idea is cubicles so that home office people can come down and sort of work there. Seems ridiculous tome since only a couple or few people would use it, and everyone would have to look at it. WHy do this? Id rather have a bike rack or an empty room with some art hanging....

i agree jim truly a silly idea.i will not spend a minute there.my wife and i kept joking with the broker "so that's where the gym should have been?".broker.."well its going to be an extension of your home office with internet connection blah,blah...us.."so that's where the gym should have been?"...also what does "wired for cappucino mean?" will there be a community high end machine in lobby or will we all be expected to be wired on caffeine when in the common area?

I'm purchasing here as well and I would be happy with a big TV and a couple of couches?

i agree t.v room would be more functional.
also may i ask those of you who read this board and are either in contract or in the process of being in contract a question? without needing to reveal what unit you are buying could you tell me if your place is one of the 7 listed as "in contract?" i am trying to get a handle on how many units have actually been spoken for. i know SE shows units that the brokers say are off the market. i can only assume these are accepted offers waiting to go into contract??

I'm in contract

jmg on a place listed as in contract on streeteasy?

why would you want a tv room in your building?

yes

i wouldn't want a t.v room...just think its less stupid than a home office area..both are weird

Going to see the building tomorrow afternoon, looking for a 2 bedroom, just curious how well is the space used in the 1150sq ft units. Closets? 1 bath or 2, can't find a floor plan anywhere on the web. Any help would be appreciated.

manhattantr....2 br layout looks pretty functional..open kitchen living room with island..1st b.r is 13'6"x 11'6" with an in b.r closet of about 5'x2'...2nd br is 13' 11"x 12' 10" with a walk in closet outside that br of maybe 5x4...also one of the few places with two exposures north and east.. most places have north exposure a few with just south and even fewer with 2 exposures

manhattantransplant
unit 2F in contract... the SE page has a floor plan the 2br are the f line

Thanks all, I appreciate the input

I'll post my thoughts tomorrow after I check it out for anyone interested.

Moxie...first of all thank you for recognizing the importance of screened windows in responsible cat care. "Highrise syndrome" is an all too common occurance in NYC where people don't realize that, no matter how many times the "cats been fine when I left the window open" all it takes is once for tragedy and heartbreak. Further, even you are fanatical about keeping windows closed and eyes on cats who is to say that people working in or visiting your apartment would be as vigilant? You need screens.
That being said, I would check with the management company but chances are you can have custom screens installed regardless of window design (old school casement windows are probably the worst of the worst) its not cheap but since you are buying I assume you (and your kitties) plan to be there awhile and is a value add at resale (especially to a buyer with cats, but also to bug haters and that's just about anyone). Good luck.

thx liz will look into custom screens..love my pets and as a matter of fact i love other peoples' pets as well as i am a dog walker/pet sitter.the bugs not so much.

We have an accepted offer...very excited!

Is it possible to "weigh-in" as a group on the lobby space? I'm more inclined to the couches/TV idea than an office lounge. If anything, less is more...the owners could agree on its best use later on.

what unit did you take shamrock?

-hi jim

I'll reveal once we sign/send contracts back...don't want to jinx it :)

hey sham,
hope everything works out. i am also waiting for my contracts to be returned to my lawyer. as for the office space i think it would be wise to band together as i have yet to hear anyone who thinks its a good idea.

hey jim,
saw on another thread your gone for the winter. somewhere warm i hope.

my idea is save money on the empty space which could be library,party room,t.v room ect....and instead be the first developer in bburg to PLANT TREES outside the building..maybe you'll be a trendsetter mr. developer

moxie, others have planted trees, but they're a bit shabby for my tastes. It seems like a pretty low-cost thing, so I'm surprised it's such an afterthought.

cool thing about trees, they can be shabby today but nicer every passing year..just think the nabe could be improved with a little greenery

I'm sure the buyers can get together and influence the space off the lobby. My husband and I both work from home and were kind of intrigued by an office space with a different view and perhaps company. Thought Oslo or some other contractor could provide coffee service. We'd have no use for a tv room and prefer to go out to a gym where there's more distraction going on, but a fresh-direct refrigerator or something else might be useful. BTW there will be trees planted along the sidewalks = it's in the offering plan.

im not living there,probably !, but just for the sake of discussion, shouldn't an amenity in a small building, whatever it is, be something that a pretty high percentage of the building wants, will use sometimes...

hey lofty,
are the trees shown in the second amendment?(if so where?)
i don't believe i was sent the original offering plan just 2nd amendment and purchase agreement.

eek, have to look it up... later. have 50 people coming over this afternoon.

