Until last year, a developer who hired a famous architect to sprinkle some pixie dust on his site was guaranteed to make a fortune. Now that sales prices are dipping, it’s time to revisit the products of that rush to extravagance. In some buildings, prices appear to have peaked; in others, they’ve risen despite the rough economy. As the resales begin, it’s a moment to reindulge the fantasy of living there—or, just maybe, make an offer.
Architect: Charles Gwathmey
Address: 445 Lafayette Street
Asking Price: $14 million
Broker: Pamela Huson, Prudential Douglas Elliman
True, not everyone was happy to see Gwathmey Siegel’s big glass tower arrive in the East Village. But the interiors are far nicer than detractors may realize, and this penthouse”all 4,411 square feet of it, spread over two floors”has a double-height great room that earns its adjective. The owner of this showpiece apartment seems to be holding firm on his price; the most recent deal in the building went for 12.5 percent off asking, and other listings have been removed from the market after significant price cuts.
Photo: Courtesy of the Broker
Architect: Richard Meier
Address: 173 Perry Street
Asking Price: $11.5 million
Broker: Robert Browne, Chris Kann, and Gregory Sullivan, The Corcoran Group
Meier’s three West Village towers redefined the condo business, giving buyers a new alternative to prewar fetishism. This three-bedroom apartment combines two full-floor units, on the sixth and seventh floors, and includes a killer media room plus a dressing area larger than some studio apartments. After appearing on the market in 2008, then being removed, it’s recently been relisted with a $1 million price cut.
Photo: Courtesy of the Broker
Architect: Jean Nouvel
Address: 40 Mercer Street, Apartment 12E
Price: $9 million
Broker: Wendy Maitland, Brown Harris Stevens
Nouvel’s building”recognizable, inside and out, by the distinctive colored-glass bands atop the windows” had his own chic finishes in place when completed. Then the buyers redid much of this apartment, including a new kitchen and Venetian- plaster walls. The asking price has fallen 17 percent, from $10.85 million, since January.
Photo: Courtesy of the Broker
Architect: Annabelle Selldorf
Address: 200 Eleventh Avenue
Price: $17.5 million (penthouse)
Broker: Leonard Steinberg, Prudential Douglas Elliman
One of the final high-end buildings begun during the boom, Selldorf’s new tower near the High Line is nearing completion. The duplex penthouse (at left; a lower floor appears on the following slide) has proportions and light like very few other rooms in New York. It’s almost enough to make you forget the building’s most-discussed amenity” a garage/elevator that lets you park at your apartment door.
Photo: Hannah Whitaker/New York Magazine
Architect: Annabelle Selldorf
