Condo of the Day: Price Cut at the Oro

The PDE links are reversed. But once I did see both units, I prefer the Oro apartment. The BellTel apartment has two windows in the living room, period, full stop.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 12:55 PM

The Belltel unit sacrifices real bedrooms for a better location. However, Oro's location will improve greatly over coming years. Long term, Belltel is a better place to live now, but Oro is the better long-term investment.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 12:56 PM

The Belltel unit sacrifices real bedrooms for a better location. However, Oro's location will improve greatly over coming years. Belltel is a better place to live now, but Oro is the better long-term investment.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 12:56 PM

Those aren't real bedrooms in the Belltel, i agree.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 12:59 PM

The Brooklyn House of Detention has more windows per resident than the BellTel. It also is in a much nicer neighborhood than either Oro or BellTel.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 1:01 PM

I bought at Oro. The sales office there says that they have 148 out of 303 in contract.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 1:02 PM

That's a new one - the windowless 'bedroom' labelled as "home occupancy" on the floorplan - what does that even mean?

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 1:14 PM

So a Persian, a Jew and a WASP walk into a bar...

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 1:28 PM

They cannot call a room without windows a bedroom. This is a large studio.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 1:30 PM

I like PDE's feeble attempt at the Euro play:

"Come and see why such an international group of people have already bought at Bell Tel."
Those Euros are staying in Manhattan, folks

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 1:36 PM

I like PDE's feeble attempt at the Euro play:

"Come and see why such an international group of people have already bought at Bell Tel."

Those Euros are staying in Manhattan, folks

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 1:36 PM

This place is TINY!

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 1:49 PM

This Oro unit provides a good counterpoint to the 175 Eastern Pkwy co-op [this one - http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2008/04/coop_of_the_day_112.php] that was listed for 595K a couple of weeks ago. Seems to me the Eastern Pkwy listing looks way over priced in comparison. Not just because Oro is new, and is a full service building, but b/c the Eastern Pkwy unit was so unexceptional in its finishes - an area in which a really exceptional pre war unit might have outshone the Oro. As for neighborhoods, though Prospect Hts is far more developed, Washington is not that much nicer than Myrtle in my opinion.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 2:01 PM

12:56 - Oro's "location" had better improve a lot in coming years, because right now you got handy access to the BQE, proximity to the fire station, and a short walk to a pretty grim stretch of Myrtle avenue. Ugh.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 2:02 PM

There's no closet in the second bedroom in the Oro. How dumb was the "architect"?

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 2:14 PM

No actual bedrooms in the Belltel unit. Too much for a studio in an uninteresting location.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 2:16 PM

2:14 - well, if it's a kids room, probably not needed. lots of options then.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 2:19 PM

The buildings look good but I think it would be better to be by 75 Smith and 53 Boerum just becasue of the proximity to Cobble and Boerum Hill...

But obviously both areas have pros and cons...

Either way Brooklyn has alot of potential...

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 2:19 PM

2:19 - Kids don't need closets?

You're joking, right?

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 2:24 PM

Since the listing says apt 4C - that would make it the 4th floor.
I assume that is why you said
"according to our calculations".

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 2:37 PM

Based on the two units being compared, I'd have to agree on the Oro unit . . . it has slighly more sq footage and more windows. We didn't look at Oro, but at BellTel there are much better options for slightly more $, but around this price range. Can get a true 2 bedroom or true 1 bedroom w/home occupancy and terrace for around $690 and around 1,200-1,400 sq ft. I guess that's kind of meaningless because there surely are nicer units in Oro too for slightly more price. I do though disagree with characterizing these locations as disinteresting. Right in between Ft. Green, Bo and Co Hills, Bk Heights and Dumbo give easy access to all those neighborhoods, which is an underrated feature

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 2:42 PM

wtf I wouldnt pay 600k to live there.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 2:47 PM

wtf I wouldnt pay 600k to live there.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 2:59 PM

The Oro floor plan is terrible. The living dinig area is useless. Try laying out furnisher in that wedge space. No can't do.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 3:02 PM

i wouldn't pay 600k for neither of these. the belltell in particular is a joke

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 3:04 PM

Pictures within the listing are very decieving that 14'-6" x 12'-10" living room loses 1/3 of its area because of the curve

