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September 21, 2005

Are All New Developments Ugly?

condosClearly tiring of our predictable bashing of condo developments, a reader asked yesterday whether there were any that we actually liked. Good question. Although we admit the evidence is against us, we are not anti-development or anti-modern by any stretch of the imagination, just anti-ugly. If we were buying a condo, we would probably lean towards an older building that had been converted into lofts. The fact is that the new construction that has been put up in Brooklyn during the building boom has been truly appalling. But we're open-minded (and admittedly don't avidly follow the condo market)and would love to be proved wrong, so we'd like to ask folks to point out any new buildings that have gone up in recent years that they think qualify as architecturally significant or at least attractive. LTJ Bukem likes the Washington Condos (above) in Prospect Heights, for example. Feel free to post links in the Comments Section.




Posted by Brownstoner at 10:13 AM | Comments (20)
Categories: Development

Comments

That lbuilding is similar to a lot of the ones that they are putting up in Hoboken - more modern, but they fit into the nabe better than some. If the builder is even somewhat modest, they end up looking very nice and have at least a clean, somewhat attractive look. Not bad at all in comparison to some!

Posted by: Anonymous at September 21, 2005 10:19 AM

2nd Street Park Slope - 1st Development closer to 5th

http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/2003/12/28/realestate/cov.184.1.650.jpg

Posted by: Annonymous at September 21, 2005 10:47 AM

well, we don't necessarily love it. it kinds of reminds us of our old college dorm, actually. but for the prices and sizes, it seems like a good deal. and it has central a/c. apparently the nexus in dumbo by developers group doesn't have central a/c. and their prices are in the high 700's to $2.2MM...

plus i don't think anyone can say the washington is out of context, since that area is surrounded by auto body shops and empty lots w/ some fierce looking guard dogs...

Posted by: ltjbukem at September 21, 2005 10:53 AM

www.courthouseapts.com

Posted by: Anonymous at September 21, 2005 10:54 AM

Some of the smaller condo buildings in Williamsburg are not ugly, and have some nice details, however there are tons of United Home Builder's cookie-cutter, bunker-style developments that are such an eyesore that maybe they make the new condos look better just through context.

Posted by: TeoNYC at September 21, 2005 11:13 AM

These condos in a brand new townhouse are on my bock. The inside is not my cup of tea, but they did an amzing job with the outside. It's really hard to tell that it's new construction.

http://www.corcoran.com/property/listing.aspx?Region=NYC&ListingID=800993

Posted by: lc at September 21, 2005 11:29 AM

On one of the four corners of the intersection of Clinton and Degraw -- southwest, I believe -- is a new construction building that so seamlessly melts in with its surroundings you wouldn't even notice. They even grew a little ivy on the brick! Think of it!

Posted by: Does This Count? at September 21, 2005 11:34 AM

The new townhouses going up on State Street look great.

Posted by: DN at September 21, 2005 12:57 PM

On Reade St in Tribeca (b/t Greenwich and Hudson, there's some fabulous modern townhouse-style new contruction. Also in North Slope on Prospect Pl b/t 6th Ave and Flatbush, there's a great modern house.

Posted by: Anonymous at September 21, 2005 1:28 PM

Also, some of the new condos on 3rd Street in Park Slope between 5th and 4th Aves. As I recall, they all sold in about 30 seconds.

Posted by: Anonymous at September 21, 2005 1:46 PM

I was actually thinking of volunteering to do a picture of the day based on williamsburg new construction, but it seemed off topic for "brownstoner"
The reason being, I think there's a lot of Good, Bad & Ugly construction going on in the burg, but even the Bad is often better than the UGLY that is there already, meaning the horrible rotting siding of Mid-to East williamsburg, and the 1 story windowless decaying brick warehouses around Union Ave etc.
As a design snob I don't "love" much of it, but I think a lot of it is OK and some of it is nice.
Of course, Bricolage Designs is in it's own "WTF?!?" category.

Posted by: will at September 21, 2005 1:59 PM

In spite of a very cheezy Elliman website, I think 55 Berry in Williamsburg is a very cool reconv development. I went to an openhouse last wknd, and although clearly out of my league, I thought it was well done.

http://www.elliman.com/MainSite/NHD/NHDInfo.aspx?ID=99&SearchType=newdev&PageName=home

Posted by: Hernan at September 21, 2005 3:22 PM

"Very cheesy" is an understatement. My God, that website for 55 Berry should be nominated for some kind of "crappiest real estate web-marketing" award. Who writes that drivel?! The building might be nice, but the descriptions make you cringe, and that picture of the hipster guys in the bar under the "neighborhood" link makes you want to take a bath.

Posted by: Anonymous at September 21, 2005 3:33 PM

Totally agree, Elliman takes nausea to a whole new level...the place does not look bad but at 800+ per sf it's a bit much.

Posted by: Hyde at September 21, 2005 3:50 PM

55 Berry in Williamsburg looks attractive, but, yes, the Elliman site for it is the worst. "I've tasted the Berry."????

Posted by: DN at September 21, 2005 3:58 PM

Will, that's totally on-topic. When we were living in the Burg last year we did a number of posts (critical mostly) on the new construction. Let us know by email if you'd like to do something.

Posted by: Brownstoner at September 21, 2005 4:03 PM

55 Berry doesn't appear to be new construction, but a conversion. i didn't mind 171 north 7th st. in williamsburg but i could have done w/o the juliet balconies on the facade.

Posted by: cd at September 21, 2005 4:47 PM

Oh, I had forgotten about that site. Man, that one rules. I laughed myself silly.

"I have tasted The Berry, and it is pungent with the largest underground oil spill in North American history."

Ridiculous.

12 days and counting until I escape the Burg...

Posted by: The Berry at September 22, 2005 9:58 AM

Interesting question... I have to admit that while there's little out there to rave about, the new condos, L3, on Luquer Street are beautiful-well-crafted, finishes are nice, and architecturally the buildings are appealing-the developers are architects which is refreshing to hear and which means that aesthetics was an important consideration.

Posted by: Anonymous at September 27, 2005 11:41 PM

do u know how much they are charging at L3???? are we in the market to buy well crafted closets or space/sq ft?? - those architects in L3 built small bedrroms and bathrooms and put fancy cabinet doors and they expect to get $200/sq ft more than their competition - pluuuuuuurrrrlllleeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzz

Posted by: OMG at January 23, 2006 10:15 PM

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