building at 342 East 53rd Street

Definitely don't ask these questions during the board interview.

This isn't the board interview.

It's a small building with only 50 apartments and no retail, so yes the maintenance of $2 a sqft is high. It's more in line with doorman buildings. The building website claims they recently did a roof project and are also redoing the boiler and lobby, lots of projects and lots of $$. I can say that the neighborhood is convenient to everything, retail, restaurants, theater, and you can be in Queens in 5 minutes. If you work in midtown you can't beat the location.

Thanks for that. You seem knowledgeable about the building - do you happen to know the plans for the empty lot to the east? A huge building seems more than likely, and would explain the low and dropping prices of the listings (construction noise in addition to blocking light)...

It'll be a new Toll Bros. building. 342's eastern courtyard will be blocked by a solid wall 26 stories high, instead of looking out on tenement back yards.

Egad! Thank you both (RENY & NWT). Really appreciate it.

Here's a link to the Toll Bros building. It's currently up about 3 stories.

http://newyorkyimby.com/2014/04/revealed-959-first-avenue.html#

Thanks, I always forget about that site. The photos show the courtyard windows of 342's D and E lines. The new building will be an L-shape in plan, with the full-depth leg right up against that courtyard.

The tenement building at the corner will also have its air shafts blocked, but they were never much to begin with.