Why is the price so low for Unit 72?

Not a peaceful location: NW corner of Park and 34th St. (although many apartments face the interior of the block, so may be quieter). Most units aren't very large, but if you're looking for a pied-a-terre for short business trips when visiting from Nowhere, it might be perfect.

What's going on with Unit 104?

Re 104, the person below bought it in cash for $540k and apparently changed her mind.

Ouch. Even crazier because it looks like the March 2020 purchase was the result of a bidding war.

An even nicer pied-a-terre, in my opinion, is the building across the street, 10 Park. It used to be a hotel. I stayed there whilst searching for the apartment I eventually bought. I actually loved the location since I came from a very quiet suburb. It had all the excitement I thought of when fantasizing the Big Apple. Yes, it was a bit noisy, but it was close to transportation and all that midtown offers. The apartment I eventually bought near 16th and 7th Avenue is actually noisier than 34th and Park. Isn't all of Manhattan noisy????

Wow that's crazy. If you like 104, I guess there's potential to strike a good deal. The seller seems motivated.
The only other better deal I saw in the low end market is this one.
https://streeteasy.com/building/the-sutton-house/2fc

The Sutton House, 2fc is SO cookie cutter, but good deal with reasonable maintenance.

Sutton House (original) floorplans are definitely 'cookie cutter' in that they are all traditionally laid out apartments -- efficient use of space, good room sizes and plenty of closets, and a traditional bathroom (no room for egg tubs or triple sink counters). As such, units can be underpriced in a market that has other priorities.

I have friends who live there (a higher floor larger unit), and would caution about the maintenance -- the last few years have seen some higher than usual increases (I live in a similar size and service-level building, and agree with their view).

Sutton House has been selling better than pretty much any other building in Beekman. Its maintenance is a bargain compared to the maintenance of many other buildings in the neighborhood. If one has a preference for that particular neighborhood (admittedly not many besides me), high maintenance is a given.

mcr - Fair point. Sutton House does sell well, and for a building in a 'high maintenace' neighborhood (generically, the UES), it's not out of line. It was on my list of buildings when I was looking, and if I had to leave my building, I'd look there again. There are a couple 2 BRs on the market right now at prices that tempt me. But look at the maintenance difference between 6BA and 18C - seems like a big difference for similar square footage?

I am guessing it has to do with share allocation. Share allocations in my building are all about light and view (on the view side, none are particularly good - it is just relative) and appear to have nothing to do with square footage.

I just looked a bit more closely at Sutton House and would love to see share allocations. Case in point re Sutton House maintenance being “good” relative to other buildings in the neighborhood: 10DA in contract.
There are a number of apartments at that price point on the market (4.7) in the neighborhood, but buyers chose that one, and I suspect relatively low maintenance has something to do with it?

Also, good point about the differences in maintenance. Apartment 18C (2/2) - 4k; 6BA (2/2) - 2.4k. That's a lot of extra maintenance for a higher floor and maybe marginally more sq. ft.

Question for Aaron2: For someone like me who has been living on the cusp of Greenwich Village and Chelsea (right above 14 but below 20), do you think the adjustment would be too shocking if moving to the Sutton area? I've looked at the Sutton buildings, and the area seems so mellow with a great mix of people: gay, straight, older, younger, and all quite personable. I'm really tempted......

@davenezia - I recommend checking out some of the neighborhood establishments (Jubilee, Deux Amix, Pathos, Ethos, What-ever-the-name-of-that-place-is-that-replaced-Zee-Cafe, Jameson's, DeGrazia's) if they are open or whenever they are open again to get a feel for the neighborhood. You can get pretty much anywhere in a skinny minute from the neighborhood, but for the day-to-day feel, check out those establishments, plus the local butcher, cheese and wine shops to see if you would like it.

It is a real neighborhood such that if you want anonymity it is probably not a great fit, but if you are looking for community, it provides one comprised of empty nesters, gays, straights, professionals, landed-artistocracy-gallery-owners-and-art collectors, young families, plus a healthy mix of hard core New Yorkers who have lived in rent-stabilizied apartments in Turtle Bay for decades. I feel like we lost a few good diners and independent businesses (the Thai Restaurant, the independent pet supply store) to Dunkin Donuts and an Urgent Care Center (?), so I fear what post-COVID will look like, but I love the foundation of the neighborhood.

davenezia,
Your current neighborhood is full of degenerates like me.

And Sutton / Lenox Hill is full of degenerates like me! So pick your affinity group, and pack accordingly.

