Inside Third & Bond: Week 110

As we enter the homestretch of construction at Third + Bond, we notice all sorts of details that we wondered about during the design phase. For instance, on most of our developments, we’re building on vacant or underutilized lots, so we don’t have a good idea what the views will be like from the top of the building. Third + Bond is no exception. What will the skyline view be like looking north, we wondered? Will we be able to see over the trees and 2nd Street buildings? What kind of gritty, industrial view will be available looking south? Will anyone like it?

We’re counting on interesting views since we want to create some motivation for those residents living at the top of a walk-up building. There’s always a balancing act with walk-ups: the higher the floor, the longer the walk, the more dramatic the payoff. We’re particularly familiar with this scenario from our recent acquisition at Cobble Hill Towers. In that building, there are 6 stories to walk up. It’s not for everybody, but we read a study once that residents with a vertical commute live longer and healthier.

There are two distinct views at the top of Third + Bond…

…The northern view is green with puffs of tree tops floating above orderly rows of townhouses. In the distance are the skylines of Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn. And standing off to the northeast, the striking Williamsburgh Savings Bank/One Hanson Place. The southern view is the wide landscape of gritty, industrial Brooklyn. From your bed, you can see an expansive blue sky, the back of the KenTile sign, and the elevated subway train. If you step out onto the private terrace, you can see the quietly hulking warehouses that demarcate the zoning on the south side of Third Street. It’s particularly striking at night as trains pass over the bridge with the lights glowing in the distance, everything below dark and quiet.

Are we concerned about the market favoring one view over the other? Not really. As one of our colleagues loves to quote his mother, some people like chocolate, some people like vanilla. We recall a friend of ours who rented at the Huntington Street building near Smith Street, who loves the direct view of the F train in its descent. We sold lots of units at J Condo to urban cheerleaders who loved looking at the base of the Manhattan Bridge with its 88 decibel subway lines.

So whether you like chocolate or vanilla, the upper floor units will offer good health and good views. After all, either way you’re still eating ice cream.

Inside Third & Bond: Weeks 1-108 [Brownstoner]
The complete offering terms are in an Offering Plan available from Sponsor. File No. CD080490. Sponsor: Hudson Third LLC, 826 Broadway, New York, NY 10003.