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August 3, 2006
Condo of the Day: Swanky Newswalk Duplex
Waddya think? Does $500 a foot sound about right for a gigantic loft in the Newswalk building on Pacific Street? We'd say it does, given that this place appears to have had a pretty slick reno at some point in the recent past. We'd want to know whether this unit is North- or South-facing before getting too excited, but this is definitely an interesting alternative to buying a similarly priced townhouse in the surrounding blocks. You can check it out at the open house on Sunday from 11:30 to 1 pm.
535 Pacific Street Loft [Prudential Douglas Elliman] GMAP
Comments
for me, I dislike those long shoebox bedrooms (not even an en-suite or any built-ins or a walk-in robe) and the relative lack of windows for all that sq footage.
1.7m plus 20k per year is a lot of money in this market.
Posted by: JB at August 3, 2006 11:40 AM
Particularly if it's to be surrounded by Ratnerville.
Posted by: babs at August 3, 2006 11:45 AM
guys screw ratnerville :p. think about all the cool new bam places that is gonna go up near there.
also i rather buy a house than a apt or a coop any time!
Posted by: Armchair_warrior at August 3, 2006 12:11 PM
looks cheap for amount of space but maybe that's because it's going to be in Ratnerville. even if you live through the construction you will still be doomed to a dark and dreadful landscape. also, this building is very ugly and silly looking from the outside. the appartment seems to lack charactor.
Posted by: TonyTone at August 3, 2006 1:15 PM
I've always considered it very attractive bldg. But sq ft seems stretched. A 20 x 40 4 story house is 3200 sq ft. Are they trying to tell me this is larger?
Posted by: Petebklyn at August 3, 2006 2:01 PM
I live in Newswalk. It's facing the railyards. It's a beautiful apt. the floors were redone and he made other improvements.One of the nicest units in the building. I think it's the biggest apt. They paid 960,000 for it about 2 years ago. The only sore point, we might be living in a construction zone for the next 15 years unless us DDDB 'ers can stop Ratner.
Posted by: arnelo at August 3, 2006 2:30 PM
I think the Atlantic Yards arena is a big plus for the Newswalk Condo - at least ten years from now.
Posted by: Ed at August 6, 2006 12:57 AM
Ed, try to remember it's not just an arena (that's only 10% of the total surface area) -- it's 16 skyscrapers in the footprint (plus various assorted others around it) full of new residents and all that entails (traffic, sewage, garbage, crowding, etc.). Although Shayna Boymelgreen cut a deal with Ratner to spare the Newswalk building, it will be completely surrounded by the horror of Ratnerville. If someone wanted to live near a basketball arena, he or she could buy this nice loft for $1.4 million (OK, so it's only 1700 sq. ft., but still, no ten years of construction as you watch tall buildings loom over you -- they're already there) on 36th St between 7th and 8th: http://www.olshan.com/property.php?id=104163
Posted by: babs at August 6, 2006 2:27 PM
Barbara, I just don't buy the "Horror of Ratnerville" thing. Just like Madison Square Garden and Penn Plaza exist over 34th St. Station, we're getting our own version over Atlantic Avenue Station. And Gehry's plan is far better than MSG's!!!
My take is this: Brooklyn's moving up in the world, and it's not really a bad thing. We're all certainly enjoying our home equity and insulation from bubble dynamics as a result of increased demand in the borough, aren't we?
Regarding Newswalk, I would have pushed for the building to cash out for major $$$. For the amount the building would have gotten a couple of years ago, residents could have bought entire townhouses in some neighborhoods. But I understand it can be hard to give up one's home, so I feel for current Newswalk residents.
Meanwhile, I think our energies need to be focused on improving the Atlantic Yards project. Handling traffic is the biggest issue to me. How does MSG do it? (Or do they?)
And let's focus on the SURROUNDING areas. Are building heights sufficiently restricted? Can historic districts be expanded? The Atlantic Yards are just that - railyards. We need to ensure that tree-lined Brownstone blocks in areas like Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights don't lose their character.
By the way - I'm neither anti-Ratner or pro-Ratner. I am, however, pro-Brooklyn, and I think people are far to quick to dog development plans for the Atlantic Yards.
Posted by: Ed at August 7, 2006 10:28 AM
I know the broker on the above apartment is named Barbara, but please rest assured, I don't know her and have never had any dealings with her ever. I just was looking for some loft space near MSG in my database and that came up! Rest assured I would never do anything so crassly commercial as post oneof my own listings here!
And one way to protect the character of the brownstone blocks around AY is to develop the site appropriately -- meaning in-scale buildings, not looming skyscrapers, and not expanding the development to non-railyard areas and taking away peoples' homes to do so.
Posted by: babs at August 8, 2006 12:29 PM
I am honestly not sure how right and how worried about the poor people or the neighbourhood itself are all the ones fighting against Ratner's proyect.
Sounds to me that the rich ones who purchased those Newswalk condos are just worried about their investments.
Anyway I don't know what were they expecting,that's a comercial area of BROOKLYN,somebody would build something big someday right?
If you want quality of life you don't move to a condo,you move somewere green and more peaceful.
Posted by: dumbi at January 11, 2007 7:14 PM
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