Two Northside Piers

Very excited, closing next week. I was wondering, are the common charges in effect? If so, are they the same as listed in the contract?

Maintenance charges are to start in Feb. They are the same as quoted.

I bought on floor 20

I visited recently and was told that 2NSP was 65% sold and that 1NSP was 100% sold.

Well said juuceman, the A line is a money line and for very good reasons. We bought an A line above the 8th fl and will be closing very soon!
BkBuyer2011- I don't see how they would sell anything above the 8th fl for less than $800 per sq ft. The SW views of the bridge are pretty solid and completely clear from the 11th fl and up and you have unobstructed NW views that you will keep after NSP3 goes up. I don't see how you can find this same combination for any less than this. You have city, bridge and water views, large and well planned floor plan in an up and coming Brooklyn neighborhood that already offers anything you need, 1 subway stop away from Manhattan! To me this is a great apartment and a great investment.

LookPied, which floor are you on? I could hear some low bass sounds last night for about 30 minutes, probably someone's subwoofer, but otherwise it's been very quiet. My floor is probably a third to half-occupied.

There's some slight ventilation noise from the laundry room but this is barely noticeable.

I would very skeptical of any #'s reported on this site.You have realize that sales from NSP are on this site as well.In regards to unit 20A we were advised that unit was to be combined with 20P but the "buyer: failed to mention that Additionally the reduction in 2/09 of 30%off asking prices on 1 NSP does affect 2 NSP.In addition the recorded sales do not reflect 65 or even 44 % sold.If that was the case construction permits would be filed for 3 NSP for sure.

joseesq, the building was broken into separate phases, so the sales office must of have been referring to the first phase because NSP2 is no where close to the 65% number.

10A sold for 1,050,000 $763 a foot.

Plus possible incentives (Can you figure that out in acris?)

NYNYNYNYNY- You are right, my bad for not explaining it a little clearer.
I am aware of the selling prices of 10A and 11A but the debate here was about higher A line units and since 10A, 11A and 12A are sold I don't really see how you can get an A line with complete clear views for less than $800 a sq ft. For that price you need to be on 9A or below (if 9A is still available) but you will not have complete clear views of the bridge. Also, I know that at least two of these two units have been in contract for almost a year when the discounts were higher and construction was still going on.

How are heating/electricity costs? It's been so cold I've been wondering how well insulated these apartments are and how long it takes to heat? Does anybody have a $ figure?

The apartments are very well insulated and heat up very easily.
Gas is included in maintenance charges.
We just received our first electric bill. For 2 weeks it's $20. Of course we aren't there full time.

Interested in any other comments about electric bills....we have a D line studio - nothing is on from 8am to 7pm M to F, run the appliances about once a week and the electric this past month was $100!!! Could that be?

Well, maybe be the salesperson "misspoke," but I was told twice that 2NSP was 65% sold and that 1NSP was 100% sold.

anyone know %sold now?...also for the Edge. It will be interesting to see what happened since late summer when nsp2 was saying "near 40%", and the edge was saying something like 33% including outstanding contracts, plus another 4% or so in limbo.

I'm on an A line and away for 10-12 hours every day and my electric bill was $93 for December. Heating/Cooling and washer/dryer are electrical.

My 1BR is typically around 65 at night without any heat on. In December I kept the heat on overnight set to 72, and my bill was $160. I don't have any shades/drapes yet so I think once I install them I won't need any heat. I don't use a lot of other electricity other than to charge my phone, laptop, and some TV. 65 isn't that bad but I like to walk around like it's summer and the couch is near the window.

@buyerbuyer, I was told on Friday that NSP2 is 45% sold.
@W11, Are you saying heating is a big part of the bill? I thought heating is gas, which is included in common charge.

dewyagi - I spoke to Mark and he explained to me that heating is electrical. Which explains why my electrical bill is quite high.

We moved in on Saturday and we absolutely love the place it's impressive and the view at night is outstanding! We had a few little issues here and there and everyone has been so nice, responsive, helpful and extremely professional in taking care of us. So far we are very happy with our purchase and look forward to living here! The only disappointment was that we never got a welcome gift nor any touch up paint etc... it would have been a nice touch to walk in and find a welcome note or something! Especially after waiting so long to get in here. Did everyone get one?
Anyhow, still feel pretty good about the decision to buy here.

