The West Village structure housing 90 Morton began life in 1912 as a printing warehouse.Binyan by IF STUDIO
Was it the historic character of the building? Was it the West Village neighborhood? Or was it the simple desire to turn claims of a slowing Manhattan market on their head?
Whatever it was, Penthouse 11A, the priciest of the 35-home collection that is the state-of-the-art luxury condominium conversion 90 Morton, went under contract earlier this month. The 5,800-square-foot, six-bedroom duplex apartment had earlier gone on the market with Reuveni Real Estate doing the honors as exclusive sales agent. The residence had sported an asking price of $40 million.
The latest Olshan Realty report, measuring contracts signed the week of December 31, 2018 through January 6, 2019, reported 90 Morton’s contract was the priciest signed to begin this year. An earlier Douglas Elliman-reported 14 percent drop in 2018, the largest the industry had witnessed in a decade, had fueled concerns of a slowing Manhattan market. But many observers speculated the contract for Penthouse 11A at 90 Morton was all the proof required that those fears are seriously overblown.
“Interest in the building, and also in the penthouse specifically, had picked up toward the last two months of the year,” said Reuveni Real Estate CEO Shlomi Reuveni, adding he is convinced the sale represents the reappearance of exceptionally well-heeled buyers coming to the market in a quest for investment diversification.
Incomparable design team
Developed by Brack Capital Real Estate USA, 90 Morton is housed in a 1912-era building that once served as a printing warehouse. It launched sales in April of 2018.
The condominium conversion boasted an outstanding design team, featuring interiors by Marc Turkel-co-founded Leroy Street Studio. Asaf Gottiesman of GSArch served as the building’s concept architect. Penhouse 11A, which boasts approximately 2,000 square feet of outdoor space alone, benefitted from the indelible imprimatur of Asaf. He went beyond the call of duty in honing the outdoor space, creating cantilevered terraces above the setbacks of New York City’s building restrictions. These design elements delivered added enhancement and exclusivity for the buyer who will now live there.
Significantly, the building’s original industrial vibe was retained. That ensures that even though 90 Morton is infused with modern details and fresh extras, the structure continues to relate an intriguing story of its own legacy as a West Village warehouse.
The building features high ceilings, sprawling open spaces and huge casement-style windows reflective of many studios and lofts inhabited over the decades by West Village artists and manufacturers. Outside, the iconic, historic neighborhood’s trademark tree-lined cobblestone streets lead to the city’s commercial hubs. The 35 residences are divided up among a dozen floors, and vary in size from two to five bedrooms in size.
Quintessential NYC Views
The 5,830-square-foot Penthouse 11A duplex occupies the building’s 11th and 12th floors, and features views of the Hudson River, Empire State Building and Midtown skyline. The residence offers a half dozen bedrooms and six-and-a-half bedrooms. The sprawling rooms designed for living and entertaining, as well as for dining, respectively measure 40 by 18 feet and 17-1/4 by 18-1/2 feet. Throughout the home, high beamed ceilings spotlight the structure’s unique original use as early 20th Century industrial plant.
Among 90 Morton’s amenities is a superbly designed library adjacent to the 24-hour doorman and concierge-staffed lobby. Also featured is a state-of-the-art fitness center, 64-foot-long salt water pool with sauna and private changing rooms, fully landscaped rooftop deck with kitchen, bar, barbecue, fireplace and powder room. The 360-degree views from the roof include the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor.
Closings will begin at the end of the first quarter this year. By that time, the sale of Penthouse 11A may be looked back upon as the first of a number of transactions that heralded the second coming of the Manhattan market. ###