Hello Maison East résidents, I'm very interested the E line apartments of your building, and I'm just wondering if the South-facing views are in danger at all. While walking in the neighborhood, I saw that there are 2 or 3 low-rises on South 81st that I’m worried about. They look like residential buildings—one is a rental owned by Brodsky Associates—that also rent out to stores on the ground... [more]
Hello Maison East résidents,
I'm very interested the E line apartments of your building, and I'm just wondering if the South-facing views are in danger at all. While walking in the neighborhood, I saw that there are 2 or 3 low-rises on South 81st that I’m worried about. They look like residential buildings—one is a rental owned by Brodsky Associates—that also rent out to stores on the ground floor.
Does anyone who recently bought an E line—or currently lives in an E line—know anything about how safe the views are?
From what I understand, you can never be absolutely sure if the low-rise adjacent to your building will be torn down and replaced with some monstrosity that will block your view. The only “safe” bets are views that are legally protected because they overlook a park, a river, or historically significant buildings, such as brownstones, etc. Also, if there’s a church or school, most likely these buildings won’t be torn down.
The reason I ask all this—besides the fact one of my friends bought a condo (in Chicago), and the next year, the adjacent lot began constructing a new high rise. LOL.
Also, I saw an interesting pattern of past sales: within the past year, there have been a lot of E units that have sold:
20E (currently listed)
2B (currently listed)
24 E (currently listed)
18A (currently listed)
14B (sold 2/6/14)
5E (sold 12/19/13)
21E (sold 12/18)
19C (sold 9/10/13)
9E (sold 7/22/13)
7E (sold 7/11/13)
9B (sold 5/13/13)
25E (sold 5/9/13)
Then, from May, 2013 to April, 2012—the pattern gets more even:
13 C
9A
25B
2A
6B
12E
19B
25E
21B
9A
The building seems to only have 4 lines: A, B, C and E (no D line!?!)
Is there something brewing and that's why so many E lines have been on the market? Or is this just a coincidence?
I'd appreciate any feedback from current or former residents.
Thanks so much.
C. Wolf
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Response by NWT
over 11 years ago
Posts: 6643
Member since: Sep 2008
The developers of 1438 bought the air rights from 1430. 1430 can't be built higher than it already is. That's why those higher-floor E-line glass rooms cantilever over 1430.
Then you have a whole block-front to the south, from 81st to 80th, of old tenements.
Check the Department of Buildings for each one. The site will say whether it's landmarked. (I'm pretty sure none of them are.) Then check ACRIS for the ownership of each one. They'll probably be different LLCs, so see whether they have addresses in common, or anything to indicate whether one underlying entity has been buying them up. Also check the addresses on the tax bills.
Big developers like the Brodskys don't buy shitbox tenements to sit on them forever, collecting retail rents from thrift stores.
On the other hand, you won't be paying for an unprotected view, and you could be dead and gone by the time the developer accumulates the block-front.
You could also get lucky. E.g., a low building across the street from me, allowing a river view, got landmarked just when its owner was looking to sell for redevelopment. Or look at those tenements on First between 64th and 65th that just got landmarked. Nobody imagined they ever would be, but there're always surprises.
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Response by front_porch
over 11 years ago
Posts: 5321
Member since: Mar 2008
I don't really work the East side (and wouldn't comment on whether views are protected if I did -- that's a job for lawyers) but it's worth pointing out that of course Maison East has a D-line. On the lower floors, they seem to be 1-BRs; on the upper floors, a small Jr. 4.
ali r.
{downtown broker}
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Response by CoyWolf
over 11 years ago
Posts: 124
Member since: Jul 2007
Wow. Thanks so much NWT, and Ali!
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Response by maxd
over 11 years ago
Posts: 3
Member since: Jan 2008
Coy Wolf, the only way that you or anyone will be able to tell is if you hire an architect to conduct a zoning analysis. Anyone who think they know is kidding themselves
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Response by alanhart
over 11 years ago
Posts: 12397
Member since: Feb 2007
Note to 5 months ago:
Now that the City has gotten into the business of creating from whole cloth and immediately selling air rights (vs. transfer of existing air rights, as has been going on for some years), don't assume that a shrimpy little building that already sold its rights away can't be ripped down and replaced with more dreary placeholders for the dirty money of oligarchs and the like. Plus the usual TFBs, of course.
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Response by Porscha
about 9 years ago
Posts: 0
Member since: Feb 2008
Does anyone have any updated views on how secure the south views are? Thanks!
The developers of 1438 bought the air rights from 1430. 1430 can't be built higher than it already is. That's why those higher-floor E-line glass rooms cantilever over 1430.
Then you have a whole block-front to the south, from 81st to 80th, of old tenements.
Check the Department of Buildings for each one. The site will say whether it's landmarked. (I'm pretty sure none of them are.) Then check ACRIS for the ownership of each one. They'll probably be different LLCs, so see whether they have addresses in common, or anything to indicate whether one underlying entity has been buying them up. Also check the addresses on the tax bills.
Big developers like the Brodskys don't buy shitbox tenements to sit on them forever, collecting retail rents from thrift stores.
On the other hand, you won't be paying for an unprotected view, and you could be dead and gone by the time the developer accumulates the block-front.
You could also get lucky. E.g., a low building across the street from me, allowing a river view, got landmarked just when its owner was looking to sell for redevelopment. Or look at those tenements on First between 64th and 65th that just got landmarked. Nobody imagined they ever would be, but there're always surprises.
I don't really work the East side (and wouldn't comment on whether views are protected if I did -- that's a job for lawyers) but it's worth pointing out that of course Maison East has a D-line. On the lower floors, they seem to be 1-BRs; on the upper floors, a small Jr. 4.
ali r.
{downtown broker}
Wow. Thanks so much NWT, and Ali!
Coy Wolf, the only way that you or anyone will be able to tell is if you hire an architect to conduct a zoning analysis. Anyone who think they know is kidding themselves
Note to 5 months ago:
Now that the City has gotten into the business of creating from whole cloth and immediately selling air rights (vs. transfer of existing air rights, as has been going on for some years), don't assume that a shrimpy little building that already sold its rights away can't be ripped down and replaced with more dreary placeholders for the dirty money of oligarchs and the like. Plus the usual TFBs, of course.
Does anyone have any updated views on how secure the south views are? Thanks!