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August 28, 2007
On Sale Soon: 134-136 St. Marks Place
Sales are about to begin on a shiny new condo at 134-136 St. Marks Place, just off Fifth Avenue. The building is a Scarano design that’s recently revealed its exterior, a glassy/boxy façade that’s either completely out of context with neighboring brownstones or some welcome new construction for the North Slope, depending on your perspective. The Developers Group is handling marketing for the condo and expects to begin sales next month; the brokerage is going to position the building as two separate condos—134 distinct from 136—that are mirror images of each other. Most of the units will be around 680 square feet, though a few will top 1,000 feet. Prices haven’t been set yet, but the condo’s project manager says they’ve looked to Fourth Avenue’s The Crest and Novo for comps. (Prices at the Crest and Novo are both averaging around $790 a foot.) With the dearth of new buildings in the North Slope, think this one’s gonna sell like hotcakes?
Coming Soon: 134 St. Marks Place [The Developers Group] GMAP
Development Watch: 136 St. Marks Place [Brownstoner]
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Comments
Whatever their shortcomings in quality or excessive FAR, some of Scarano's buildings look kinda cool to me in pictures. This one does not. Blecccccch.
Posted by: Rehab at August 28, 2007 11:27 AM
Are the two sized around 1,000 sq ft really studios? i.e., no bedrooms? That seems odd. And there's only one two bedroom in the whole building? I guess this isn't really targeting families.
Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 11:27 AM
this is the type of building that will get slammed by the mortgage crunch as this attracts first time buyers who would usually put 5-10% down.
Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 11:37 AM
My wife and I have walked by this building hundreds of times on the way to Gorilla Coffee. It looked crappy on the way up, and once we saw the black brick and metal, we knew it was Scarano.
Its so out of context with the block and its surroundings. I also like how the fire escapes on the building next door to it (to the left in the photo) are touching the Scarano bldg.
Buyer beware.
Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 11:42 AM
Since they are on the first floor, the two 1000+ sq ft studios are most likely duplexes with "rec rooms" in the basement.
Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 11:44 AM
What an ugly building. Yeesh.
Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 11:47 AM
I live near this building and have been walking by it for months. I think it has a really interesting design. I don't think it is terribly out of context; it's the right scale, anyway. It is nice to see something new that pays attention to design, and isn't a faux-brownstone, as other newish developments on side streets in the Slope seem to be.
Jen KG
Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 11:48 AM
I agree w/ Jen -- I'm not nearly as turned off by it in person as I'd expect to be. Not sure the photo quite does it justice.
It'll be interesting to see how this building "ages" in context, though.
Shelz123
Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 11:55 AM
It has nice relation to the metal ventilation duct on the building next door :)
Scale is more or less right, and it is definitely better then any fedders design.
Posted by: PG at August 28, 2007 11:59 AM
In person, this building is pretty innocuous. I know the people who live behind it, it has not been *that bad* to be near the construction. All in all it's not a bad addition to that side of 5th avenue. The location is really nice. 790psqft seems high, but then again all this new construction seems overprices. That would put the 1300 sqft apt at over a million.
If these are really the going prices for places SW of 5th Ave and places on 4th ave, what's the going price per square foot for brownstone coop apts? Seems like they are priced much lower?
Posted by: Park Place at August 28, 2007 12:00 PM
Nothing is going to sell like "hot cakes" this year. Haven't you seen the news lately?
Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 12:09 PM
I remember the folks in the 2BR duplex next door having a nightmare selling their place, although that was more because the unit was very thin than the Scararmageddon next door.
Probably the best nearby comparisons are the Vermeil, which has been awfully quiet of late, or 145 Park Place (ditto). The condo coversions of brownstone or limestone buildings in the area have gone like hot cakes (I should know, I missed a couple), but the apartment buildings don't seem to do it.
Posted by: Gringcorp at August 28, 2007 12:11 PM
WHERE IS THE AY COMMENT GUY?
Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 12:39 PM
The FINANCIAL MELTDOWN guy is the new ATLANTIC YARDS EFFECT guy
Posted by: Gringcorp at August 28, 2007 12:58 PM
These aren't so bad.
By the way, the Vermeil are back up and running with a new fancy website...
www.vermeilcondominiums.com
Hopefully something sells this time around.
Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 1:21 PM
Look everyone, it's the EXACT same building as North 5th between Bedford and Driggs in Williamsburg: http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/building/211-north-5-street-brooklyn
For a second there, I thought IT was the same building (I walk past the one in Williamsburg all the time.)
Jeez... you figure you'd make it a little different.
Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 1:48 PM
On second thought, its a cheaper looking version of the one in Williamsburg. The windows in this one are MUCH MUCH smaller (the one on North 5th is literally a solid wall of glass for the middle. )
Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 1:51 PM
I swear to you that the Benetton bunch at Scarano Architects must have a building bock set they throw around in a box till a few pieces land on one another, then hit the auto-cad system and voila, new building design.
This obviously went through the block-o-rama design concept phase.
Posted by: Action Jackson at August 28, 2007 1:53 PM
Forgot to add, what's up with that crazy vent system next door on the left?
Posted by: Action Jackson at August 28, 2007 1:54 PM
I think it's for the kitchens of Pepperoncino, the Italian restaurant on the corner of 5th and St Marks
Posted by: Gringcorp at August 28, 2007 2:14 PM
A house in Park Slope is a much better deal per square foot. And nothing like owning your own place without a brainless board.
Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 6:02 PM
Actually Brownstoner, The Crest and Novo are averaging $650-$670 per foot!!! Where do you get your info??? I've seen the spreadsheets, I bought at the crest and both buildings have stalled as of late.
Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 6:51 PM
What kind of giant robot does it become when it unfolds?
Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 9:15 PM
I know of at least 2 units at Crest that have sold at about 725 a foot
jg
Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 11:42 PM
i bought at crest too, for 695sf, very happy to have got in there... unhappy to hear that it's stalled? could someone please share if they have any details?
thanks!
Posted by: guest at August 29, 2007 4:38 PM
hi, i also bought at the crest, for $650 psf. Crest buyers, any interest in forming a google group to keep us up to date about closing schedules and progress?
Posted by: guest at August 29, 2007 4:46 PM
Hi,
I have set up a group for contract holders at the Crest Park Slope, 302 Second St. Please join to share information on closing and the development.
Email me for an invite Yunghi@gmail.com
Thanks
Y
Posted by: guest at August 29, 2007 5:18 PM
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