Saturday:
I didnt think it was possible, but the Avalon Bay project actually
looks worse than the ORO. The toren puts it to shame.
I want this to be ugly, but it's really just boring. It would have to be way more offensive (111 Lawrence) to be ugly.
ouch.
I know, right?
Who in hell would want to live there?
Someone who doesn't want to live in 111 Lawrence St.
Lol!
In fairness to AFG, that spot is about a block away behind what is supposed to become Red Apple Group Myrtle Avenue Development in Downtown Brooklyn - Dattner Architects.
Avalon Bay is very successful at this strategy. I recall when people were poking fun at their decision to put up Riverview 1 in LIC back in 2002. That worked out decently for them and this location is way less of stretch than that one was.
Website fully built out now: http://www.avalonfortgreene.com/
As someone who signed a lease but never moved into Riverview North over in LIC, here's the thing with these Avalon buildings. They are (in some particular order):Originally Posted by BrooklynLove
1.) Expensive - You could easily get a place cheaper if you worked at it, BUT...
2.) Easy - the staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and the paperwork is quick and simple. They seem like upstanding types, and it's just a pleasant experience looking at one of their buildings. No crazy landlord to creep anyone out.
3.) Boring - They're boring, but not outright offensive in any way (unless you are offended by the bland, but I mean, really, come on!). They lack surprises, which, when renting a place, especially your first place, or first place in the city, can be a huge plus.
4.) Surprisingly well laid out - So many conversions and even new build have horrible layouts/arrangements between units. To the Avalon's credit, while their floorplans are simple, they are also humane. Bathrooms aren't generally off the kitchen, bedrooms are generally separated by some kind of token hallway, and best of all, the apartments are arranged bedroom to bedroom and living room to living room so you don't have to lie awake at night listening to your neighbor's kid playing xbox loud at 3 am.
5.) Well amenity-ed - The movie rooms, gyms, etc are all very nice. I think the only buildings of the same class I've been in that I've considered better put together are the various new Rockrose ones (2 Gold, East Coast 1 [EC2 is not as nice, although the amenities are all in that building], etc).
In any event, while this building is not a masterpiece by any stretch, and no Avalon buildings are, it will be successful, and it should be. It's a solid building done well in a good location. No, it's not Toren next door, but it's also not the Brooklyner, and it's definitely not some of those monsters they've slapped up in Jersey perched over the highway on the way into town. All in all, I look forward to Avalon's continued dominance. Their next brooklyn project looks to be even more massive. Hopefully it will feature some kind of interesting crown to take advantage of the height. That's my .02 on the whole Avalon thing.
Thanks for that well put together post.
Roldan, will have to agree to disagree as I would absolutely love to see Avalon go belly up. This thing (like all Avalons) is Cabrini Green for the rich. Avalon more than almost anyone else would see their destruction of the city upended by zoning laws that apply to width, rather than height. Until then, they'll continue to build 40-story landscrapers across 10 contiguous, assembled plots and under the maxim: build it as cheaply as possible, rent it out as expensive as possible.
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