Open House Report: 320 West 86th Street #6B

320 West 86th Street #6B Co-op, 6 into 5 rooms: 3 beds 3 baths Asks $2,750,000 Maint. $3301 Traffic: Light http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/632545-coop-320-west-86th-street-upper-west-side-new-york 310/320 West 86th - a.k.a. the Royal Summit - and its younger sibling, 302 West 86th, have attracted strong interest from prewar buyers in recent years. The three buildings offer large apartments with... [more]

320 West 86th Street #6B Co-op, 6 into 5 rooms: 3 beds 3 baths Asks $2,750,000 Maint. $3301 Traffic: Light http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/632545-coop-320-west-86th-street-upper-west-side-new-york 310/320 West 86th - a.k.a. the Royal Summit - and its younger sibling, 302 West 86th, have attracted strong interest from prewar buyers in recent years. The three buildings offer large apartments with fine details on a block that is wide but relatively quiet. The advent of 535 WEA, with its elegant appointments and eight-digit sales, has probably bolstered buyer confidence along a stretch of 86th that was once better known as a haven for the homeless and hungry - thanks to the good works conducted at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew - than as a magnet for wealth. Notably, even apartments in rough estate condition have done quite well in the last year, including #6A, a sprawling mess that went to contract very quickly. The new listing for #6B, in move-in condition and currently the pied-a-terre of an Oscar-winner who is very much alive, will draw a different audience. In all four original lines at 310/320 , the living room and one bedroom face north, over 86th Street. The elongated floor plans can be problematic, and the “B” line at 320 is particularly awkward, because the apartment is cut in half by the kitchen and maid’s room - see http://img.streeteasy.com/nyc/image/14/2655714.jpg The reworked layout of #6B makes clever use of the building’s idiosyncrasies. The expanded kitchen is, quite literally, the heart of this home, and it’s as spacious and comfortable as any would-be suburbanite could wish. This central hub is admirably equipped for cooking, eating and even working at home. The main sacrifice in this configuration is the formal dining room, which now serves as the MBR. It seems likely that #6B, like many apartments at 320, was once divided into two apartments, and that the conversion of the DR into a BR with en-suite bath was part of that carve-up. The dining room, and its now-sealed French door portal to the living room, could be restored; the result, however, would be an apartment with two smallish bedrooms divided by a vast expanse of public space. I think it’s best to take #6B on its own terms, as an apartment for a family that entertains informally, unites in a shared “hearth” space, then retires to separate corners for privacy. Although the layout has more in common with newly constructed condos than a traditional six, there are enough classic details here to draw pre-war buyers who are willing to rethink the need for a formal dining room. One possible red flag for #6B is the upcoming gut renovation of #6A. The project will be huge and messy, and will probably include the absorption of a public hallway. For buyers drawn to #6B by its pristine condition, the prospect of demolition and reconstruction next door could be a significant issue. [less]