The multimedia room at One Clinton in Brooklyn Heights features a sound-attenuated multimedia room … [+]
Noe & Associates/The Boundary
Working from home is becoming a common reality for many people, but it’s hard to imagine a way for a musician to do so without bothering at least a few neighbors.
At a few New York City developments, band practice is actually encouraged, with some buildings boasting everything from recording studios to a music-themed playroom.
Two Fifty West 81st, a new condominium on the Upper West Side, features a recording studio designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects and Altmann Productions with electric baby grand, Tama drum set, Epiphone acoustic guitar, Behringer soundboard and sound booth.
Joel Breitkopf, principal of Alchemy Properties, which developed Two Fifty West 81st (and who started a music therapy program for Veterans with PTSD, called Healing our Heroes, at the Music Conservatory of Westchester where he is now the president of the board of trustees), said he thought of the Upper West Side as a “center for culture” with a lot of musically-inclined residents.
The Easton at 205 East 92nd Street has three custom sound-proof music rehearsal studios.
Jay Tyson Reist
“We didn’t want this to be a ‘check the box’ amenity,” Breitkopf says. “We wanted something that was practical and usable. … There’s definitely a lack of studio space in Manhattan, for sure. Part of that is because of the rising cost of real estate. A lot of the buildings that have catered to studio musicians have been converted, not surprisingly, to condominiums.”
One of the buyers is a music producer and the amenity was one of the reasons why he bought a unit in the building. Residents with children use the space for music lessons.
“It’s hard to do all those things in the confines of your apartment without driving your neighbors crazy,” Breitkopf says.
Nearby, The Park Loggia, a 172-unit condo on West 61st Street, has two soundproofed practice rooms and a performance space that doubles as a screening room.
At 200 Amsterdam, the tallest residential tower on the Upper West Side, has what’s been dubbed a “Little Composers” room, a music-themed kid’s space inspired by Lincoln Center with a soundproofed rehearsal room.
Related’s The Easton at 205 East 92nd Street has three custom sound-proof music rehearsal studios – one is even equipped with a ballet barre and two with pianos designed by Steinway & Sons.
The music room at 5 River Park in Cobble Hill.
Williams New York
Over in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, 5 River Park, comes with an immersive music room and performance stage, while One Clinton in Brooklyn Heights features a sound-attenuated multimedia room where residents can practice music, with a setup of drums and guitars.