Floorplans are up for the apts. on the Corcoran website, but not yet on SE.(http://www.corcoran.com/agents/listings.aspx?Region=NYC&userid=135E79&ndevid=557) Initial thoughts and reactions? Thoughts on prices? (I liked that the plans clearly state meters squared for foreign buyers--they know their market.) These are clearly amazing apartments (floorplan porn), but a few things surprised... [more]
Floorplans are up for the apts. on the Corcoran website, but not yet on SE.(http://www.corcoran.com/agents/listings.aspx?Region=NYC&userid=135E79&ndevid=557)
Initial thoughts and reactions? Thoughts on prices? (I liked that the plans clearly state meters squared for foreign buyers--they know their market.)
These are clearly amazing apartments (floorplan porn), but a few things surprised me. If you're startign from scratch and charging a fortune, shouldn't every detail be right?
1. The rooms for live-in maids. I understand that apartments of this size will require full-time caretakers, but this runs counter most of the other apartments in pre-war buildings, where owners are combining maid's rooms to create extra bedrooms, larger kitchens, or MBaths. Also, wouldn't owners prefer the maids' rooms off the kitchen and not next to the family bedrooms?
2. No fireplaces. It's hard to evoke the pre-war ambience without working fireplaces as the center of the LR. Or has this been replaced by flatscreens?
3. Odd configuration of entry hall/service hall between kitchen and service elevator. How could a cook/caterer take out the trash without walking past guests in this arrangement?
4. Closet in Elevator Lobby. Shouldn't the closet be inside the apt?
5. Bar in the Penthouse. I would prefer this to be off in a hall, not in a prime area between the LR and DR.
6. Mansionette Door. Are the front doors of the mansionette really directly across from the main elevators?
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Response by Rob360
about 13 years ago
Posts: 84
Member since: Jun 2010
Over $2000 psf for 79th and lex? The developers know they are on Lexington and not 5th right? Stupid asking prices
Lots of deficiencies, but I think they did pretty well, considering it's a small mid-block lot that can have windows only on the north and south sides, and the usual error of trying to cram too much in.
1. Maid's rooms only for the PH-E (off the family room) and Maisonette-E (off the kitchen) though some of the family-wing bedrooms are nearly as small as the 8'x10' minimum. Still lavish compared to the windowless holes you see in new development in India and South America.
2. Agree, but code for flues now requires much more space than they used to.
3. I don't see that. You do have to cross a hall, but not in sight of the LR/DR.
4. Ideally yes, but don't see where. It's a one-per-floor elevator, and probably secured, so no big deal.
5. Fine for day-to-day, agree it wouldn't work for a bartender. For that I'd just set up a table on the opposite side of that intermediate space, by the door to the back hall.
6. Don't see why that's a problem. I think that little elevator lobby will be more open to the main lobby than it looks.
What's really annoying is that except for the PH and Maisonette, none of the E-line apartments has a linen closet. In a real pre-war there'd be a couple, along with utility and cedar closets.
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Response by ph41
about 13 years ago
Posts: 3390
Member since: Feb 2008
Very surprising that the W apartments don't have a real dining room. And the square shape of the living room makes a living/dining combination awkward, and certainly not what you expect in an apartment for almost $10,000,000
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Response by NWT
about 13 years ago
Posts: 6643
Member since: Sep 2008
Right, for that market you should be allowed a room that's good to have even if not used all that much.
That whole breakfast-area/kitchen/master-closet stretch could be re-apportioned to add a dining room and make the kitchen smaller and more usable. Looks like a chore running around that island to get from refrigerator to stove to sink. The same old island that every rube on HouseHunters wants.
NWT: I agree it's all these small things that would be annoying if you spent that much on an apartment, especially on a new building where they could plan for modern living. And for $10mm, I'd really like a fireplace.
PH41: I can't believe that I missed this, but the lack of a DR in the W apartments is terrible. Hopefully they'll have the option to eliminate the breakfast room and make the kitchen a bit smaller. NWT: I think that a DR next to the kitchen would be useful and could also be used for informal family meals.
I'm still not convinced about the pricing.
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Response by NWT
about 13 years ago
Posts: 6643
Member since: Sep 2008
They may be just testing the water with those plans, and usually there's provision in the offering plan to do some amount of reconfiguring.
They paid $667 per zoning ft² (which is pretty close to sellable ft²) just for the land, but I don't know what multiple of that they need to sell for.
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Over $2000 psf for 79th and lex? The developers know they are on Lexington and not 5th right? Stupid asking prices
makes this look downright cheap.
http://www.philiphousenyc.com/availability/
Lots of deficiencies, but I think they did pretty well, considering it's a small mid-block lot that can have windows only on the north and south sides, and the usual error of trying to cram too much in.
1. Maid's rooms only for the PH-E (off the family room) and Maisonette-E (off the kitchen) though some of the family-wing bedrooms are nearly as small as the 8'x10' minimum. Still lavish compared to the windowless holes you see in new development in India and South America.
2. Agree, but code for flues now requires much more space than they used to.
3. I don't see that. You do have to cross a hall, but not in sight of the LR/DR.
4. Ideally yes, but don't see where. It's a one-per-floor elevator, and probably secured, so no big deal.
5. Fine for day-to-day, agree it wouldn't work for a bartender. For that I'd just set up a table on the opposite side of that intermediate space, by the door to the back hall.
6. Don't see why that's a problem. I think that little elevator lobby will be more open to the main lobby than it looks.
What's really annoying is that except for the PH and Maisonette, none of the E-line apartments has a linen closet. In a real pre-war there'd be a couple, along with utility and cedar closets.
Very surprising that the W apartments don't have a real dining room. And the square shape of the living room makes a living/dining combination awkward, and certainly not what you expect in an apartment for almost $10,000,000
Right, for that market you should be allowed a room that's good to have even if not used all that much.
That whole breakfast-area/kitchen/master-closet stretch could be re-apportioned to add a dining room and make the kitchen smaller and more usable. Looks like a chore running around that island to get from refrigerator to stove to sink. The same old island that every rube on HouseHunters wants.
For comparison, here's how the same ft²/beds/baths yielded a separate (albeit none too big) DR at the Laureate: http://img.streeteasy.com/nyc/attachment/show/513188-the-laureate.jpg
Those prices will stick
NWT: I agree it's all these small things that would be annoying if you spent that much on an apartment, especially on a new building where they could plan for modern living. And for $10mm, I'd really like a fireplace.
PH41: I can't believe that I missed this, but the lack of a DR in the W apartments is terrible. Hopefully they'll have the option to eliminate the breakfast room and make the kitchen a bit smaller. NWT: I think that a DR next to the kitchen would be useful and could also be used for informal family meals.
I'm still not convinced about the pricing.
They may be just testing the water with those plans, and usually there's provision in the offering plan to do some amount of reconfiguring.
They paid $667 per zoning ft² (which is pretty close to sellable ft²) just for the land, but I don't know what multiple of that they need to sell for.
For that money, I'd go across the street to 136.
The condo declaration and plans have been filed at http://a836-acris.nyc.gov/DS/DocumentSearch/DocumentDetail?doc_id=2013100400989002
Plans seem to mostly match the marketing versions, except that the huge $50M PH19 is now split into PH19E and PH19W.