April 4, 2019

“Listed for $7,350,000, this 2,478-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath apartment has 10-foot ceilings, wide-plank white oak floors, an open-concept living room and kitchen, a custom gas fireplace, a corner dining area, stainless steel appliances (including a five-burner cooktop, two dishwashers, and a full-height wine fridge), a washer and dryer, and a private, 1,282-square-foot terrace with views of the East River” – Brick Underground.  Read more here.

July 14, 2017

New York City is always changing, but the Lower East Side has managed to keep its edgy roots while still evolving along with its fellow Downtown neighborhoods. Known for its historic immigrant culture—from which so much of New York City’s spirit and character has emerged— the LES also offers its own version of modern urban culture as the home of a new assortment of luxury apartments, especially those for sale at 242 Broome Street at Essex Crossing.

One thing that’s stayed consistent on the Lower East Side: locals here are obsessed with food and fashion. What was once farmland, whose food fed the city and whose wool kept residents warm, is now the center of the farm-to-table movement at places like the Fat Radish and Dirt Candy, and is now the arbiter of fashion at boutiques like 7115 by SZEKI and Assembly New York.

The area still retains its historical flourish thanks to NYC staples, like Katz’s Deli and Kossar’s. It’s a playground for foodies and fashionistas, and soon both will have a chance to get their fill in one convenient location: Essex Crossing’s Market Line, with 150,000 square feet of space running through the heart of LES.

Anyone who’s well-traveled knows that part of the fun and romance of visiting a foreign city is exploring the marketplace. Just imagine: having a slice of Jamon Iberico at the Boqueria in Barcelona or buying a new rug at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

Once the Market Line opens in 2018, New Yorkers will have a chance to shop in one of the biggest markets in the world without leaving Manhattan. With space for hundreds of local vendors, from fishmongers to artisan baristas, it’s certain to compete with those exceptional international marketplaces. Still, the neighborhood will retain its New York moxie, as embodied by one of the city’s most famous and venerated institutions, Essex Street Market, which will have a new home in the Market Line.

And it’s not just the Market Line that’s bound to draw even more people to LES; Trader Joe’s, Regal Cinema, and NYU Medical Center are just a few more destinations slated to be included in the vast and historic Essex Crossing development.

June 26, 2017

Making an impact

Making a memorable impact on the iconic Manhattan skyline is no easy task. With so many great apartments and condominiums for sale, it takes an exceptional architectural firm like SHoP Architects to do something truly different and inspiring. Over two decades, the team at SHoP has peppered NYC with some deliciously innovative architecture, and their latest feat is the vastly ambitious Essex Crossing, which includes the new luxury condos at 242 Broome. By 2024, this project—helmed by SHoP—will have converted six acres of underutilized real estate into thousands of new homes (both public housing and condominiums), as well as a new cinema and public park. SHoP, it turns out, doesn’t do things by halves.

SHoP in the world

It’s not just residences that SHoP excels in; nor does the firm concentrate their efforts on NYC. Theirs is an international and heterogeneous success story. In Seoul, South Korea, SHoP created Hangil Book House, an organic-looking structure (with undulating wooden fabric) that echoes the surrounding Art Park’s landscape. The Konza Techno Pavilion in Nairobi, Kenya, meanwhile, reflects the shape of the native acacia tree, with a canopy that also creates much-needed respite from the sun. SHoP also does its bit for good causes; for example, they helped areas affected by the 2015 earthquake in Nepal when they partnered with the Kids of Kathmandu and Asia

Friendship Network to create 50 easy-assembly schools. Creative, crafty, and with a conscience too—that’s SHoP. Other standout projects across the States include the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, revamped with 4,700 brushed-aluminum fins, and an “environmentally sensitive, technologically savvy” campus at Richmond Bay, Berkeley. Their magic touch has been felt worldwide.

242 Broome in the city

SHoP’s latest success story, however, is quite close to home. 242 Broome is an altogether unique set of condominiums, located on the Lower East Side. This 14 – story build appears to cascade down from the skies, its champagne -tinged, anodized aluminum surface glinting in the sun. Residents will appreciate the torquing design, which allows greater space and light into the one- to three-bedroom apartments. There is something about this building that at once makes you sit up and take notice; at the same time, 242 Broome has slotted into the Lower East Side with ease—as if it were always meant to be here. To admire SHoP’s latest masterstroke from the streets below is a pleasure. To live within its luxurious design is sheer heaven.

June 2, 2017

Dreamers and doers have been drawn to Manhattan’s Lower East Side for hundreds of years. Today it’s been called “the last frontier of cool” and is known for its forward-thinking creative class, who increasingly seek new luxury condominiums like 242 Broome Street.

A section of town that was home to everyone from Emma Goldman to Basquiat is now frequented by well-heeled residents with high-end sensibilities—and an appreciation of the realness and grit NYC is known for. Newcomers and lifers relish the area’s “small town within a big city” vibe where old-school tenements blend with brand-new architectural surprises.

Old mixing with new is the visual calling card of the LES, but it’s no different in the area’s vibrant food scene. Iconic establishments like Katz’s Delicatessen, quite possibly the best place in the city to get a pastrami on rye, is right down the street from of-the-moment spots like Dirt Candy, where Chef Amanda Cohen consistently wows diners with an all-vegetable menu. And the new Essex Crossing market space set to open soon is bound to bring an even more eclectic array of treats from around the city and the world.

Whether vegetarian or carnivore, revelers are wise to fuel up before heading out and indulging in dance clubs and bars like Hotel Chantelle or the Slipper Room that also add to the area’s festive yet refined reputation.

And it wouldn’t be the Lower East Side without music. After all, this is where Madonna and Lady Gaga got their start. Those with a penchant for cutting-edge live performances can immerse in an array of musical styles, genres, and venues, ranging from a klezmer band at Abrons Arts Center to Beth Ditto at the Bowery Ballroom or underground phenoms at Arlene’s Grocery and Pianos.

After a night on the town, nothing beats waking up at 242 Broome, taking in the sunrise as part of the panoramic view, and grabbing a cup of custom-roasted Guatemala Huehuetenango coffee from nearby Roasting Plant. Mornings are also the perfect time to take a stroll and take in some greenery.

Of course, the Lower East Side doesn’t do anything routinely, exemplified by the fusion of nature and art at the First Street Garden. Sara D. Roosevelt Park caters to sportier residents of the neighborhood with lively basketball courts and a turf soccer field. Soon, your morning ritual might even include a walk through the world’s first underground park, replete with natural, albeit piped-in, light via the Lowline.

This playful and experimental style of thinking permeates every bit of the Lower East Side, and that’s why it’s one of the most beloved parts of the city. At 242 Broome Street, residents will be able to experience this ever-evolving, always-quirky neighborhood at its very best and enjoy a lifestyle that is the envy of urban dwellers around the world.