Boutique loft condo goes up at 19 Beach St

Real Estate Weekly, April 4, 2001

In a neighborhood where new residential development has been for the most part conversions of commercial buildings into lofts, 19 Beach Street is a new construction project offering a contemporary version of the classic TriBeCa loft. The intimate seven-story loft condominium takes maximum advantage of the light and views from a corner location to appeal to home seekers looking for unusual space in trendy TriBeCa.

Six fully finished deluxe full-floor condo lofts of 3,000 square feet above the lobby floor are on the market for $1.695 million to over $3 million for the penthouse with its own garage and a private roof terrace. Occupancy is expected late this summer.

"This is a boutique-scale residence for people who want to get away from huge apartment buildings in order to recreate the low-key ambience enjoyed by the artists and writers who pioneered TriBeCa loft lifestyles," commented Louise Phillips, Douglas Elliman Vice President and exclusive agent for 19 Beach Street.

Integral to "imparting a feeling of space and light," says Phillips "is the fact that all rooms have south or west exposures through a wall of windows about 50 feet in both directions. In contrast to the older buildings around it, the architecture is modern and Bauhaus-inspired."

The property is a project of Scott-Lawrence Realty & Development Corporation (SLRDC), a privately held company owned by Jeffrey S. Levien and David L. Stein.

"We regard 19 Beach Street as a great example of what David and I had always wanted to do: take a nondescript and underutilized parcel of land and turn it into a desirable piece of property," commented Mr. Levien. "The lofts at 19 Beach have an amazing complement of unobstructed air and light, great layouts and top of the line finishes. The parking spot that comes with the penthouse is the ultimate Manhattan amenity."

"It's rewarding to do what you love and at the same time have the confidence that you are offering your buyer a great product," Mr. Stein added.

Focus of the 3,000-square foot three-bedroom apartments is the huge 48-foot-long living/dining room looking out to the south and west through wraparound windows. The condos have high ceilings, wood-burning fireplaces, Italian-designed gourmet kitchens of cherrywood and stainless steel from Varenna and appliance packages from Viking. Each residence is accessed by a key-locked elevator.

Other amenities include the private roof terrace for all residents, a private storage room for each apartment, two-zone central air conditioning, multi-zone heating system, high-tech security system and "smart" wiring for Internet, cable TV, phone and fax.

The property is located at the corner of Varick and Beach Streets, a prime location convenient to transportation and the attractions of TriBeCa and neighboring SoHo.

Scott Lawrence Realty & Development Corporation (SLRDC) was co-founded in 1997 by Jeffrey S. Levien and David L. Stein, both 34, who met at law school. Mr. Levien represents the fourth generation of a real estate family that once developed such notable projects as Olympic Tower on Fifth Avenue. Stein was an independent residential developer since he turned 21.

Douglas Elliman, a division of Insignia Financial Group, Inc., is the leading residential real estate brokerage firm in Manhattan. In addition to residential brokerage, Douglas Elliman's services include sales and leasing of commercial, retail and healthcare properties.