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April 21, 2006
21 Club: Building Boom Off Fourth Avenue
We hadn't realized what a hotbed of activity 21st Street is these days! Just off 4th Avenue at number 184, there's a seven-story sliver building already erected but not finished. And just up the block at 206 21st Street is this shorter new building with these recessed inverted bay windows. Seems like an odd design choice if natural light is a concern. Anyone know if these will be condos or rentals? Who the developers are? When they'll be ready?
GMAP
Comments
The area south of about 12th street on 4th/5th aves through about 23rd street is going to look so different five years from now. And personally I am not sure that I like it, considering how much of the light in my back yard will be disappearing over the next few years if the developers have their way.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 21, 2006 11:30 AM
The "lovely" brick buildings with the triangular balconies are condos. Supposedly 1-2 br floor throughs. The second phase building of the units is almost complete. Butt ugly, in my opinion.
The other monster that is on 21st is being build by Tri-Tower construction (doing a bunch of jobs in the area). Developer: Frank Iuliano, Iuliano Realty Corp./Iuliano Tower LLC. Architect: Herbert Ruderman. This building, now at 6 stories, wraps around adjoining buildings in a “T” shape, with entrance on 22nd and base of “T” on 4th Ave. No info on 184; 679 lists 4 stories, 40’ high, 10 units. Potential parking underneath...
Not sure of its status of condos vs. rentals. I'll bet it'll be another brick & stucco Fedders job :(
Posted by: lostinbrooklyn at April 21, 2006 11:32 AM
"Recessed bay windows" is an oxymoron. Bay windows, by definition, should project outward in order to increase light and provide the illusion of a bigger interior space.
I guess these provide the illusion of a smaller interior space? No doubt the overhang outside of them gives the occupant the feeling that nothing but shadow lurks outside. Great!
And it simply looks bizarre from the outside. I suppose there will be railings (I maybe see them in the left column of "terraces"), making it look even more like a lunatic asylum or juvenile house of detention.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 21, 2006 11:57 AM
On the only good note is that the folks in the first phase of the "bizarre brick balcony building" are actually using their dark little terraces, which always makes me happy to see. Grills, lanterns and the like...and no bike storage!
Outdoor space is always at a premium, no matter how triangular.
Posted by: lostinbrooklyn at April 21, 2006 12:09 PM
I'll bet they made the "inverted bay" windows because of Floor Area Ratio considerations. Maybe they had to cut 500 square feet off of the plans to build up to six floors. Rather than pulling Scarano style tricks, they cut out of the front to make balconies and reduce the area.
Posted by: Shahn Andersen at April 21, 2006 12:09 PM
Oops. I meant four stories.
Posted by: Shahn Andersen at April 21, 2006 12:10 PM
Shahan,
The "bizarre brick balcony building" are actually only 4 stories.
Posted by: lostinbrooklyn at April 21, 2006 12:10 PM
Aha! I posted my correction mere seconds before you caught me on it!
Posted by: Shahn Andersen at April 21, 2006 12:11 PM
isn't that 7 story one illegal????
It's way too high for the neighborhood.
Posted by: smitty at April 21, 2006 12:55 PM
F.....g ugly What is going on we complain about the 70s and we getting even worst building now, why isn't the city has a more control over this kind of design-no design??????
Posted by: Anonymous at April 21, 2006 1:48 PM
The buildings look ugly from the outside but the condos on the inside are pretty nice. I went to an open house Corcoran had about a year ago for the first group of apartments. The condos were attractive and some of them had excellent backyards. The prices were about $400k and actually seemed like a pretty good value. When I saw the next building go up, I inquired about buying but was told they were sold already, the best I could do was to be waitlisted. It is a shame they look so ugly from the street.
Posted by: anonymous at April 21, 2006 1:48 PM
To see more work already done or in progress on 21st street, continue walking - between 5th & 6th, work is being done on both sides of the block, including modification of a building on the corner of 6th, then onto the block between 6th & 7th avenues...A huge complex of buildings on the corner of sixth, and then closer to 7th, a conversion of two buildings on the left side which added an awful additional story, and something rising on the right which is just getting started. The construction over the last couple of years has been a nightmare.
Posted by: klee at April 21, 2006 1:48 PM
The buildings look ugly from the outside but the condos on the inside are pretty nice. I went to an open house Corcoran had about a year ago for the first group of apartments. The condos were attractive and some of them had excellent backyards. The prices were about $400k and actually seemed like a pretty good value. When I saw the next building go up, I inquired about buying but was told they were sold already, the best I could do was to be waitlisted. It is a shame they look so ugly from the street.