I have a question about foot traffic at night. How is it? The few times I have been around 2NSP at night I don’t see many people in the streets once I pass Berry.

FF2010:
Congrats! Give a hint to Ricardo or Ron that there was no gift. I'll bet there will be soon.

joseesq:
The most travelled street at night is N 6th St. My wife is most comfortable walking down it at night. It is pretty quiet on N 4th and 5th Sts.

FF2010:
By the way, we love the A line apartments. The views can't be beat and the layout is nice. If only we had more money....

What are your thoughts on the D line above 12th floor?
Also how realistic does it seem to you to turn this studio into a junior one bedroom?

Thanks LookPied, I know the A line is very nice, we fell in love with it immediately but honestly we didn't realize how nice it was until we saw it at night... and not when stressed out by inspecting every corner of it! We did mention to Ron about the gift a few days ago and he said that of course we have one but still nothing ... I will mention it again next week but I think it would have been quiet nice to have it here that first day when you finally walk into your new place instead of having to ask for it!

Just curious where is everyone placing their trash bins... we were thinking under the sink but it looks a bit too small and we don't want to use the other cabinets just for that because we need the space.

I am talking about the kitchen.

Hi, what do you think about the D line and how realistic it sounds to you to convert the studio into a junior one bedroom?

We use a covered 30L trash can with pedal that is nicely designed in stainless (from Target). Cabinet space is too precious so it's against a wall in the kitchen, where it's pretty unobtrusive.

yes it is true I bought 20 A and P and I am doing the combo.

Hi , would anyone like to share their experiences with buying into the K line? We love the size and those seem to be the only decent 3 br they have. We are not sure how low ball we can go and the recent sales posted on here seem higher than what was happening earlier in 2010 or do i miss anything? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

my lender is asking for Flood Insurance. Any reccomendation on which provider?

Anyone know what TV show CBS is filming in the NSP2 lobby today?

@ Williamsburg - I don't think you'll get any lowball offer accepted. They were making deals to get Fannie Mae approved. This happened in November. Looking at the above posts, it looks like 5% and closing costs is about right.

@ Martintop - my lender actually found the flood insurance that the building carries was sufficient. Get a copy of the Master Hazard Policy from Adam. If you want additional insurance, we got quotes from USI Affinity and Metlife. We went with USI. They are preferred in the building and know all the information about it.

@antipodope - The Good Wife.

Anyone has input on the D line?
Thank you!

E_S:

The D line has a great view of the Williamsburg Bridge, simialr to our C line view. The alcove is large, but partitioning it is tricky because of the windows. Maybe, a sliding screen/door that closes toward the window? For a studio it's got a great layout with good closet space. I say buy it!

Thanks LookPied :)
Do you think the D line will be impacted by the Tower 3?

How big is the bike storage? Is it "secure" ?
What do you think about the storage unit they are selling?

The view will be slightly impacted by Tower 3. It'll lose the Lower East Side view to just the Downtown skyline. The bridge view will be preserved. Another question will be how the Domino development may affect the view of the east side of the bridge and downtown Brooklyn. I don't think it'll effect it much.

Bike storage is at a premium and they will probably not be able to meet demand. They are releasing spaces intermittently first-come-first-serve and limiting to one spot per apartment. They have released 18 spaces so far. I am waiting for the second release, whenever that may happen.

Storage prices are pricey, starting at $10,000. I haven't seen them. Our plan is to live with less stuff.

You would have to be above the 11th or so floor to get bridge views. The column by the window takes up too much space and makes it challenging if you plan on putting up a room separator. For that price, I would rather get a real 1 bedroom at the Edge.

E_S we converted our D with a traditional wall. The only draw back is that where the column is makes it a bit awkward. It also obviously cut the view down - from the kitchen and most areas of the living space you can't really see the water anymore...things to think about - you can only access the bathroom through the "bedroom" area; and consider having vents put in to allow the heat/ac to flow thorugh since there is only one heating unit. If it was my choice I would have gone with a sliding door or screen.

Thanks for these comments!
It helps a lot.

good luck with your decision.

@ Williamsburg - For a 3BR with an asking price that high, I think you can definitely get it for more than 5% off, maybe even close to 10% off. They are more willing to negotiate on certain lines more than others. Start off with 13-15% off and see how it goes. It may take many rounds with them to get to a number you can live with. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

@ njbuyer - Are you happy with your decision to get a D studio at NSP2? (instead of let's say... a one bedroom at The edge)

thanks BKbuyer and NSP tower 2 for your input re discounts! Am negotiating and it's been tough thus far. Will let you know how I fare! they suddenly say they have an offer for the unit we want, oh well!

I'm loving the 'D' studio line at NSP2, but the price just seems too up there.

And it will be an investment property for me, so I'm really looking for the lowest possible price with low maintenance $$.

Now I'm thinking the eastern studio 'Q' line. I figure they're asking $399,990 and it's the least desirable line with virtually no sun throughout the day, so they might go lower than the usual 5-10% off asking price.

Anyone think I could snag a Q studio on a low floor $350ish with, say, a 13% downpayment? Or are they not discounting as much on studios since they're the most affordable in Williamsburg?

We like the floor plan alot and got a low floor D for much less then a 1BR at The Edge. There was nothing at The Edge for the price range we bought in. I paid less then the number you just mentioned for the Q. But that was a contract that was entered into in September. I don't know what they are going for now.

Hi there - has anyone seen this rendering where the third tower looks really huge? http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2011/01/05/what_northside_piers_will_look_like_after_the_next_boom.php#reader_comments
What do you guys think about the third tower and the rumour that NSP2 might end up being a stepchild? We are still thinking of buying into NSP2 but increasingly concerned about that giant goingup by the water. Maybe the Edge ends up being the better alternative after all? What are you guys thinking, and how realistic is this, i.e. that the Third tower will be even bigger and will it be built at all? I know it's a lot to ask but curious what everyone thinks.

I wasn't able to negotiate more than 3% off asking and these were not the most desirable apts on a low floor.

The rending of the third tower seems like it'll be a huge impact on NSP2. Looks like the south facing units in NSP2 will essentially be in the dark. The townhouses that's supposed to get built between the rental building and NSP3 will also block water views.

@Cranberry, did you end up choosing NSP2 or the Edge?

The Q line looks like some what of a difficult layout as there is no barrier between the kitchen and LR

LIC_Queens - what kind of rent do you anticipate getting for a studio at nsp

I decided to buy at the Edge. The Edge was my initially my first choice, but didn't think I could afford there. At the end, they offered me a better deal.

Both Northside Piers 3 and The Edge's planned tower are larger than anything currently there and are closer to the water than anything currently existing.

Certain lines in NSP2 will lose part of their downtown Manhattan view, basically from North of the Bridge to Stuy Town. Apartments above the 7th floor will not lose their direct West view from the base of NSP3, however, certain units at or below the 7th floor will likely lose their direct water views.

NSP3 is designed to be offset from NSP2 so that it does not directly block views, however, it will impact views, similar to those of NSP1 when NSP2 was built.

The Edge also has another tower coming. It will block certain units views of the bridge and downtown Manhattan.

If you are seriously interested in buying, you should look at the mockup of the buildings that sits in the Northside Piers sales office and speak with them further about this. They're remarkably straightforward about it if you ask.

If you really care about having a view that is 100% protected from NSP3, you need to purchase something on the North Side of NSP2, however, such units might be later affected by The Edge's new tower. So you'll need to wait it out until both new towers are built, if they're built..

@nybuyer- Wow, thanks for the insight.

@rivas77- Not too concerned with what rent I'd get initially for a studio at NSP2 because I'd live there for a year or two, maybe longer. So to be honest I haven't thought about it too much right now.

@cranberry- Did you end up going with a 1 bedroom at The Edge?

yes, got a 1 bdrm.