I'm more in Lenox Hill (north of 57th St), and closer to the park, so it's a less mellow area than Sutton Place proper (more spillover from the south edge of the park, but I'll agree with everything mcr says. I was walking around the more UES-y part of my neighborhood (think Madison in the 70s), and I was glad I'm not up there -- I don't have the $$ or the attitude to interact daily with (as the writer Jim Harrison said about a similar set) the 'women in five hundred dollar sunglasses carrying their dogs that are cross-bred from monkeys and rats' (and to be fair, I see men carrying them as well). They're a different group of degenerates, and I didn't choose to settle up there.

I also agree that Sutton and the Lower Upper East Side is full of long-term residents (renters and owners), and that gives bars, restaurants, and shops a neighborhood feel -- I see many of the same people regularly when I eat out.

"I don't have the $$ or the attitude to interact daily with (as the writer Jim Harrison said about a similar set) the 'women in five hundred dollar sunglasses carrying their dogs that are cross-bred from monkeys and rats' (and to be fair, I see men carrying them as well). They're a different group of degenerates, and I didn't choose to settle up there."

The only group whose attitude repulses me more than the one described above is the attitude of some of the cliques of the younger generation who can be seen milling about UES above 70th when private schools get out.

With that said, I have to admit that I do carry one of my dogs around and at times could even be mistaken for a member of the degenerate group. :)

And I will say that one of the things I prefer about NYC over DC is that designer dogs are the norm in NYC, whereas in DC, where they are a source of great shame. We all have our vices.

Typical conversation in a DC Dog Park:
Other Dog Owner: Oh, wow. Is your dog a purebred? We would never dream of getting a purebred with all the unwanted dogs out there. Ours is a shelter dog . . ..
Me: I hear you; there is really no excuse for my choice. Btw - is that your daughter over there? Is she adopted? You know, there are a lot of unwanted children in the world . . ..

On the other hand, this is the way it goes in NYC:
Other Dog Owner, who is walking perfectly groomed purebred in designer duds: Oh, so good to see the ladies - where have they been for the past few months? Didn't I give you the name of our groomer last time we saw you? (Other dog owner also gives my hair a silent judgmental once-over).
Me: They have been in the country; both the girls and I are scheduled to get our hair done tomorrow!

Heh. Didn’t know you had a dog.

We have two. And in my defense (or maybe this just makes it worse because they have trained me to do their bidding rather than vice versa), I carry one not as an accessory but rather because she just.won’t.walk, and the other refuses to go on a walk without her sister in tow.

For me walking my dogs is one of life’s greatest joys. When we first moved to the neighborhood, all the professional dog walkers looked at me askance, viewing me as a new competitor (most of the time there I bear no resemblance to the UES women Aaron2 described above), but they have since welcomed me into their community.

I think Harrison is being a bit harsh, or he was writing about a few decades ago when that look for a certain set was more popular. Still, I think that Wolfe's description of the social x-rays and their goings on is still applicable.

(Aside: As an adoptee it infuriates me when people ask "Have you found out who your real mother is?")

@Aaron2 - My younger sister is adopted, and I am continually amazed by all the emotions that come with that experience. What I love to tell her is that she is the only child my parents actually chose to have, so of the four of us, she is really the only wanted child.

P.S. - I have really gone far afield here, but I want to add that I do not pretend to understand the range of emotions that adoptees might feel. Prior to my younger sister's sharing her own emotions with me, I was completely unaware of the host of questions and statements that might upset an adoptee, and I am still learning.

There is almost nothing about my adoption that gets me very emotional - I was adopted as an infant, never 'knew' (i.e., in any intellectually useful way) my natural mother, although my adoptive mother met her several times (as part of the process in Germany at the time), and consider my adoptive mother as my 'real' mother. About 15 years ago she handed me a sealed envelope and rather casually said 'here's some info about your adoption'. I still haven't opened it. I'm just not that curious.

That said, if there's a dead prince's castle and art collection that is still looking for it's rightful heir, I hope the system has enough of a trail to find me.

To respond to the initial comment: It's the insensitivity shown by questioners to my adoptive mother that rankles -- that she is somehow a less 'real' mother.

dogs vs kids ..... ha ha ha

@mcr we have a long haired dachshund that also refuses to walk. Unless the entire family is together and he is not on a leash, then he happily strolls right next to us. Put him on the leash and he just stops in his tracks. He's a real character...

@keith - right? When you put ours on a leash, she defies the laws of physics and somehow transforms her 11 pound little body into a 50 pound anchor. The willpower and obstinance is something to behold.