Posted by: anonymous at April 21, 2006 2:54 PM
They seem pretty harmless compared to some other buildings I've seen go up recently-- they're boxy and those balconies are weird but they at least lack the dreaded mark of Fedders. And they didn't try so hard to make them "nice" that they ended up totally tacky.
There is a new building on 22nd between 4th and 5th that sticks out like a sore thumb-- a few supposedly 'upscale' details, but Fedders all over the place, and seems so out of context with the rest of the block.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 21, 2006 5:03 PM
the building with the inverted bay windows is maybe one of the ugliest buildings i've ever seen.
Posted by: lc at April 21, 2006 5:41 PM
I love that building on 22nd street. You must not have any taste. It's probably the nicest contextual building I've seen.
Posted by: Arron at April 21, 2006 9:53 PM
I looked at the first phase as well. It took Corcoran awhile to sell them so the "wait-listing" seems kind of suspect to me. The lay-out of the apartments was just plain weird. The two bedrooms were on either side of the recessed bay window or whatever it is - meaning they were super small with a strange odd-shaped floor plan. The units featured "2 bathrooms" -- is there some reason why developers do this? The 2 bathrooms in this case were right across from each other in the main room. The reason to buy there is if you are desperate for outdoor space, need a 2nd BR or home office, no matter how small, and need to stay at that price point. I'm not sure what the resale potential will be.
Posted by: M at April 22, 2006 4:00 PM
Brownstoner, this is OT, but I just want you and your readers to look at a thread on bubbletrack site -pertaining to the firehouse condos-featured today in NYT -appears as if there may be some trouble with this building:
Anonymous said...
Sorry to OT post but while we're on NYC topic, I am copying a post I made at grim's site about why we need a more nyc focused blog -I am very glad BTW that you have frequent NYC posts -thanks!
Just a for instance of why we need NYC blog, witness the NY times shillin' for this condo project in brooklyn:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/23/realestate/23post.html
If the Times bothered to actually report, they would note:
--You can buy a whole building in this area now for a mil -why would you want just a condo?
--A dept of buildings online search shows no C of O - that may not mean they don't have one-but any buyer should demand to see it before even considering buying-brooklyn builders have tried this sell without CofO scam before, and buyers can really get screwed.
--The alleged "3 million" renovations - Dept of building permits show substantially less money - again DOB estimates are usually low, but buyers should ask for a breakdown of how they could spend that much on a 7 unit bldg-I really doubt any smart developer would spend $600 a sq foot in this shaky market.
--DOB showed bld had huge structural crack - any buyers better make sure with engineer if that was fixed.
I'm so tired of seeing all these cheerleader stories when it's so easy to get records and ask the right questions.
9:49 AM
BubbleMavric said...
Who write the article? Where'd they get the info?
That's the key thing- most articles and quotes like that are from people with vested interests..
A million will get you a lot in a lot of places still. Not sure why people would want to be in Brooklyn.
11:06 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry link was cut off
http://www.nytimes.com
/2006/04/23/realestate/23post.html
splitting in two lines just in case
12:07 PM
Anonymous said...
Also bubblemavric, correct me if I'm wrong but my handy ACRIS search of this condo building, owned by Technic Realty -- shows the bank has a $1.8 million lien now against them.
http://a836-acris.nyc.gov/Scripts/DocSearch.dll/PName
(under business name type Technic Realty)
12:19 PM
Posted by: Anon at April 23, 2006 12:25 PM
To the person who posted that the area was removed to reduce floor area, you should know that the Zoning Resolution maintains a minimum percentage of exposed perimeter to allow for the zoning deduction. The photo doesn't have this and I can bet that if the drawings are checked that this was approved in error without any tricks, just plain stupidity.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 23, 2006 4:10 PM
If we don't want it let's shut it down:
THE METHADONE CLINIC OUT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
Here is an example of what other people have done
http://www.jeffartis.com/pages/3/index.htm
Posted by: Anonymous at April 23, 2006 10:08 PM
Anon 9:49 - 4:10...HUH!? This is extremely bizzare! I think I just threw up in my mouth while laughing myself into hysteria. Sigh. What are you so jealous about?
Posted by: Oh Lord at April 23, 2006 11:25 PM
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