the trees are already in and the scaffolding is down. yeah! as for the office space it most certainly can be changed into whatever we owners want as it is so generic but i like the fact there are few maintenance raising useless amenities in this building. i'm with lofty on an alternate place to do some work and no gym. and parties for 50+ people.

how high do the trees grow?..would they obsure anything on a lower floor in a few years?...i ask because the sidewalks arent super wide as i recall

not sure what type of trees they are. the most common street trees in nyc are the london plane tree and norway maple. both grow pretty tall.

great news to hear the trees are in. wanna did you notice how they were put in? flush to the sidewalk or in boxes ect?
Jim. i actually chose a 3rd fl unit over 2nd fl mainly because i felt you could look into the 2nd fl places from the street. don't know if thats a good trade off for a partially obscured view?

Jim. i actually chose a 3rd fl unit over 2nd fl mainly because i felt you could look into the 2nd fl places from the street. don't know if thats a good trade off for a partially obscured view?

i didnt get what you are saying about a tradeoff

You went to the third floor to have a better view of the 2nd floor people across the street? Or you feared their second could see you (but there isnt a third over there)...

Is there any procedure in nyc to clip trees if they obscure a lot of views from a unit?

sorry to be unclear. i simply meant i chose a 3rd floor unit because i thought you could see into the 2nd fl places from the street. Hence the trees may obscure your view out(on the 2nd fl) but they should also prevent such a clear view in from the street.

hopefully tree spacing is such that all the view wont be eclipsed for those on second floor

trees are flush. not sure about spacing but will check next time i'm out there

any of you wmburg people know what is the large new rental building just south of nsp?...it was pointed out to me by the guy at 80 met but he said he didn't know anything about it..

Do you mean 184 Kent? http://www.rentonkent.com
Not sure how he can not know anything about it... It could be a pretty spectacular space - and one I imagine they could have actually sold well as condos, at the right price.
Tina
(Brooklyn broker)

We were hoping 184 Kent would open in time for us - looks like a cool building - but we had to move in October.

The less amenities the best as the more amenities (like other buildings have big screen tv, gym and juice/coffee bar) the more expensive the monthlies. I personally think some nice couches and wifi should be good enough for the lobby. Why need a big screen tv and coffee machine if you already have one in your home?

wifi is cool. couches would be fine. t.v unnecessary and cubicles have just always seemed to be the weird idea to me.

Couches make some sense since you could buzz someone in, and they sit to wait you come down to meet them. I could see wifi for the building if it saved people money...but i dont see why needed in the lobby.

Coffee seems to me trying to make it like the vip lounge at a marriot...yuck...and cubicles to me would be a down-vibe if heavily used...who wants to walk by someone's workspace...and who wants the lobby to look like an office...and max a handful would use it while all would have to look at it...

how about 38 lockers for all that inconsequential crap that clutters your apartment.
winter coats, jeans that you need to lose 7 pounds to fit into, the 176 cd's that you
never listen to, but can't throw out, the 68 samuel french scripts you'll need if you
ever decide to go back to acting...................

best idea i"ve heard by far jmg

I was through the building last week and I think Jim may be wrong about this ‘office space’. The broker who took me through had a big file on what its supposed to be like. There are NO CUBICLES!!!!! Whoever heard that…heard WRONG!!!

Their idea, as explained to me was that it was just supposed to be a place to hang…or work…or study. It’ll have communal tables (like a big dining room table) comfy stylin chairs and some built in desks. NO PARTITIONS anywhere, she showed me the floor plan their working on.
Guys…this idea is WAY better than having an expensive big TV…it’s too bright in that room anyway and the remote will always be lost!! A gym is waaay too expensive to maintain & insure, besides there is a gym two blocks away.

BTW some of us work from home, sometimes with clients, and we don’t want to chance going to El Beit on Bebford Ave. (awesome coffee) & not get a seat!!!

I heard this from the developer. To me built-in desks isn't a far cry from cubicles, and I can't swear as to what he said about partitions, but he made definitely clear it was for people using it as a kind of office-function, To each his own, and let the building majority decide, but I personally think I wouldn't like to look at people hanging out in the lobby, think only a small percent would benefit, think its odd that anyone would go there to "hang out" (again, this is a residential building, not a hotel), think a tv is odd also (don't people have one in their apartment, and who wnats to sit in the lobby). This discussion is interesting to me as to things to be wary of in a building. I think a lobby should be just that, period, as it is in the vast majority of multi-unit human dwellings in nyc.

hey eye,
I hear you on the t.v its a bad idea. I would prefer a gym but see how it can be an unnecessary expense(although I'm pretty sure their going to charge me and my wife for a membership even though its 2 blocks away). The lament that you work from home and sometimes meet clients and don't want to miss a seat at El Beit?
I'm sorry but this whole new era of coffee shops as surrogate office space is just strange. Don't want the lobby to be an extension of that bizzaro new world.

high end storage
you'll thank me later

i definitely do not like the idea of a tv in the lobby. i think the coffee/workspace/wifi is an amenity complex that costs little but sets the building apart from the competition. it is more about marketing than anything else. frankly it appealed to me. thousands of ny'ers flock to cafes daily to be together alone. so why not replicate that trend in a condo? prefer this to useless maintenance raising amenities.