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 3:11 PM

the oro plan is poor. why would anyone design a modern building with two-bedroom, one-bathroom units? It's the second bathroom everyone wants.
it is a miserable, cheapo layout.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 3:25 PM

I agree on the bad lay-out of the Oro's apartment (mostly because of the waste involved in corridors and the curved living room), but I am missing the fixation with the two bathrooms. A second bathroom is handy but not a must-have. In a small apartment like this, I'd rather have a bigger living room or an extra bedroom/study (where I spend hours every day) than an extra bathroom (which sits unused almost all the time).

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 3:40 PM

I am sure that this has been asked many times before: What is the "official" definition of a bedroom in NYC?

Can you please cite source in response.

Thanks

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 3:45 PM

window

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 3:58 PM

"I am missing the fixation with the two bathrooms"
You are probably single.
one bathroom is fine for one bedroom unit(you figure at most two people will live there) but two bedrooms means that possibly four people could live in the unit (2 parents and 2 siblings).
you need two bathrooms in a 2 bedroom unit.
And while you can excuse our great-grandparents for skimping on bathrooms it is ridiculous for a modern builder to do so. It is more than just a lack of amenity it is actually disrespect for the customer. In no other city would a developer even dream of this.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 4:06 PM

Low-income housing HUD standards mandate a second bathroom in units with two bedrooms.
LOW-INCOME HOUSING. OK?

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 4:12 PM

Both apartments are nice. But BelTell is in a far better location. If anyone has been to Oro, it's just off the BQE, sits on Flatbush Avenue, which in that area feels as big as a 5 lane highway. The entrance to Oro is literally across the street from a very large section of projects.

Beltell is right off center in the Fulton Mall which the central focus of one of the city's biggest urban planning projects. They are pouring $15bn into the surround area, between Albee Square, the Atlantic Yards, The W hotel spinoff (which will be across the street from BelTell) and several others.

Add to that it's absolutely central location. Every train that goes into Brooklyn stops within 2-4 blocks of the building. While the neighborhood is still in transition, there's even a subway stop at the foot of the building.

Nice amenties at Oro but Beltell seems to be a far better investment (even if one of the previous posters tries to sell us that little study as a bedroom). I'd take it for the price...

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 7:12 PM

Just sit tight. Major price chops will be coming down the pike as both Oro and BellTel languish on the market and more new condos come online.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 9:41 PM

the BellTel unit is good for the single person or newlywed couple who really only need one bedroom and can use the second room as a study or storage space. The oro unit is illogical because it presents itself as a true two bedroom. Again, for the single or newlyweds who really just need one bedroom it's functional but a far better investment is to buy a two-bedroom with two baths. For a two-career couple, two baths are so convenient. no matter how close you are, do you really want to sit on the toilet and make noise while your partner is shaving or putting in his/her contacts?
believe me, you want two baths unless you have separate schedules. two baths are also really nice if you have guests. in old buildings sometimes the gorgeous lobby or lovely details make up for not having the plumbing but in a snarky brand-new glass-facade condo? Get the two bathrooms! That's the pay-off for the lack of charm.

Posted by: guest at May 6, 2008 11:21 PM

The hallway seems to take up about half of the Oro apartment's square footage

For $600K, that living room is small, and the lack of a 2nd bathroom is definitely a deal braker... even cheap willyburg condos in the $500K range have 1.5 baths

Posted by: guest at May 7, 2008 1:16 PM

I went to a dinner party at the Belltel and the building has some major noise issues. Guess the topic of the conversation? Yup, the shitty construction and noise issues. People were complaining about us being too loud even though all we were doing was talking and listening to some light music.

Just beware that sound from the ceilings and floors travels very easily to the adjacent units. Even though I only knew the host from a friend of a friend, I felt pretty bad for him. The units are physically nice, but the noise issues with "vents" carrying noise and people walking "hard on their heels" is making life miserable. It's even worse due to the fact there are so many unemployed stroller moms that never leave the building and stomp around all day, all night, all weekend.

Posted by: guest at May 7, 2008 8:47 PM