Condos of the Day: 241 Norman Avenue
The concept behind 241 Norman is interesting–condos for artists that sell at a discount because they are zoned commercial–and the location seems appropriate. Obviously this is a wink-wink look-the-other-way situation where everyone will end up living there and hoping that no one from DOB or the fire department decides to make life difficult for them….
The concept behind 241 Norman is interesting–condos for artists that sell at a discount because they are zoned commercial–and the location seems appropriate. Obviously this is a wink-wink look-the-other-way situation where everyone will end up living there and hoping that no one from DOB or the fire department decides to make life difficult for them. Of course, given the direction of the nabe–and the fact that this building falls just feet from the residential zoning line–it’s also entirely possible that these could go legit at some point in the near future. The raw space looks nice, too. The bigger question is how much of a discount are you getting if you buy these for $500 a foot but still have to build out a kitchen (and more than likely upgrade the bathroom)? Dunno. Has anyone checked them out?
241 Norman Avenue [Greenpoint Lofts] GMAP
Lofty Commercial Condo for Sale [Craigslist]
Opportunity for Artists in Greenpoint [Curbed]
We weren’t advocating anything, merely recognizing the realities of the marketplace.
It is irresponsible for anyone to advocate that people live in buildings which aren’t zoned for residential use and don’t meet residential building codes because of a discounted price. I don’t see that as a problem, bstoner. Sorry if you do.
Hey, we had a lease, paid our rent on time and then left. Not sure what your problem is ex-lofter.
Oh yeah, and nobody forced those landlords to rent lofts to residential tenants in the first place. They couldn’t find commercial or manufacturing tenants, so they chose to ignore that law, too.
It’s easy to blame tenants for paying low rents and getting in the way of development. But people should not be treated just as placeholders until a more lucrative deal comes along, especially when there are laws on the books to legalize these tenancies and provide landlords with additional income.
Just so you know, bstoner, the landlords of those tenants paying 1983 rents are entitled to 20% rent increases, plus many of the costs of bringing those lofts into residential compliance. This was part of the Loft Law, passed by the state legislature in 1982, ignored by landlords for more than 20 years, and unenforced by the city (shocking, isn’t it?) for the same amount of time.
They look like a good deal to me. sure there are risks but investing in this type of space in this area is great.
where else are you going to find cheap lofts?
We’ve never bashed loft tenants, we’ve merely pointed out that they shouldn’t have perpetual rights to stay in their lofts paying 1983-level rents or be able to block their landlords from doing what they want with their buildings. Big diff.
You can have anything you want, as long as nobody ever inspects and owner or condo board doesn’t object.
But moving into commercial or manufacturing space is so illegal, not to mention risky and a pain in the neck if you don’t know certain things. Like who’s gonna collect your trash? How’s the fire department gonna know who’s living there and who isn’t if, god forbid, there’s a fire? And, if there is a fire, how are you gonna make your insurance company pay to replace all your residential stuff? Plus, you’re gonna be paying commercial utility rates…been there, done that.
and shame on you, bstoner, for having lived in illegal commercial space, especially since some of your posts have bashed legal loft tenants for standing in the way of gentrification.
We were of the understanding that you can have a shower but not a bathtub in a commercial loft; at least, that was the case back in 2000 when we lived in a commercial loft in Manhattan.