The Vista is another example of feng shui and condos in LIC

The other day we received a Facebook request to Like The Vista, a 15-story, 48-unit condo development at 44-15 Purves Street in LIC (GMAP). Sales are through Modern Spaces. From their description:

Vista Court uses earth conscious design to create an aesthetic that is functional, elegant and focused. From the carefully selected fixtures and finishes in your floor heated bathroom, to the stainless steel appliances in your marble topped kitchen, every detail has been carefully considered by our design team to create the ultimate urban oasis.

The developers, Vantage Partners, broke ground in 2011. A feng shui consultant, Laura Cerrano, was brought in by Modern Spaces, and worked with the architects, designers and artists of the building. Feng shui is a Chinese system, and in parts of the world has had an influence on buildings. From Wikipedia: “Historically, feng shui was widely used to orient buildings—often spiritually significant structures such as tombs, but also dwellings and other structures—in an auspicious manner.”

In keeping with an Asian influence, buried underneath the cornerstone of the building are nine red envelopes with wishes enclosed. The building will also be without a fourth floor (4 is bad luck when it comes to feng shui, similar to the feelings toward 13 by westerners).

Some of the feng shui beliefs that were planned to be part of the building are, “units won’t have balconies adjacent to the living room (the developer will build separate entryways) and the entrance to each unit won’t directly face another interior door.” There will also be a yoga studio in the lobby, as well as flowing water (another important element of feng shui).

Feng Shui is slowly making its mark in LIC – there are feng shui homes in The Yard, a condo development at 2-26 50th Street (GMAP). Chess Builders, the developers, worked with owners who wanted to orient their units to be sympathetic with feng shui. According to Modern Spaces’ president Eric Benaim, the rise in feng shui in the neighborhood is due to changing demographics and a general lifestyle trend.

As for The Vista itself, Modern Spaces did a soft opening about a month ago, releasing eight units. And eight units sold in about 25 minutes, According to Benaim. They plan to start selling units again in October.

New condo to bring feng shui to LIC [The Real Deal]
Vista Court at 44-15 Purves Street LIC [Feng Shui Manhattan and Long Island]
Feng shui plays a bigger role in real estate [The Real Deal]