Rental of the Day: Cast Iron and Reclaimed Wood in a Converted Williamsburg Church
Today’s pick is in the Spire Lofts at 167 North 6th Street in Williamsburg — which is to say it sits within the former St. Vincent De Paul Church, a 146-year-old structure that was bought in 2011 and is being converted into apartments. Leasing started there last year, and now a wave of new units…
Today’s pick is in the Spire Lofts at 167 North 6th Street in Williamsburg — which is to say it sits within the former St. Vincent De Paul Church, a 146-year-old structure that was bought in 2011 and is being converted into apartments.
Leasing started there last year, and now a wave of new units is hitting the market, listed by Carey Larsen at aptsandlofts.com. The listing linked to below is for B15, which is the cheapest of the lot at $4,350 a month. The others run as high as $8,000, with most in the $6,000s for two and three bedrooms.
For $4,350, you get 1.5 bedrooms and two bathrooms. There’s no floorplan, and the photos are representative shots of the building’s units, so it’s hard to get a handle on exactly how it’s laid out, or what constitutes the half-bedroom.
But all the places are duplexes, in a fetching industrial rustic style, with exposed brick (including in the bathroom, where it’s not often seen), wide-plank floors and a lot of reclaimed wood.
That reclaimed wood includes dramatic exposed pillars and beams, as well as heavy sliding doors and the stairs on the open staircases leading to the mezzanine. Throw in the arched windows, the cast-iron catwalk looming above, the angled lines and the open spaces and the places definitely have a vibe.
The building is half a block from Bedford Avenue and close to the Bedford L train stop. (And there’s an open house today from 6:30 to 7:30 for all the units.)
What do you think of what they’ve done with the place, and the asking prices?
167 North 6th Street, #B15 [Aptsandlofts.com] GMAP
Photos by Aptsandlofts.com
My first thought about the exposed brick was “Wtf?!?!” but I’m thinking now that if you put a few coats of a clear gloss lacquer over the wall, you’d end up wait a waterproof surface that you could clean with a sponge. It would be bumpy, granted, but cleanable.
wow!
The kitchen faucet is SO high(LOL!) and the brick shower is REALLY questionable.
Ugh. This is one of those HGTV “looks-cool” places but in reality will be a major PITA to maintain. Hopefully you have no open food on the counter as people walk over those open iron landings with their shoes shedding dog crap and who knows what else on the counter and food below. Keep the Lysol and Saran Wrap handy. I cant even imagine trying to clean a few week’s worth of soap scum, body oils, salt scrubs, etc. on that brick in the shower. Do the grout lines leak into the apartment below or next door once they separate? It does look nice, hip, cool, etc, but whoever lives here is in for a nightmare of sanitary issues – if that matters I guess.
The catwalk over the kitchen is not a great idea and whatever was the designer/plumber thinking when installing the kitchen faucet so high? You will need a water proof apron to protect yourself from the splash back. And trying to clean an exposed brick shower??!!
Some practical thought of actually living in the space; might have been a good idea.
New pine, plank flooring is difficult to maintain in high traffic areas.
I am sure we will see this traded soon to a REIT or some other non experienced rental investor; for the high rent rent roll, but horrendously high maintenance & turnover costs….
I agree. I’m pleasantly impressed.