Historic Astor Row houses are appearing and disappearing off the market very quickly in the past year. Number 16 West 130th Street was removed from the market just last month after
being available for 9 days at the initial asking price of $1.4 million. Apparently the landmark home located between Lenox and Fifth Avenue needs a lot of work but buyers have been pretty aggressive on the row as of late. A record selling Astor Row home exchanged hands earlier in the year for
$2.4 million even though the block actually has quite few shells on it. If only someone would come in and figure out what's going on with the handful of abandoned buildings within this landmark street, Astor Row could potentially be one of the best neighborhoods in Manhattan one day.
I'm surprised to hear more people aren't snapping these up. It's a totally unique block with an oddly small town feel. I feel like NYC is filled with DIY-ers who would love the challenge of renovating one of these "shells." I think a lot of people still don't see all the beauty - and potential for more - in Harlem. There's still a bias towards Brooklyn among the creative class, it seems.
ReplyDeleteThe point of the article ( if you happen to miss it) is that they are being snapped up when brought to market. The handful of other vacant buildings have some sort of mysterious ownership trail which has to be deciphered before they can be sold. That's the main issue. Anyone who can figure this out should be able to sell them quite quickly.
ReplyDeletemurky ownership is prevalent throughout Harlem. I’ve two buildings on my block that are close to collapse but the question of who actually has the title/power of attorney vs. “I’m leaving it to the grands” makes it all very difficult. Not to mention kinda scary, because if those two go down. . .
DeleteAh, sorry for the misunderstanding. When I read "removed from the market" (vs went into contract) I mistook what you said to mean "by the seller."
ReplyDeleteThanks for the clarification!
Agreed, Harlem is beyond the tipping point and blossoming more and more each day.
ReplyDelete