New NY Times chief buys $3.4m Manhattan apartment

http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/864356-coop-255-west-90th-street-upper-west-side-new-york

255 West 90th Street #9C (Cornwall). Great apartment. Needs everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. Took five months to sell because the owner was quite stubborn about price / unrealistic about condition.

Great layout, and frankly, considering some of the insane prices posted here for small "classic" nothing special 5's and 6's,with tiny bedrooms, not a bad price.

ph41: True - not a bad purchase, in this market. The problem for a lot of buyers - even if they loved the building and could afford the apartment - would be the prospect of a million-dollar renovation project and the year+ wait for move-in.

I knew there'd be a discussion here on this apt!

W81: I consider you the Edwardian expert of SE! This blg was completed in 1910.
Question: Do you think this is the original layout/floor plan? Is the laundry room the original maid's room? Do you think this was originally a 3 bd apt converted to/presented as a 4 bd?

Based on what I've learned from you, I think the bdrm (next to the dining room) is the original dining room. What do you think?

Thanks!

didn't mean to limit my questions to W81, anyone can chime in!

I believe, based on what W81 has said in the past, that the position of the window in that "bdrm" may indicate that it was the dining room.

I also see a dearth of bathrooms for a 3-4 bdrm apt. There's 2.5 baths, but that can't be changed.

The original plan's at http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/id?417264. The current laundry and kitchen had been maids room, pantry, and kitchen. That BR with the corner window was always a bedroom.

On some of the lower floors the plan was reversed, with LR/Lib/DR along B'way and the BRs at the back.

Thanks so much NWT. As I recall, you often find historical layouts.
So, other than the laundry, this is the original layout. Love how the living room was the parlor, so Victorian.
Interesting that the bedroom with the attached bathrm (which I suppose we would call the Master bdrm) has only 1 window, which seems to overlook the courtyard or air shaft.

Also interesting that every apt had a library & that the dining room is about the same size as the parlor. Such different times & expectations.

The most interesting thing about this line, to me, is that reasonable people can disagree about whether the east-facing or west-facing configuration works better. I think the west-facing layout is great on high floors: the flow is very good, and the three enfiladed public rooms take full advantage of the open views. The downside is that three bedrooms face Broadway, but elevation (plus good windows) can mitigate that problem. On low floors, the east-facing layout makes more sense: the bedrooms are at the dark, quiet end if the apartment, and the public rooms get the better views and light. The disadvantage is quirky flow, with a foyer surrounded by bedrooms, but you don't really notice it as you walk through.

Actually, aside from the roof assessment, maintenance is quite low for a UWS 9.