The Williamsburg 30 Percent Sold
The Residences at the Williamsburg, the condo-meets-hotel-development that we checked out in June, started sales two months ago. Since then, the 57-unit building is already 30 percent spoken for. In case you forgot, these were the units gussied up with programmable air and light settings, as well as a camera you could watch through your…
The Residences at the Williamsburg, the condo-meets-hotel-development that we checked out in June, started sales two months ago. Since then, the 57-unit building is already 30 percent spoken for. In case you forgot, these were the units gussied up with programmable air and light settings, as well as a camera you could watch through your IPhone. The hotel is planned to open next March. Curbed grabbed this photo yesterday as the scaffolding came down.
New Burg Condo Goes High Tech [Brownstoner]
Williamsburg Condo-Hotel is Out in the Open [Curbed]
haha dirty! i actually don’t love every POS by a long shot, but i do have problems when people criticize well made, nice looking modern buildings that they’ve never seen except for a picture on here. examples would be 125 N. 10th or 80 Met or the Edge. i recently walked by this place, and from the outside, it’s fine. the value to an apt is a mix of construction, location, interiors, services, PRICE! etc… it’s not just based on whether the exterior is old – you’re right dirty that many people are not going to give the exterior first priority if everything else is good for them.
unrelated to whether this is terrific design or not, i think a hotel will be successful just based on location. it’s very close to Root Studios on n. 14th which is a bumping busy photo studio drawing clients from everywhere for instance, plus it will appeal to many tourists.
“So me talking up Brownstone Brooklyn and it’s vast swathes of beautiful (by most people’s standards, even if they don’t want to live in it) architecture is not ok, but you defending every P.O.S. building in Williamsburg isn’t the same thing?”
You missed my point – I understand your talking up of the architecture of Brownstone Brooklyn and all the things that make it great. And I understand you dissing crappy architecture in Williamsburg. I don’t understand your overwhelming positive attitude about crappy architecture outside of North Brooklyn. Well, actually I do – but it’s Friday and I’m bored and you’re fun to argue with.
And no, I’m not wine lover – I don’t defend every POS building in 11211 – I don’t even like this building. Just like you love calling out people when they are negative and get shit wrong – so do I. You, Heather and the rest of the North Brooklyn haters were dead wrong last summer with your bold predictions that Williamsburg would be toast by this summer.
I’m not going to argue with you about the architectural preferences of people shopping for apartments on the UES. Yeah – if they can afford a pre-war co-op (which are predominately west of Lex) – chances are they aren’t shopping for a white box east of lex. Haven’t been following my UES new construction condos very closely – but at least a few people opted for 6.5 million condos in the Lucida on 85th over stuff on Park Ave.
If we are to take a small comparison though let’s look at Heather’s example of those white brick building on the Upper East Side. Today, I would venture to say that when buyers are looking for properties on the UES, their first choice (and the most expensive housing) is pre-war, the second most expensive housing are the brand spanking new developments and the least expensive housing (although of course it’s still expensive) are the 50’s 60’s, 70’s and 80’s era buildings which are neither old nor new.
That is how I view much of this crap going up now. It may be fine now, but in the future when there’s even newer and more trendy buildings, these things built today are not interesting enough to hold their value as well as the years pass.
We are at over 100 years out now and Brownstones are still sought after enough to have a blog about them and they are being protected and exchanged for large sums of money. Do you think that the same is in store 100 years from now about Kaufman, Scarano and Boymelgreen?
I guess we’ll have to wait and find out.
So me talking up Brownstone Brooklyn and it’s vast swathes of beautiful (by most people’s standards, even if they don’t want to live in it) architecture is not ok, but you defending every P.O.S. building in Williamsburg isn’t the same thing?
Here’s the deal, Williamsburg is a cool place to live if you’re primary interests are being close to cool/hip bars, restaurants and music venues. It’s not known for it’s beautiful architecture and at this rate never will be. Brownstone brooklyn has the glorious architecture and a slightly less than perfectly curated scene of gastropubs and cocktail lounges…I AM keeping it real. But you need to realize that at this rate, Williamsburg isn’t going to be a sought after place for nice architecture just like I’ve come to the realization that Rag & Bone is never going to open up on 7th avenue.
This isn’t a war about neighborhoods, there is tons of crappy architecture all over Brooklyn, but where you live is more inundated with it than other places. I’m not trying to start a war here, I thought I was pointing out a fact.
And to answer your question about Toren…yes, I think it will stand the test of time design-wise. I don’t think it will necessarily look dated in 20 years time as much as most of the other new highrises I see around. Enrique Norton Carroll Street development I like and will probably only look good in the future if kept in pristine condition/cleanliness.
These are obviously just my opinions, DH. I do realize that not everyone agrees and also realize that lots of people don’t like living in Brownstones.
“I didn’t say pre-war=good and new=bad, I said that badly designed new stuff like this isn’t going to age well.
I think the stuff on 4th Avenue is mostly CRAP and think most of it is going to age horribly.”
Okay – well then you’re very inconsistent in your commenting. Can’t recall you ever bringing up how new construction in Park Slope or Downtown Brooklyn will look like crap in 10 years. Can you honestly say Toren or that motel looking condo on Carroll btw 4th and 5th (2 buildings you have a boner for) will look great in 10 years? I realize more people moving into brownstone brooklyn helps you all in the long run – bringing more retail and probably driving up real estate prices – but try to keep it real!
“Or am I just totally off-base in my love of pre-war architecture that I’m not realizing that some people actually think these buildings going up all over Williamrburg are pretty on the outside?? ”
Who knows? I don’t think it’s that crazy to think some people may like some of the new construction going up. Not everyone is an architecture buff like most people on here. Even ugly people get married sometimes.
I think it’s not totally off base to say some people (including myself) have no desire to live in a pre-war building.
You missed my point, DH.
I didn’t say pre-war=good and new=bad, I said that badly designed new stuff like this isn’t going to age well.
I think the stuff on 4th Avenue is mostly CRAP and think most of it is going to age horribly. Believe me, I don’t think like those people who only care about the inside…the outside is just as important to me, even if I can’t see it from inside. I’ve never understood why people would not care about how ugly the building they live in is, but then again, that’s why we have so many ugly buildings going up right now. Apparently lots of people don’t care as you say and therefore the cycle of fugly continues.
There are ways to build modern architecture in a way which will stand the test of time, and no it doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive. The more people such as yourself defend many of these hideous buildings going up all over your neighborhood, the more they will be built.
Or am I just totally off-base in my love of pre-war architecture that I’m not realizing that some people actually think these buildings going up all over Williamrburg are pretty on the outside?? If that is true, I still don’t think the materials they are using and in these particular fad-like deign elements (or lack thereof) are going to look good in 20 years.
lol lots of pwning going on in this thread hahahah
*rob*
No offense Heather, but your Williamsburg prediction track record isn’t very stellar.
I’ve been wondering how these properties will age, yes. All of that glass and fake facade stuff — does it fade? Will it look like thirty-year old aluminum siding in thirty years? And who’s going to wash all of the windows? And if they break? Leak? Is this an issue?
I mean, optimistically, it will age into the blandness of all of those postwar white brick buildings in Manhattan. And Williamsburg will merely have a bank on every corner, some retail flagship chains, and a few tour busses. Less optimistically, all of the brownfield stuff will turn out to be true and it’ll be Love Canal.
Either way, I think we can rest assured that the douche factor will be high. Extremely.