I went to the opening event yesterday... it was AWESOME! The model apartment is amazing, kitchen appliances are all high end, and the bathroom fixtures are lavish.
Jenny, perhaps "lavish" is too generous. I did hear about the homeless center, which is definitely a negative. I'm also looking at www.twenty9th.com. Curious... which is a better buy... Jasper or Twenty9th?
Homeless drop off center? I used to walk past that site every day for years and never even noticed it. Now that you mention it, I know what you are talking about, but were I interested in the Jasper (and I'm not), I wouldn't give it a second thought.
I meant to reply to this original thread when it started as I went to see the Jasper when it opened and was really excited by it. However...
I was really sold on this before I went however my overall impression having been is pretty neutral. It was all down to the small things really that let the building down in my opinion. For example the show apartment really should be the best possible example of what an apartment at Jasper will be like. The bathroom has a marble worktop and lava stone walls. That's really nice, don't get me wrong, but what's with the fixtures? So you have the lava stone wall, which has the toilet against it, and the wall has this lovely textured grey colour and yet at the top is a white ventilation slot which looks like it's been stuck on. Why isn't this at the very least built into the wall and flush with the stone? Why is it white? Surely it should be grey. The same thing applies to the light switches for the bathroom which look to have been stuck on as well. I know these are minor niggles but the whole sales concept is about the quality of the products used and the finish. Why are they using cheap fixtures here and why is it so badly fitted? The bathroom as a whole felt cold and uninviting and was ruined by the fixtures. The living room is nice however, and the open plan kitchen is probably the best feature in the apartment and comes with some quality components. Again, there are white light switches on a brown wall which stand out and spoil it a bit for me. The windows also are white and I just wasn't a fan of them. Its not that I have something against white, but why are they not made of a nice wood or something? It's unusual that the windows open out fully though - generally a rare feature in Manhattan. For the most part it feels to me that they are just throwing money at the project by using expensive materials for the main features, hiring someone else to put it together, and hoping it all works out. They seem to be ignoring the small details. For example when I visited, at the open, there was no picture of what the rooftop would look like. I don't want to take the chance of buying in an apartment which, for the moment, seems to be ignoring the finer points. Pricing wise it seems competitive with what is around and if they do manage to pull it off then it could be an amazing building but for the moment there is too much of a risk for me that they just can't make it as polished as their website.
I also looked at 29th Park Madison. Jasper, which is only 3 blocks away was around $100-200 per sq. ft cheaper when I was looking. I'm concerned about the kitchen in this development though - I think the fridge may look dated VERY quickly (clean, stainless steel will not date) and I'm also concerned about the oven. I know these are minor niggles but everywhere else has a proper oven and yet they have a stove and some convection/microwave contraption. This could turn some people off. The lobby also seems a bit odd - whats with the bookcases everywhere? It's a little random. I would like to have seen a cleaner, more minimalist lobby instead - they still seemed undecided as to how it was going to look when I spoke with them. The building as a whole is fairly solid but doesn't blow me away however I feel it doesn't have the risks associated with the poor finishing the in the Jasper. As for the location I walked past the building a few weeks ago (it's actually all built) and the building does look a little dull and I wasn't a massive fan of the street.
So I've decided not to buy in either and I am a relatively keen buyer and I really can't emphasise enough how ready I was to buy in the Jasper before I went. 29th is okay but I just can't see it appreciating that much more although Jasper could do well but I think there is a greater risk it misses the mark and you're stuck with a dud.
There are still apartments available but the ones listed on Street Easy have gone into contract already. My husband and I went into contract on an apt in this building and it is now listed as "no longer available". We looked at many buildings and feel that this one offers a great layout, nice amenities, convenient location and has the aesthetics we like without being too modern. We also feel that this neighborhood is blossoming at rapid speed.
we are thiiis close to deciding on a 1BR in this building. but can't seem to pull the trigger because of all the bear stearns and other bad news that we keep hearing about. the thought of buying this unit, and then having prices soften 10% before we even move in makes me feel sick.
