Open House Report: 924 West End Avenue #83

924 West End Avenue (Clebourne) #83 Coop, eight rooms; 3 BR, 3 BA + double servants’ quarters Asks $3,350,000; Maint. $3366 + long-term assessments Traffic: Light for a first showing (weather was a factor) Location: North of prime UWS; convenient to transportation, with decent dining and nightlife and easy access to Columbia. Elementary school options may be a concern for some buyers. Excellent... [more]

924 West End Avenue (Clebourne) #83 Coop, eight rooms; 3 BR, 3 BA + double servants’ quarters Asks $3,350,000; Maint. $3366 + long-term assessments Traffic: Light for a first showing (weather was a factor) Location: North of prime UWS; convenient to transportation, with decent dining and nightlife and easy access to Columbia. Elementary school options may be a concern for some buyers. Excellent public middle schools are within a few blocks. Whole Foods is a bit of a hike. Lesser shopping options abound on Broadway. Building: The Clebourne is a grand old hulk that greets visitors with a porte-cochère (welcome in today’s rain) and impressive lobby. The Board has tackled some deferred infrastructure upgrades. Unfortunately, that means assessments will persist far into the future. Space: Like #113 three floors above, #83 offers eight well-proportioned rooms. Each of the three family bedrooms occupies its own wing. Two of the bathrooms are en-suite; the other is easily accessible from the central gallery. The main difference in layout between #83 and #113 involves the configuration of the butler’s pantry, which retains its original shape in #83 although the natural traffic flow is disrupted by a large washer-dryer pair. In #113, the pantry has been opened to the kitchen, creating a breakfast nook. The kitchen of #83 still qualifies as eat-in, since there’s room for a table and chairs on the way to the servants’ wing. The maids’ rooms are quite useable, either as home offices or children’s rooms. For the era, closets are excellent. Condition: #83 is mostly original. The pedestal sinks have been replaced, as have the cabinets in the kitchen and pantry. The sinks are fine. The cabinets appear cheap and need at least a facelift, especially in the pantry. The GE appliances – particularly the Café range – are certainly serviceable. Although the bathrooms are dreary, they mostly need tile work. The massive tubs seem to be in good shape after 100 years, and I would be inclined to keep them. The gallery floor has been faithfully replaced; the living and dining rooms probably need the same attention. There is a lot of exposed wiring in #83; sinking it behind moldings would go a long way toward improving the apartment’s appearance, if this could be accomplished without spoiling the old woodwork. I would also consider moving the laundry units, or at least installing shallower machines that would interfere less with kitchen traffic. Potential: #83 and #113 will appeal to essentially the same buyer pool. #83 needs more work – particularly in the master bath. #113 also fully clears the buildings to the south, while #83’s view is partly blocked by mechanicals. The elevation doesn’t make a huge difference, because the southern view from the “3” line consists mostly of the Armstead’s backside. Both apartments have some nice angled views over Broadway to the southeast. In short, nobody will buy either apartment for the view. Their appeal is based on generous space and very good flow. Financial: Although sensibly priced $250K below #113, the listing for #83 might still be ambitious for an apartment with limited views that most buyers will treat as a wreck. [less]