Its sale won’t be perfectly apples-to-apples as the offering now includes a storage unit in the building which was purchased separately, but having been purchased for $1,419,478 in April of 2016, the “rarely available top floor plaza unit” #C8H at 333 Beale Street, a 985-square-foot, one-bedroom LUMINA condo with 12-foot ceilings, two full baths, a private balcony, a den and parking, returned to the market listed for $1,599,000 last year.
Re-listed at the same price five months ago, but since reduced five times along with an interim “Don’t wait!”, the list price for 333 Beale Street #C8H is now down to $1.425 million and the listing copy for the unit has been updated to accurately note: “Owners selling at a loss” (as was the case for another top-floor unit in the same building last year).
UPDATE (10/17): The already ‘at a loss’ list price for 333 Beale Street #C8H has just been further reduced to $1.399 million and its listing newly updated to note: “PRICED TO SELL asap!”
Is there really a point to 12-foot ceilings in a place like this? Yeah, sure, all dimensions should be scaled, so if you’re recreating the Breakers then your ‘grande salle’ should have height like that, but let’s face it: a 985sf four-roomer isn’t going to have any of them very big…it’s just extra volume to heat/cool.
I would pay more for 12-foot ceilings.
Look up Palladio. Height matters. Not saying this is a good example, mind you.
Indeed: as I said, modestly scaled rooms should be of modest height. (By the formulation mentioned, I calculate a 12’x16′ room would scale to a 14.4′ height …I doubt Palladio would find work today)
Just judging from the photos above, the stager didn’t have their heart in this job. Perhaps they were underpaid. But to answer your question:
• The point of 12-foot ceilings is to impress your guests because you have them and they fulfill the “luxury” tag applied to the apartment.
• A nice side benefit is that you have lots of wall area to display your 2d art collection (which, as I’ve said, the stager here did not make use of).
Agreed. Nine or ten foot ceilings, yes, but 12 foot ceilings, no. No scale with long, narrow living or apparently small sized bedroom.
High ceilings were a good design response for much of architectural history – that is where all the smoke went when your only source of night time illumination was wax candles or oil lamps. Now it just means you can afford it.
I’ve read that the rationale (during Victorian times, at least) was that tall ceilings>tall windows> maximum penetration of daylight, so yes, it was related to lighting…tho not quite in the oblique way you’re suggesting; and ceiling heights in ‘ordinaire’ houses were usually modest (i.e. <8')
Ceiling height is very important. I would definitely pay more for it. IMO, It’s the biggest feature lacking in new construction.
I’ve noticed that when there are larger and/or more windows for say a 9′ ceiling place than a 10′ ceiling place with fewer and/or smaller windows I prefer the 9′ ceiling place. But if all else was equal I would choose the 10′ ceiling one. I saw 56 Leonard units in Manhattan with higher than 12′ ceilings and I hated it, it was way too cold. I think 10′ is perfect.
its not cold enough in SF to use heating more than 1-2 weeks per year, so the higher ceiling cold problem or energy production issue doesnt exist here. totally get it in NYC thought
A strange floor plan that creates very awkward spaces.
And I agree with “Notcom” above, small rooms that are overly tall actually exacerbate the “prison cell” feeling.
Weird.
No leg room at the eating surface either? Looks like 1′ wasted…..love the cabinet finish though..
Wonder is stager was trying to “funk it up?” a lot of disparate elements, and the art….absurdly small for the walls…funky seems to be selling,,,,,aka…rock star bachelor pad kind of thing…some eat it up…
This unit is dark and gray and feels like jail. The $1150/month HOA includes a business center since there’s no room for a desk in there.
Looking at these kinds of units is a guilty pleasure for sure
Besides the tiny and oddly hung art, there’s the bike against the wall, clutter on the work desk, and too much practical furniture crammed into that bedroom alcove. It’s not staged.
I was thinking same thing. This is someone’s [stuff]. No stager would bring in that couch next to the tiny desk.
Just curious how much is it to purchase a storage unit, if anyone knows.
It’s interesting to me that in Manhattan ceiling height appears to be really important since you often hear brokers mention the tall ceilings as one of the first things they say when they walk in to show a unit, but then I’ve noticed here you don’t hear it nearly as often. I wonder why that is.
There is is no way this is staged. They probably barely edited the owner’s actual possessions for these photos.
One bedroom 2 bathroom seems like such a waste. Id rather have 1 bathroom and a bit more space in the living room.
UPDATE: The already ‘at a loss’ list price for 333 Beale Street #C8H has just been further reduced to $1.399 million and its listing newly updated to note: “PRICED TO SELL asap!”
Now C8J’s neighbor, C8H has reduced it’s price for the slightly larger but nearly identical condo to a lower price than C8J. Love to see me some competition here. And all the while, those non-deductible property taxes and HOAs continue to stack up while both these places just sit.
UPDATE: Another Luxury Condo Trades at a Loss, As Advertised