FYI, the homeless drop-off center. after reading about it, we both independently went SEARCHING on the block and couldn't find the place. in the end, once we discovered where it was, we were both very surprised that we couldn't sniff it out even when we were so keen on looking for it. bottom line: i don't think the homeless thing is a big deal. didn't even notice it.
sticky, you clearly haven't been to the sales office. the model 2BR that you can walk through is quite faithful to their glossies. say what you will about the neighborhood, but the units themselves are actually pretty nice. we got in at $1050/sqft. i'm wondering what people are buying for now...
Luciato I think you'll find people are still paying $1050/sqft. I had one of their sales team phone me the other week at work. I was a little surprised to be getting the call as first as I saw the place 10 months ago (as you can see from my above post) and wondered why they were calling. Basically they still have inventory to go and must be phoning everyone on their list to see if they still had interest. They are pricing between 1000-1200/sqft but she said they were basically looking to get rid of inventory and would look at offers. Tells it's own story really. A lot of developers are now looking to offload inventory and there are a lot of properties priced in the $1m-$3m range which aren't shifting.
Yeah that area isn't exactly fabulous. I didn't notice the homeless shelter but it just seemed like a kinda isolated area without much reastaurants/shops/transportation.
And to the people who defend the booklet, I'm sorry but it's all sleek Photoshop & design. Sure the finishings are nice but they don't GLOW!
Sticky - the subway is on the corner, 34th st bus 2 blocks away, lex bus down the block and madison up the block. The transportation is one thing that is great. There is a dearth of good restaurants but more are opening every month in the Madison Park area. On 3rd and 32nd you have to supermarkets - Gristedes and Food Emporium. You don't have fancy clothing stores. Herald Square is an easy walk but not fancy
sticky, the area does suck. they've done a really good job of making the building and the area more glamorous than it really is. clever marketing ploy, but anyone who's been there admit that the area is mediocre at best.
I walked past the Jasper Friday night around 10:30PM. I don't really have a problem with the homeless center but what's actually worse is that on the other side of the building is the service area of the huge office tower that's on the corner. There were literally mountains of garbage bags out on the street waiting to be collected. So essentially the Jasper is sandwiched between a homeless center on one side and the ass-end of a building on the other side. Nice.
That's what I said when I first joined Streeteasy.com (and am now stuck with my name). I walk by that office building 2x a day and they seem to be one of the few buildings that can't keep their garbage in bags. It is often scattered all over the ground. If 311 accepted picture messages, I would have sent in numerous complaints over my commuting days.
that area is horrendous. but seriously, NYC needs to control its garbage problems. Seeing garbage bags all over the city is really disgusting. You can walk for miles in Chicago and barely see any garbage bags on street corners.
Also interested in the status of this building. 'Mightyginger', I also received a call about a month ago after I visited the sales office back in March. Did not probe as much though as the only units I was interested in were 'sold' at prices I would not consider. I am not making this comment because it is not worth the price relative to others in this range, I just am not ready to spend this much but live in the neighborhood and was curious on progress.
Jasper: New Condo
Located on 114 E 32nd Street. Any input will be appreciated. http://jaspernewyork.com/
I went to the opening event yesterday... it was AWESOME! The model apartment is amazing, kitchen appliances are all high end, and the bathroom fixtures are lavish.
lavish... broker alert. condobuyer, btw, did you happen to notice that it is right next to a homeless drop off center?
Jenny, perhaps "lavish" is too generous. I did hear about the homeless center, which is definitely a negative. I'm also looking at www.twenty9th.com. Curious... which is a better buy... Jasper or Twenty9th?
jasper website...can it get any more annoying ?
Pretty annoying and uninformative like most condo websites.
"A sanctuary within a retreat" indeed.
