Open House Report: 255 West 90th Street #2C

255 West 90th Street #2C Coop, six rooms; 3BR/2BA Asks $2,095,000; Maint. $1,532 Traffic: Moderate Halstead describes this Cornwall three-bedroom as a classic six. That’s a misnomer, as the apartment is a carve-up. The original “C” line is a sprawling nine. #2C comprises about two-thirds of the original footprint: the four front rooms plus the kitchen and servant’s quarters. The northwest wing has... [more]

255 West 90th Street #2C Coop, six rooms; 3BR/2BA Asks $2,095,000; Maint. $1,532 Traffic: Moderate Halstead describes this Cornwall three-bedroom as a classic six. That’s a misnomer, as the apartment is a carve-up. The original “C” line is a sprawling nine. #2C comprises about two-thirds of the original footprint: the four front rooms plus the kitchen and servant’s quarters. The northwest wing has been severed. The original parlor – complete with mantel – now serves as the master bedroom, and shares a bathroom with the adjacent bedroom. The maid’s room has annexed some adjacent space and become a serviceable third bedroom, equipped with a video projector as an alternative to mounting a flat-screen TV on scarce wall frontage. The most obvious deficiency of this layout is the lack of a bedroom wing. The master is reached through the dining room. The other two bedrooms are accessed directly from the foyer and entry hall, respectively. Split bedrooms usually appeal to families with older children. Unfortunately, the jack-and-jill master bath might undermine that appeal. What #2C lacks in flow it largely makes up in style. The apartment is handsomely finished and meticulously maintained. The 2007 renovation shows very little wear, and was done with great respect for the apartment’s WWI-era heritage. Details have been preserved where possible, and the modern updates – particularly in the kitchen and baths – are sufficiently neutral to maintain harmony. #2C looks beautiful in the listing, and it’s just as nice in person. Keep in mind that those elegant front-facing rooms perch over a busy stretch of Broadway. The owners have done everything possible to mitigate noise and traffic, with City Windows and tasteful shutters along the apartment’s eastern edge. There is little to suggest the close proximity of the M104 bus or the City Diner. They are out there, however, and they always will be. #2C will need a buyer who doesn’t mind the low floor and odd layout. That buyer will enjoy an important bonus each month: a maintenance bill more commonly associated these days with smaller, weaker apartments in less attractive buldings. Do the nice renovation and low monthlies justify a $2.1MM price for an apartment that sold for $1.425MM in 2007? It's hard to say. Unique apartments like #2C are notoriously difficult to price. [less]