(by Elaine Ely)
The Greenwich Lane, a new development collection of five buildings and five townhouses soon to encompass half a West Village block, aims to satisfy everyone, with new construction interspersed with restored Prewar buildings, even saving Prewar facades, if little else.
Modern amenities, Village vibes, incorporated green space, and abounding floor plan options strive
to capture as broad an audience as possible.
While nearly 70% sold out, the buildings still offer a number of units available
to buyers.
Each building will appear discrete and individual, and the tallest will reach only
seventeen floors – so while
many neighbors
will roll eyes at the scale of the project, they should lodge few complaints that it disrupts the skyline or authenticity of its neighborhood.
Much has been done by the Rudins, the iconic NYC development family, to adhere to Jane Jacobs’ worldview.
The blocks between 11th
and 12th
Streets, between 6th
and 7th
Avenues, now are more incorporated into the neighborhood, to our mind,
than the imposing, industrial aspects of the former hospital site.
Plus, the developers have purchased the little triangle of a block across 7th
Avenue, to become a public park.
Overview of Greenwich Lane
This park, for purchasers’ sake, will ensure that all of the many West-facing units – even those on low floors – will have views over or into green space. Likewise, all interior-facing units will look into the development’s own private garden, which runs the length of the three-sided complex and connects all buildings to central amenities: pool, fitness and spa rooms, exercise studios, golf simulator, lounge, catering kitchen, screening room, etc. (Looking at the sales gallery diorama from above, the lengthy garden space adds a bit of summer camp feel – cabins circling the swimming, playing, dining facilities.) The North- and South-facing buildings offer views across low neighboring buildings, reaching the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center.
The interiors, too, differ by building. Some kitchens are finished with dark walnut cabinetry, dark marble, and perhaps too much chrome hardware – and feel like very masculine yachts. Other kitchens, though, are all white marble, almost-Deco lighting, and could just as easily be in a Greenwich, CT or Hamptons home.
All units prioritize view, but in the more contemporary buildings, windows are floor-to-ceiling; in the renovated Prewar buildings, they are big, classic squares.
Both options help connect to the low-slung neighborhood.
And the floor plans vary widely. Buyers can go on a veritable online shopping trip at the sales office (though few of the released units remain), describing their needs and sifting through layout options. Most are spacious and open, with pocket doors and room for reorganization, but they’re also comfortable, even homey, and shy from modern loft.
The woods come indoors to Greenwich Lane
Aside from some design elements, which could verge, ironically, on prim or retro glamour (but, in either case, make statements of tradition and stylistic assertion), the development succeeds in a project of less (sky-scraping, all-glass modernity) is more, while sacrificing no modern convenience.
If you’d like to schedule an appointment or learn more, please contact us by email (sharris@bhsusa.com) or phone (646-504-5710)!
We see every new development as it comes to market and get to sales offices as soon as is humanly possible for our clients.
Elaine Ely is a member of the Harris Residential Team