duel at $1.995mm / open houses at 808 Broadway, 55 West 22 Street, 116 West 14 Street

(By the way, doing the “open house” duel yesterday at $4mm and this trio at $1.995m might be a moiré [oops] more interesting way to look at open houses. At least to me.)

(Don’t forget to check the sites to make sure the open houses are still on Sunday morning)

on the one hand, space, convenience (+ upgrading?)
116 West 14 Street #8A is a little old to still claim ‘new to market’ (but for $1.995mm and $1,517/mo (condo) they are offering “2,000 sq ft” with the bones of classic loft: 13 foot ceilings, 6 columns, old wood floors.

All the plumbing is at one end and all the windows (5) at the other. The floor plan strikes me as one that evolved as their needs evolved (note the very different sizes of the 3 bedrooms). That separation between plumbing and windows makes for interesting challenges if one were to reconfigure this space. As is, whoever sleeps in the 2d and 3d bedrooms has a long walk in their jimmies to the 2d bathroom.

To me, this exudes “potential”. There is a lot one could do with 2,000 sq ft. They claim “professional large kitchen” but they don’t feature it in the photos. With only 2 windows in the living room, it is hard for this space to be very light, and they don’t talk about light or views in the listing.

This has been on the market since July and dropped from $2.3mm to $1.995mm a month ago. The building has a roof deck, but no other amenities. The location is a love-it-or-hate it thing: central and convenient, yes, and busy. There’s a recent nearby comp … next door. #8N was said to be a “triple mint designer loft” of “2,000 sq ft” that is “bright and airy”. It was offered for not quite the month of October 2007 for $1.995mm and closed a month ago at (no surprise) $1.995mm.

Open House Sunday January 20 from 2 to 4 PM

on the other hand, beauty, light + terrace
Penthouse B at 808 Broadway has a gourmet kitchen. And “fabulous” baths. And a landscaped terrace. And “sunshine galore”. For $1.995mm and $2,892/mo here, you get ‘only’ “1,400 sq ft”, but it is triple mint. The pictures support all of these claims. This one presents as it-is-what-it-is: a beautiful 2 bedroom with views, light and terrace that is remarkably peaceful (facing east) considering it has a Broadway in central Village address.

On the market since early December. There’s a recent nearby comp … next door. Penthouse C was offered for sale for a month this Summer at $1.895mm (and $2,351/mo) as “1,400 sq ft” with a ”perfect” chef’s kitchen and other finishes to match, plus a 500 sq ft terrace and views of Grace Church, Con Ed’s tower and the Williamsburg Bridge. It closed in October at $1.987mm – after what must have been a lovely bidding war. (Weird that Penthouse B and C are said to the same size, both with terraces, yet the maintenance for B is said to be much higher than it was for C….)

For an older comp, Penthouse A sold in April 2006 for $1.7mm after another bidding war (the ask was %1.599mm). Also “1,400 sq ft”, also with terrace, also with chef’s “dream” kitchen. That sequence of A, C and now B is a lovely trifecta … it proves what those nasty real estate agents say about one sale begetting another.

Open House Sunday January 20 from 1 to 2:30 PM

on the other other hand, new development + roof
The Penthouse at 55 West 22 Street is said to be a duplex of “1,557 sq ft” with 2 “tremendous” decks, with a description of finishes that matches most in this neighborhood. In fact, this space is all about the outdoors, the finishes and the location. (Check out the photo of the building on the listing, with the modern rendering with the old cars; very cool.)

It is, of course, offered for $1.995mm and $1,723/mo (condo), Bring a ruler, as I am having a lot of trouble finding that may square feet on the floor plan.

They have 3 units in contract, including #3 with “1,472 sq ft” plus a terrace, which had been offered at $1.695mm with the exact same finishes. Clearly, they think the additional deck space warrants a premium. (Don’t know what the contract price is for #3, of course; but they do.)

Open House Sunday January 20 from 11 to 1 PM

© Sandy Mattingly 2007