I think paying for views when you know that there is further building planned in front of you is a risky proposition. I think it will be very difficult to envsion how view will be affected from mock-ups. Also lets be honest, can you really trust the sales agent when it comes to giving you this sort of info when there will be no accountability for bending of the truth-- ?

Rather than looking at the negative aspects of Tower 3 being built, I look at it in a positive light. 5 years from now the economy is recovered, Williamsburg becomes even more gentrified, and if I'm not happy with my E line views I'll rent it out. Judging from 1 NSP rents I'd make money even if I decided to rent my unit today.

juiceman: "The Edge also has another tower coming. It will block certain units views of the bridge and downtown Manhattan."

That might be true from some positions in edge north tower but the main effect of the third edge building is on the north facing units in the south tower (they will lose the fabulous north manhattan views...those with a balcony will still see up to about the empire state building)and on units in the north tower which will lose (depending on floor) much of their view of manhattan.

Hi - tks so much for your thoughts on views and 3NSP! I have been doing some more research and I think the link I posted must be incorrect or outdated, at least it does not match the footprint of tower 3. According to what sits in their sales office, the new tower will be North of Tower 2, not South as the rendering I copied suggests. So if you can trust their mock-up should not the C lines (or anything facing South) have the best protected views? Thoughts? Am I missing anything?

NSP3 sits West and South of NSP2. You can see the footprint, there's a construction tower sitting there.

I am just starting to look for apartments in Williamsburg and the NSPs are in my short list. Because of the size and amenities if seems a bit more expensive per sq footage that other buildings.
Does anyone that has spent more time in the recent past looking for apartments have any recomendations of 2/3 other buildings in the area that I should look at and pros/cons compared with the NSPs?

Juuceman, tks for this. So this means NSP3 will sit very very close to the water? And what we are seeing that already looks like a fenced in constructon site is the third Edge building? PLease let me know as we are looking into the C and D lines of tower 2....also which tower will be built first, Edge or NSP3?

Did anyone purchased or thinking about purchasing a cabana?

To all owners: What is your opinion of your management company-Penmark? thanks

Williamsburg:

Looking at the projected renderings of Tower 3, the tower will start where 185 Kent (the rental building next door) ends by the river. Townhouses will fill in the area between the end of 185 Kent to the road which curves around NSP1 in line with the townhouses already built next to NSP1. There's a circular drive in front of NSP2 which I assume will also serve NSP3. There's a temporary trailer/office behind the fencing, which I think stands near where NSP3 will start.

For the C line above the 12th floor (which we own) apartments will lose the view of the north section of downtown Manhattan and the LES. Most, if not all, of the bridge will be preserved. For the D line, they will lose less of the downtown view as they are further from NSP3. Our live-in superintendent remarked to me that the C line view will pretty much remain intact, for what it's worth.

I will bet NSP3 and the Edge will start at the same time, but maybe NSP3 has a chance to start sooner as NSP2 as fewer apartments left to sell. But then again it might have more to do with the state of the general market.

wannabuy:

For the short period they've been in charge, they've been doing well. The staffing is great. Maintenance is good, with janitorial activity even during the weekends. Communication with Penmark is excellent: BuildingLink.com for announcements, repair requests, and doorman instructions. Direct email with the manager is great with rapid responses. NSP1 residents have said their building is well run and within budget? (Bear in mind this is my first experience with an apartment in NYC!)

Williamsburg:

Another way to estimate where NSP3 will start is to draw a line from the side of the main part of NSP2 nearest the river (not the pool section) to 185 Kent. But looking out from a D or C apartment it's easier to use 185 Kent as reference.

Thank you all, for your comments on the renderings, really appreciated!

Looking at storage in the building... did anyone manage to get any lower than the asking prices? (I'm already in tower 2, so I can't use this as a negotiation on the apartment deal).

I think they're pretty much as-is... but wanted to check. Thanks!

NSPTower2:
We tried to have their cheapest storage bin ($10,000.00) thrown in with the price of the condo when we were negotiating. They flatly refused, saying demand in NSP1 was so high that they weren't going to use them in negotiations. If that's how they still feel I doubt they'll come down. But you can make an offer and see what happens.

They threw in storage bins in Tower 1 for a while but that was a different environment and demand at the end picked up.

