Feeling cramped in his co-op studio, a retiree shoots for his ‘bucket-list apartment’ in one of New York City's shiny new towers. Here’s where he landed.
Feeling cramped in his co-op studio, a retiree shoots for his ‘bucket-list apartment’ in one of New York City's shiny new towers. Here’s where he landed.
The New York Times
Real Estate|He Wanted Some Outdoor Space in a New Manhattan Condo. Which of These Homes Would You Choose?
Site Search Navigation
Site Navigation
Site Mobile Navigation
Real Estate|The Hunt
He Wanted Some Outdoor Space in a New Manhattan Condo. Which of These Homes Would You Choose?
ByJOYCE COHENJULY 2, 2020
Feeling cramped in his co-op studio, a retiree shoots for his ‘bucket-list apartment’ in one of New York City's shiny new towers. Here’s where he landed.Related Article
Joel Rubenfeld worked for years as an elementary-school principal in Canarsie, Brooklyn, where he grew up. About 20 years ago, seeking a pied-à-terre in Manhattan, he bought a studio in a co-op building on East 57th Street.
“I fell in love with the area,” he said. “I had my favorite bagel shop and my favorite Italian restaurant. The subways were right there.”
When the studio started to feel cramped, he upsized to a one-bedroom condominium in a recently converted Yorkville high-rise, Wellington Tower.
“When you are a retiree, you kind of get shpilkes,” said Mr. Rubenfeld, 68, who retired 10 years ago and now works part-time instructing teachers of special-needs students. “You get ants in your pants, and you look for things to do. I was always interested in Manhattan real estate and was always looking at StreetEasy.”
[Did you recently buy or rent a home in the New York metro area? We want to hear from you. Email:thehunt@nytimes.com]
About three years ago, he noticed that similar one-bedroom units in his building were “very hot.”
“I had some money saved and thought to myself, ‘Let me get my bucket-list apartment,’” he said.
That meant a sunny, brand-new condominium with a view, and ideally some outdoor space, for under $2 million. So he contacted Alexander Boriskin, an agent at Douglas Elliman, who had just sold a one-bedroom in his building.
“Joel wanted to stay in the Midtown-ish area,” Mr. Boriskin said. “There weren’t many great options with outdoor space.”
There were plenty of amenities in the shiny, new condominiums that Mr. Rubenfeld was interested in, but he had never used them in his own building — not even the pool. “It’s like when you buy a new TV or a new car,” he said. “It has all the bells and whistles, and you ooh and ahh, and then you never use them.”
The only extra he really cared about was some kind of common room, where he could hold gatherings and birthday parties (when those sorts of things still happened).
“I do have friends and family who thought I was crazy, because the Wellington was beautiful,” Mr. Rubenfeld said. “But I was ready to move on.”
Among his options:
No. 1
Madison Avenue One-Bedroom
A corner one-bedroom just east of the Empire State Building was nearly 900 square feet, with an extra half bathroom and an open-plan living area with wraparound windows. The price was $1.8 million, with monthly charges of around $1,950.
No. 2
Third Avenue One-Bedroom
A one-bedroom in this Murray Hill building had a standard rectangular layout covering nearly 800 square feet, with floor-to-ceiling windows and heated flooring in the bathroom. The price was $1.42 million, with monthly charges of a little over $1,500.
No. 3
59th Street One-Bedroom
This corner one-bedroom was around 1,200 square feet, with an extra half bathroom, an open kitchen along one wall of the living area and a big balcony facing north. The price was $1.975 million, with monthly charges of around $3,500.
Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:
Which Would You Choose?
Madison Avenue One-Bedroom
Third Avenue One-Bedroom
59th Street One-Bedroom
Which Did He Choose?
Madison Avenue One-Bedroom
Third Avenue One-Bedroom
59th Street One-Bedroom
The Hunt
Heading Up to Westchester for More Space at the Right Price
They Wanted a Brooklyn Fixer-Upper for the Right Price. Which Home Would You Choose?
Scouring the South Bronx for an Income-Producing Home. Which Would You Pick?
A Manhattan Couple Heads for the Jersey Suburbs. Which Home Would You Choose?