Listed for $599,000, This unit is at 225 Central Park West Could be one of the city’s best heists of 2023. Of course, there’s a huge catch. You won’t spot any peeping toms spying in the windows of this 500-square-foot lobby-level pied-à-terre, hops and jumps from Central Park and the American Museum of Natural History.
That’s because Unit 107 has no windows. Instead, it has skylights. Compass, which listed the one-bedroom Upper West Side property earlier this month, refers to it as a “unicorn” — as well as the fact that it’s a legal residence.
Meanwhile, to the inquiring minds on Reddit, where listings are trending In the Ridiculous Real Estate subreddit, asking, “How is it possible that this apartment on Central Park West has no windows, only skylights?” According to an associate of the broker representing the home, the answer is simple: This pre-war building was built before the current New York City fire code was established.
In fact, the Eldon dates back to 1926 when it opened as an apartment hotel. The 16-story, 234-unit structure was designed by Emery Roth—the mind behind the San Remo, El Dorado, and the Ritz Tower—which, when it was completed in 1925, was New York’s tallest residential building.
Today, the Eldon is a luxury property where residents enjoy “attentive white-glove service” and amenities such as a 24-hour concierge, laundry room, bike room, garage, and rooftop garden. It has four other lists available, all with windows, ranging from $525,000 for a studio up to $4.95 million For two-bedroom, two-bathroom with panoramic park views. For Unit 107, it has a total of two skylights – one in the bedroom and one in the living room.
“Skylights meet building code requirements, which basically involve running the numbers for both light and air calculations based on floor area,” Jonathan Lerner said, owner of Five Corners Properties, a New York-based luxury boutique agency. Still, Lerner is the first to admit that not having traditional windows reduces a home’s value by at least $100,000. Based on their experience, the more glass a house has, the more it costs.
Despite how common they are today, windows are a relatively new phenomenon in New York. For nearly 300 years, hundreds of thousands of residents lived in cramped quarters with very little light and air circulation. When the city decided these inhuman conditions were literally killing peopleHe passed the Tenement House Act of 1901. This required adequate ventilation in the new buildings and something else they were missing: indoor toilets.
As for this house, it was probably a storage room or maid’s quarters in a past life – and the listing refers to it as a suite. Brian Lewis, the Compass broker representing the property, declined to comment on the listing, saying his client values his privacy. (go figure.)
For other New Yorkers, living in a windowless apartment isn’t just about avoiding nosy neighbors, it’s about money.
“Ten years ago, I lived in a windowless bedroom [the Lower East Side] Because it was all I could afford,” writes a Redditor, “Honestly I would do it again, best sleep of my life.”
during the pandemic, tray taylorAn editorial director in his 30s, lived in a 64-square-foot windowless Brooklyn loft because it was within his $800 monthly budget. He praised his “bolthole” when it comes to nursing hangovers and conducting sessions. He also had a great excuse not to become a plant dad, as so many other New Yorkers did during the quarantine.
“To emulate nature and forget my troubles, I fall asleep to virtual crickets chirping from my Google Home Mini speaker,” he wrote in a piece For curbed. “I bought a small projector, and now beam longform ambience videos — lapping waves, cafe scenes, train driver scenes — onto the wall above my bed. One Life Lived in 480p.
Still, Taylor told the Post that he would never again pay to live without windows. He wouldn’t even consider this luxurious Central Park West pad with its nice en-suite bathrooms, stainless steel appliances, central air conditioning — and skylights.
“With that kind of maintenance fee [$1,373/month]You would at least expect to see something without getting a lump in your neck,” he said.
Even then, alison wilkinson, a luxury architect and interior designer who splits her time between New York and Washington, DC, sees potential there. Her biggest tip for anyone who moves forward is to focus on lighting.
“When you’re facing a cave, it’s best to install lighting at different heights to create visual interest and meet different needs,” she said.
Anyone who moves in may want to invest in some color. Just Because You Don’t Have To Worry About Peeping Toms Doesn’t Mean You Don’t Have To Worry chinese spy balloons,