Does anyone have any recommendations for dog walkers and veterinarians in the neighborhood? EcoDogNYC is expected to open on property by summer but we will need something in the meantime.

I just read about the ferry that will stop at the pier in front of NSP2 (I think they said it will begin to run in June)-- what are everyone's thoughts regarding the ferry?

On one hand it might be really great to have a ferry to take us to Brooklyn Bridge Park. On the other hand, is traffic going to ruin the peaceful calm of the area? And will the ferry fumes be noticeable? Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are. I am super excited to be moving to NSP2 soon -- waiting on the mortgage...

Last month we finally have the closing of an apt in the D line. So far we are very happy with the studio, especially the views, the neighborhood and the building management. I am writing to thank you
all of you for your comments, suggestions and opinions. This page has been a really valuable source of information. In case you are still searching I would also like to strongly
recommend you to my broker Cory Kantin (http://www.elliman.com/real-estate-agent/cory-kantin/1556) and my attorney Kevin Farrelly. They did a really wonderful job.

LICmaybe - check if Mobile Mutts covers the building. They're great.

Did anyone see the recent ACRIS posting for 25A, which sold for 1,170,987 on 2/8/2011? That's around 15-16% off the list price. Has anyone else bid on the A line recently and been able to get that high a discount? Thanks.

NSP2confused- We did notice the huge deal that 25A got. Pretty crazy!!! We bought an A line and got into contract about a year ago when the discounts were pretty good. We tried to get them down that low but they were NOT willing to go down any more than 10%! They were pretty firm about it too. If I remember correctly though 25A was one of the units that already back then they had told us was in contract. I could be wrong though or they could have been bluffing too... I think there must be some reason behind it... maybe the buyer is a broker and got his fee off the price... otherwise I can't really explain how they got such deal back then or even less now. The A line is a pretty nice and desirable line, I can't see them struggling to sell them.

BTW we just got our CONED bill and it's crazy high... $160 for 21 days!!! I remember some of you bringing this question up here... anyone got to the bottom of why it is so expensive??? I thought this was an energy efficient construction...

We will be moving in next month and are looking for a reasonably priced, high quality painter. Does anyone have any recommendations?

FF2010 - You're probably leaving your AC on all day. My bill's half that and I turn it off during the day.

Does NSP2 have the same state-of-the-art windows as at The Edge and 80 Metropolitan? If so, aren't the bills supposed to be lower than usual?

licmaybe...i am independent dog walker who lives in 70 berry. im afraid i dont have any available time in my day as i am in manhattan from early morning until 3-4pm everyday. i can tell you im very pleased with paws and claws. they are a vet on 9th st btwn berry and wythe. specifically i really like dr. Pingle(pronounced ping-lee). she is only there 3 or 4 days a week but i not only bring my dog to her but a few of my clients pooches as well.
i also have a buddy who is a super of a building in manhattan. he has a small paint crew that does excellent,affordable work. they did our new 1br condo and we were very pleased w/the result. if you would like his info email me at moxieland@hotmail.com
good luck w/the new place

has anyone who moved in found a time controllable thermostat system that works inside NSP1?

regarding storage units, I sublease a storage space from somefolks who don't use it and it rents for 80-100 for the entire unit.

Regarding coned, i have 2br, and my bill for jan-feb was 281.00

pissed, yes I leave the thermostat on, up until now at least, and read the others like antipodope, but I'd rather be able to set something up with time constraints. I am surprised that I can't seem to find a system that works as a direct swap from the oem.

Has anyone found a substitute?

antipodope- Thanks for the suggestion. I was always told that turning off the heat uses more energy because the entire place has to be reheated and that consumes more energy than maintaining the temperature so I always turn down the heat before I leave but I will try to turn it off completely and see if that saves me something.

After I received my bill I called Coned and they suggested I look into ESCO companies to supply my energy as it's suppose to be cheaper... does anyone know anything about that?

perdave- I was wondering the same thing... I would like to install thermostats that can be set with a daily schedule, I will let you know if I have any luck.