Homeless drop off center? I used to walk past that site every day for years and never even noticed it. Now that you mention it, I know what you are talking about, but were I interested in the Jasper (and I'm not), I wouldn't give it a second thought.
has anyone looked at the jasper here? how would you characterize the pricing and what would you say are good comps?
I meant to reply to this original thread when it started as I went to see the Jasper when it opened and was really excited by it. However...
I was really sold on this before I went however my overall impression having been is pretty neutral. It was all down to the small things really that let the building down in my opinion. For example the show apartment really should be the best possible example of what an apartment at Jasper will be like. The bathroom has a marble worktop and lava stone walls. That's really nice, don't get me wrong, but what's with the fixtures? So you have the lava stone wall, which has the toilet against it, and the wall has this lovely textured grey colour and yet at the top is a white ventilation slot which looks like it's been stuck on. Why isn't this at the very least built into the wall and flush with the stone? Why is it white? Surely it should be grey. The same thing applies to the light switches for the bathroom which look to have been stuck on as well. I know these are minor niggles but the whole sales concept is about the quality of the products used and the finish. Why are they using cheap fixtures here and why is it so badly fitted? The bathroom as a whole felt cold and uninviting and was ruined by the fixtures. The living room is nice however, and the open plan kitchen is probably the best feature in the apartment and comes with some quality components. Again, there are white light switches on a brown wall which stand out and spoil it a bit for me. The windows also are white and I just wasn't a fan of them. Its not that I have something against white, but why are they not made of a nice wood or something? It's unusual that the windows open out fully though - generally a rare feature in Manhattan. For the most part it feels to me that they are just throwing money at the project by using expensive materials for the main features, hiring someone else to put it together, and hoping it all works out. They seem to be ignoring the small details. For example when I visited, at the open, there was no picture of what the rooftop would look like. I don't want to take the chance of buying in an apartment which, for the moment, seems to be ignoring the finer points. Pricing wise it seems competitive with what is around and if they do manage to pull it off then it could be an amazing building but for the moment there is too much of a risk for me that they just can't make it as polished as their website.
I also looked at 29th Park Madison. Jasper, which is only 3 blocks away was around $100-200 per sq. ft cheaper when I was looking. I'm concerned about the kitchen in this development though - I think the fridge may look dated VERY quickly (clean, stainless steel will not date) and I'm also concerned about the oven. I know these are minor niggles but everywhere else has a proper oven and yet they have a stove and some convection/microwave contraption. This could turn some people off. The lobby also seems a bit odd - whats with the bookcases everywhere? It's a little random. I would like to have seen a cleaner, more minimalist lobby instead - they still seemed undecided as to how it was going to look when I spoke with them. The building as a whole is fairly solid but doesn't blow me away however I feel it doesn't have the risks associated with the poor finishing the in the Jasper. As for the location I walked past the building a few weeks ago (it's actually all built) and the building does look a little dull and I wasn't a massive fan of the street.
So I've decided not to buy in either and I am a relatively keen buyer and I really can't emphasise enough how ready I was to buy in the Jasper before I went. 29th is okay but I just can't see it appreciating that much more although Jasper could do well but I think there is a greater risk it misses the mark and you're stuck with a dud.
mightyginger: Thanks for your comments... very informative and insightful.
Jasper all sold out?
Streeteasy update email to me about availablity gives "off the market"/"no longer available", but not "under contract"
There are still apartments available but the ones listed on Street Easy have gone into contract already. My husband and I went into contract on an apt in this building and it is now listed as "no longer available". We looked at many buildings and feel that this one offers a great layout, nice amenities, convenient location and has the aesthetics we like without being too modern. We also feel that this neighborhood is blossoming at rapid speed.
AptSeeker, my wife and I also purchased an apt in Jasper. We're looking forward to moving in and meeting our new neighbors.
we are thiiis close to deciding on a 1BR in this building. but can't seem to pull the trigger because of all the bear stearns and other bad news that we keep hearing about. the thought of buying this unit, and then having prices soften 10% before we even move in makes me feel sick.
