Powered by RealTown Blogs

Manhattan Loft Guy

Feb. 24, 2007 - what is a 1 bed wonder?

 
large lofts suitable for one person or a couple
 
I remember talking to people last year (and the year before that) about a spectacularly beautiful 2,000 sq ft loft, with very high-end finishes and a truly “Zen-like” renovation. Aside from remembering how nerve-wracking it was to tour at an open house with their kids (“don’t touch anything!”), they easily remembered how beautiful and serene it was.
 
Then I asked if they noticed how few of the “walls” went all the way to the 12 ft ceiling. “Uhhh … no.”
 
This loft – which has been on and off the market for 2+ years – is a quintessential 1 Bed Wonder. Part of its (considerable) charm is that it feels so open, that it flows so well. Part of that charm is because the “walls” did not completely enclose the master bedroom, the guest room, and the library, all of which shared these walls with the open living area.
 
The original owners had great taste – and a house in the country for entertaining grandchildren overnight. It was simply not a space in which you would want someone else sleeping in a different bed. The present owners put it on the market as they were about to have a child. I have no idea how they live in that space with a child.
 
The “problem” with that specific space is that if you were to renovate it to make it suitable for a family, you would probably ruin its charm. It may live and die (and sell, or not sell) as a wonderful space in which everyone but the owners go somewhere else to sleep every night.
 
Other 1 Bed Wonders are more forgiving of renovation possibilities. Add some walls, expand a half bath into a full bath – or even more substantial renovations – would not necessarily reduce the beauty of the space.
 
There are lots of such spaces out there. I will collect a few here from time to time.
 
© Sandy Mattingly 2007
Comments (2) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link
View more entries tagged with:

Feb. 28, 2007 - re: what is a 1 bed wonder?

Posted by VDH
I bet that is the loft on Duane st
Permanent Link

Feb. 28, 2007 - re: what is a 1 bed wonder?

Posted by Sandy Mattingly
VDH  --  Nope, not Duane, but you have made me curious. Which one on Duane are you talking about that would fit this definition?
The one I have in mind actually just came back to the market again yesterday, so I will include it on my list (and blog about it) soon. It started at $2.695mm way back in May 2005 and is now offered at $1.975mm. Stay tuned.
Permanent Link

Write a Comment
Your Name:  RealTown Members: Click here to login
Your E-Mail: 
Your Website: 
Subject: 
Your Comment: 
Notifications: 
Privacy: 
Verification: 
To verify that you are a human and not a script, please enter the verification word from the image into the box on the right.
 

on matters of interest to Manhattan coop or condo loft apartment dwellers, buyers, sellers, and others, especially about New York City real estate

Recent Posts

• what springs eternal? hope, renovation, or ...hubris?
• one year to a lovely sale at Atalanta, 25 N. Moore Street, two years after lovely buy
• Manhattan loft inventory as of October 5
• new Manhattan loft listings + closed sales in last 7 days
• Manhattan as 'different' (not unique) / counting geniuses + immigrants


RSS Blog Feed

Categories

apartment types
bubble talk
caution: no real estate content
change is a constant
economic "analysis"
general weird stuff
In the news (me)
loft features / amenities
loft features / kitchens
loft features / outdoor space
loft features / "space"
loft features / views
lofts in 'other' neighborhoods
Loft neighborhoods / Chelsea
Loft neighborhoods/ East Village
Loft neighborhoods / Flatiron
loft neighborhoods / NoHo
Loft neighborhoods / SoHo
Loft neighborhoods / Tribeca
loft neighborhoods / West 30s
lofts outside New York??
loft style
Manhattan real estate business
Market Data - aggregators
Market Data - reports
Market Trends
Marketing Manhattan apartments
New York, New York, New York
On The Market
open houses
pricing analysis
The Process - buying an apartment
Psychology of the market
public art in Manhattan
schools
truth IS stranger...
what makes a loft a "loft"
internet and blogosphere
renovation opportunities + rewards
One Bed Wonders
new this week


Favorite Links

Manhattan Users Guide (be sure to search the archives)
The Gotham Center for NYC History
Matrix the Real Estate Economy
Hopstop (door-to-door subway instructions)
MTA subway site, including maps + schedules
NYC Dept of Education site
NY State Assn of Independent Schools (find private schools)
cul-cha!
the local TriBeCa newspaper
"the weekly newspaper of lower Manhattan"
Brooklyn, but a great blog

Links

• Home
• View my profile
• Archives
• Email Me
• Blog Manager