WOOD FLOORS- We are so frustrated with these floors and as careful as we are it seems to be impossible to prevent scratches. They look great but they are impossible! We've had a very rough start with our floors as one of our sliders had a stone at the bottom and scratched the floor across a dozen of slats very badly! It was a very painful sight and we know for that we will probably have to replace the slats but every time we look around there's a scratch that wasn't there before and I was wondering if anyone has been successful in touching up or covering some of these minor scratches. We tried touch up pens but they don't seem to work too well as the surface of the floor seems a bit waxy... any suggestions?

Probably not news to some of you, but looks like NSP2 is halfway sold:
http://therealdeal.com/newyork/articles/two-northside-piers-condo-on-williamsburg-waterfront-is-50-percent-sold

moxie, good to see you on here - without getting into personal specifics, how much can one make as a full-time dog walker? I'm pretty curious, sorry...

Does anyone know what type of incentives they are offering as part of the national sales event?

Is anyone having issues in tower 2 with financing because of the fact that some floors arent fannie mae approved...unless of course you go through TBI? Also, any thoughts on the L line?

Hi, shahvi23 we were going to put a bid in. Would like to compare notes with your experience off-line if possible..

our id is beearun @ hotmail.com

If price is already negociated, is there a need for attorney to close the deal? What value does attorney add and how much do they normally charge? Thanks for your input..

bjw what's up? long time no chat. that is a tough question to answer. there is a wide range of incomes in my line of work. a lot of factors (how many hours, quality of clientele, business model ect.) determine the gross figure. the range would be low end makes x and high end makes 8x.

As for the floors, they are absolute crap and Toll Brothers should be embarrassed by having such a low quality product in this development. They are so soft that some shoes even damage them and forget about it if you drop something on them. Yes, they are pretty to look at--until they have been totally scratched and ruined. I'm sure in the next few years, we can all expect to see lots of hardwood flooring contractors at work in the building. I know they will be in my unit.

@Northsidepiers2 -- The L line is a nice line with great southern views, but we decided against it because of the awkward design of the living space. The kitchen island takes up too much space to have a dining table.

@LICMaybe- Try Gregory with Leader Construction. He's very reliable, friendly and does good work. leader_cons@yahoo.com He also can build shelves for closets, etc. He's a real find.

bklyn_ny -- I thought way back in this thread people were saying NSP2 had brazilian hardwood (if I recall correctly) which was supposedly much better than the Edge floors. Is that not accurate?

It's engineered walnut flooring, so when the floor is scratched it's a completely different color than the surface and very noticeable. Apart from the flooring issue, I still think that NSP is a better value than the Edge and better designed. Not to say that the Edge isn't nice (it is), I just preferred NSP. And at the cost of maintaining all of the amenities at the Edge must be high.

found the manufacturer that nsp used for the thermostats. It was out of doylestown pa.

Easy swapout, ask the warranty guy to change em for you

floors are ok, not horrible for me. drop things all the time, no major issues.

Regarding loans, i used a bank called equity, when the developer best offer was 4.5 I got 4.125 from equity.

I cut and pasted his info from his email. Good luck to all my new neighbors.

Chris DeMatteis, Equity Loans LLC, www.equityloansllc.com, 609-494-5502 direct

perdave...who is the warranty guy? we were wondering the same thing about the thermostats.

thanks for the detective work.

Any thoughts on how much you can save with ESCOs? and which providers are you guys using ?

Also perdave - what thermostat did you swap out for and what is the benefit? Thanks.

buyerbuyer, Edge has solid white oak hardwood whereas NSP2 has engineered Brazilian walnut. I think most people will agree that solid hardwood is better quality than an engineered floor. Whether you prefer the look of walnut or oak is a matter of preference (I believe the commenter you are referring to found the engineered walnut LOOKED more expensive / luxurious than the solid white oak at Edge).

Has anyone looked at the Y lines at all? I am interested to get a one-BR but the developer seems very sticky on price - they tell me that they are 50% sold. Any insights there regarding how much is negotiable from ask will be very helpful. Thanks.

solid oak flooring is around $5/sq.ft, engineered walnut flooring is more expensive, around $8 sq.ft. I'm talking about average prices,taste is subjective.