I would think nice storage would be something everyone could agree on.

The point about workspace/coffee/wifi: obviously this appeal to a few who might use it, but is that fair to majority of others who won't use it, and who think it adds a weird feel to the lobby air that really ought to be a kind of neutral zone.

Nice storage is not only something most people would agree on, it also would improve the resale value of all units. It would be a very practical use of the extra lobby space.

from what i remember the lobby is not one open space. having storage units at the lobby level would be unsightly. the workspace area looks out to the courtyard. tables/chairs/couches, if properly selected, are not eyesores and wouldn't block the natural light. there seems to be plenty of room in the garage/basement however and that's where storage units should go.

why don't we all meet at the bldg sometime this month and look at the options.

I think the buyers should start a private chat - a google group or something. Moxie or Wanna, can you set up? Or do you want to meet for a beer somewhere near the building?

set up a google group here:

http://groups.google.com/group/70-berry?hl=en

left it open access for anyone to join but we can restrict at any time

would like a group visit to the site. i am around this weekend but going to costa rica for 11 days after that

Thanks for setting up the google group wb. going to join now.

Wannabuy what is price per foot? Do you think 550 per foot is reasonable?

guys...once you have peace and concensus...let us know what u decide....

remember - compromise: big couches with storage compartments underneath; one cushion compartment per unit; desk tops that disassemble into bench presses with weights that descend from the ceiling, and so forth..

jerry: not sure what you're asking. do i think 550 sq/ft is reasonable for the remaining units here? no. i see that warehouse 11 is back on the market with some lower floor units at that price. that building went into foreclosure and i think they want to get some units out the door,

jim: i know some condos in tokyo that could use your design skills

wanna..i may be in costa rica at some point,not sure yet, but if you see someone poolside in a prada thong reading se, it might be me

dinner's ruined

thanks wannabuy. i'm around this weekend too.

Anyone know what the story is with window cleaning?
Broker said maintenance covers cleaning twice a year.
Offering plan states it is not covered by maintenance, but that owners are required to have them cleaned twice a year.
Having looked at the windows, I don't know how this can be done ourselves.

i remember it being owners responsibility.

jim: just get a brazilian wax first

Sorry, how much did you pay per foot?

contract does not allow me to discuss this.sorry

lofty..if you see this..i remember, i think, you discussing white noise or highway noise at your current place on roebling or near roebling..i'm sure that is not an issue at 70 berry, but i was wondering if you would guess that would be an issue for units on the front or back of w11....thanks

the only noise will be that of Isack Rosenberg wheeling out your appliances
(sorry, i couldn't resist)

all i can tell you is you won't be able to make an assessment of that on "opening night"(intentionally).
the timing of the event and the presence of the d.j should do away with your chance of determining outside noise. i remember leaving the 471 keap st open house with my wife and saying "you got to give it to those guys for having an open house at night so the fact that the building is enshrouded in cinder block is less apparent"

Jim, I don't know - but I'm coming to the conclusion that if you can see the BQE, you can hear the BQE. See what's between it and W11. We have a new building coming up that I'm hoping will block the highway from my bedroom window.

a dj on opening night? really?...In my view that's an insult to the intelligence of potential buyers. As is the whole hip-vibe glossy brochure garbage at nsp and the like.

all i can tell you is there was a dj at 471 keap. reminded me i was over 40.

are we doing the sunday noon thing

Yes. I asked my realtor to ask Sarah but haven't heard back... could call her directly.

yes we're on for sunday noon. we should look at the lobby space and storage areas in the garage. also there has been some discussion about pulls on the cabinets. should get that clarified as well.

how many are we? me, wanna, jmg, moxie... jim? anyone else? reply to this thread or the googlegroup: http://groups.google.com/group/70-berry?hl=en

I'll be there as well. Lofty will you confirm when you are able to speak with Sarah or Deborah? Just to make sure we'll have access .

Sarah can meet us. I will confirm on the googlegroup, since it seems more appropriate. Please join if you have signed a contract at 70 Berry.

When do you all think this building is going to be finished? Ready to move in?