FYI, the homeless drop-off center. after reading about it, we both independently went SEARCHING on the block and couldn't find the place. in the end, once we discovered where it was, we were both very surprised that we couldn't sniff it out even when we were so keen on looking for it. bottom line: i don't think the homeless thing is a big deal. didn't even notice it.
does anyone know how many units this building has in total???
My understanding... 80 apartments & 18 floors.
the web site for the building describes it as "chic ..."
need we say any more?
my favorite bad web site however is http://www.100west18.com/
check out the "loading" like my Commodore 64 ... totally ruins the advanced technology they try to portray with the iPod dock, woohoo.
they plan to close the outpatient clinic next door
I went to the Jasper. Their website & booklet are all Photoshop. To me it didn't seem worth the prices.
sticky, you clearly haven't been to the sales office. the model 2BR that you can walk through is quite faithful to their glossies. say what you will about the neighborhood, but the units themselves are actually pretty nice. we got in at $1050/sqft. i'm wondering what people are buying for now...
why would you pay to live in a converted building next to a homeless shelter? i guess the standards are that low for NYC real estate.
the site absolutely sucks.
I don't love the neighborhood.
nyc10022, for once, we actually agree.
Luciato I think you'll find people are still paying $1050/sqft. I had one of their sales team phone me the other week at work. I was a little surprised to be getting the call as first as I saw the place 10 months ago (as you can see from my above post) and wondered why they were calling. Basically they still have inventory to go and must be phoning everyone on their list to see if they still had interest. They are pricing between 1000-1200/sqft but she said they were basically looking to get rid of inventory and would look at offers. Tells it's own story really. A lot of developers are now looking to offload inventory and there are a lot of properties priced in the $1m-$3m range which aren't shifting.
Yeah that area isn't exactly fabulous. I didn't notice the homeless shelter but it just seemed like a kinda isolated area without much reastaurants/shops/transportation.
And to the people who defend the booklet, I'm sorry but it's all sleek Photoshop & design. Sure the finishings are nice but they don't GLOW!
Sticky - the subway is on the corner, 34th st bus 2 blocks away, lex bus down the block and madison up the block. The transportation is one thing that is great. There is a dearth of good restaurants but more are opening every month in the Madison Park area. On 3rd and 32nd you have to supermarkets - Gristedes and Food Emporium. You don't have fancy clothing stores. Herald Square is an easy walk but not fancy
sticky, the area does suck. they've done a really good job of making the building and the area more glamorous than it really is. clever marketing ploy, but anyone who's been there admit that the area is mediocre at best.
Even if the area wasn't considered bad, it isn't a good area - it isn't a residential area
I dont think it's a BAD area per se, even with the shelter ... but it's not worth the bucks they're asking.
I walked past the Jasper Friday night around 10:30PM. I don't really have a problem with the homeless center but what's actually worse is that on the other side of the building is the service area of the huge office tower that's on the corner. There were literally mountains of garbage bags out on the street waiting to be collected. So essentially the Jasper is sandwiched between a homeless center on one side and the ass-end of a building on the other side. Nice.
that's more the point iMom, it isn't a residential area
That's what I said when I first joined Streeteasy.com (and am now stuck with my name). I walk by that office building 2x a day and they seem to be one of the few buildings that can't keep their garbage in bags. It is often scattered all over the ground. If 311 accepted picture messages, I would have sent in numerous complaints over my commuting days.
that area is horrendous. but seriously, NYC needs to control its garbage problems. Seeing garbage bags all over the city is really disgusting. You can walk for miles in Chicago and barely see any garbage bags on street corners.
have they stop construction? updates anyone?
Also interested in the status of this building. 'Mightyginger', I also received a call about a month ago after I visited the sales office back in March. Did not probe as much though as the only units I was interested in were 'sold' at prices I would not consider. I am not making this comment because it is not worth the price relative to others in this range, I just am not ready to spend this much but live in the neighborhood and was curious on progress.