By Sarah Trefethen
Comfort and convenience are selling points at the Citizen, a new 16-story condominium on 23rd Street from Anbau Enterprises.
The 29-unit building lies between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, blocks from a number of subway lines and halfway between the High Line and Madison Square Park.
“Anytime you have public outdoor areas, it’s a great draw for residential buildings,” said Shelley O’Keefe, Corcoran senior vice-president and leasing agent for the building.
BKSK Architects designed the Citizen, with the goal of LEED Gold certification. But husband-and-wife developers Stephen Glascock and Barbara van Beuren had a hand in laying out the interiors of the apartments, where the emphasis is on a feeling of space and plenty of storage, O’Keefe said. “There was a lot of thought and drawing and re-drawing to maximize the footprint that we have here.”
In the 548 s/f studios, all five of which have sold, cooking facilities are positioned against a divider of class-encased fabric in the center of the space, blocking views between the living and sleeping areas.
“You really can live without feeling like your bed is in your living room,” O’Keefe said.
Two two-bedroom floor plans are available. In the 1,324 s/f option the two bedrooms are both 13’ 6” x 12’ 2” — acknowledging, O’Keefe said, of that fact that the majority of buyers want equally sized bedrooms.
A second 1,530 s/f two-bed option has a slightly smaller second bedroom but also includes a 15’ x 9’ study.
Twenty-eight of the 29 units feature some sort of outdoor space, either a terrace or a Juliette balcony — imagine large picture windows with ample space for floor-level planting boxes.
The terraces are equipped with lights, running water and electrical outlets.
“Again, trying to positively influence the way people live in the space,” O’Keefe said.
Bathrooms feature deep bathtubs and heated tile floors. The latter is a green feature, O’Keefe said, and saves on overall energy use. All the units have washers and dryers, and the kitchens are equipped with stainless steel appliances and marble countertops. The larger units have four-burner gas stoves, but the studios are equipped with induction burners.
The building has a brick and terracotta exterior and common amenities include bike storage, a fitness room and 24-hour concierge service.
The Citizen is also subject to a 421A capped tax abatement, O’Keefe said.
One-bedroom units start at $1,325,000, two bedrooms at $1,845,000 and two beds with study at $2,395,000. As of last week, seven of 29 the apartments had sold.
