The Wall Street Journal May 30 2012
May 30, 2012 http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303640104577436561509101938.html?m g=reno-wsj
A Grand Old Co-op By Stefanos Chen Price: $3,300,000 Location: New York, NY Type of Home: Apartment This largely unchanged, white-glove co-op on New York's Upper East Side is listed at a price for hands-on remodelling.
This six-room, 2,600-square-foot apartment in Manhattan's upscale Carnegie Hill neighborhood has been in the same family for the better part of four decades, according to Clifford James, the owners' son and executor of the estate. Unlike many other apartments in prewar buildings, the home's layout remains unchanged—harking back to a time when 'things were larger and grander than today,' said Mr. James. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
Mr. James, 61 years old, who lived in the apartment with his parents from the age of 12 to 18, said the neighborhood is a good fit for families. Located between 89th and 90th street on Park Avenue, the home is a short walk to Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
Mr. James said the apartment is notable because it hasn't undergone some of the awkward changes that have marred others from the same period. The next buyer, he said, will be free to maintain or completely re-imagine the space. 'It's really a clean palette for whoever's walking in.' Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
The living room is 29-feet long by 18½-feet wide and features a wood-burning fireplace. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
The apartment is 'priced to permit a full renovation and still be competitive,' said Mr. James. He said the home is in 'estate condition.' The kitchen, seen here, was last updated in the 1960s, 'What was a new kitchen in 1965 is not a new kitchen now,' he said. Though the room includes an eatin area, he suggests that new owners might expand the kitchen into the pantry room. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
Mr. James, who is a commerciallitigation lawyer, said he's selling the home because it's just 'too large' for him. 'It's really a grand space for living and entertaining.' Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
The home includes two bedrooms and three bathrooms. Mr. James described the closet space as 'beyond incredible.' The closet in the master bedroom isn't just walk-in—'it's stroll-in,' he said. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
The building includes concierge service, a health club and storage in the basement. 'The building itself is very fine and the staff is terrific,' Mr. James said. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
One of the conditions of purchase is that the final offer must be an all-cash purchase, according to listing agent Barbara Evans-Butler. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
The apartment was listed in April for $3.3 million with Ms. Evans-Butler and Cindy Kurtin of Stribling & Associates. A two-bedroom penthouse apartment in the building is listed for $4.995 million, while another comparable unit closed for $3.9 million in 2011, according to the website StreetEasy. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
A Grand Old Co-op By Stefanos Chen Price: $3,300,000 Location: New York, NY Type of Home: Apartment This largely unchanged, white-glove co-op on New York's Upper East Side is listed at a price for hands-on remodelling.
This six-room, 2,600-square-foot apartment in Manhattan's upscale Carnegie Hill neighborhood has been in the same family for the better part of four decades, according to Clifford James, the owners' son and executor of the estate. Unlike many other apartments in prewar buildings, the home's layout remains unchanged—harking back to a time when 'things were larger and grander than today,' said Mr. James. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
Mr. James, 61 years old, who lived in the apartment with his parents from the age of 12 to 18, said the neighborhood is a good fit for families. Located between 89th and 90th street on Park Avenue, the home is a short walk to Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
Mr. James said the apartment is notable because it hasn't undergone some of the awkward changes that have marred others from the same period. The next buyer, he said, will be free to maintain or completely re-imagine the space. 'It's really a clean palette for whoever's walking in.' Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
The living room is 29-feet long by 18½-feet wide and features a wood-burning fireplace. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
The apartment is 'priced to permit a full renovation and still be competitive,' said Mr. James. He said the home is in 'estate condition.' The kitchen, seen here, was last updated in the 1960s, 'What was a new kitchen in 1965 is not a new kitchen now,' he said. Though the room includes an eatin area, he suggests that new owners might expand the kitchen into the pantry room. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
Mr. James, who is a commerciallitigation lawyer, said he's selling the home because it's just 'too large' for him. 'It's really a grand space for living and entertaining.' Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
The home includes two bedrooms and three bathrooms. Mr. James described the closet space as 'beyond incredible.' The closet in the master bedroom isn't just walk-in—'it's stroll-in,' he said. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
The building includes concierge service, a health club and storage in the basement. 'The building itself is very fine and the staff is terrific,' Mr. James said. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
One of the conditions of purchase is that the final offer must be an all-cash purchase, according to listing agent Barbara Evans-Butler. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
The apartment was listed in April for $3.3 million with Ms. Evans-Butler and Cindy Kurtin of Stribling & Associates. A two-bedroom penthouse apartment in the building is listed for $4.995 million, while another comparable unit closed for $3.9 million in 2011, according to the website StreetEasy. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal
