Serial Renter: Why 10 Downing is the rental I can’t wait to live in
I’m always on the apartment hunt, passively browsing listings as a way to stay up-to-date on the market. Over the years, I’ve collected a list of my favorite buildings--some of which I’ve personally inhabited, others I’ve merely browsed online or on foot, and others that have come to my attention through the praise of friends.
I use this list to guide my own searches and share it with friends who are on the move as well.
One of my favorite rentals is 10 Downing, a 127-unit prewar doorman building in the West Village.
Check out the below reasons why 10 Downing more than makes the grade:
1) Location.
It’s safe to say any New Yorker would be hard-pressed to find a better location than 10 Downing. Sitting on the border of Soho and the West Village, this building lies within two of the most popular and desirable neighborhoods in the city. It’s super close to numerous bus and subway lines, and some of the best restaurants, bars, stores, and coffee shops downtown Manhattan has to offer.
2) Building Management.
Stonehenge Management manages an impressive roster of buildings, and friends who live in buildings of theirs all over the city have had great things to say about their attention to maintenance and customer service. Another big plus of living in a building managed by a company with a large portfolio: if you feel like moving to another area of the city, you can often seamlessly make the transition to another without the sizeable costs usually associated with moving (e.g., broker's fees and sometimes even the cost of breaking your lease).
3) Amenities.
10 Downing is the position to brag about both its interior and exterior amenities. The building itself sports the type of amenities one can expect from a luxury building – doorman, high-speed elevators, a renovated lobby, laundry, and major upgrades to its apartments (more on this below). Once you step outside of the building, you’re walking amongst the classic tree-lined streets that made the West Village famous in the first place.
4) Layouts & Interiors.
In my opinion, this is really where 10 Downing shines. This building has found the perfect balance between pre-war charm and modern renovations – and it doesn’t hurt that the layouts are generous in size too. Anyone who has ever searched for an apartment in the West Village can tell you how difficult it is to find something spacious, or newly-renovated, or charming – let alone all three. This building has the trifecta - elevator, space, and renovations…and with serious bonus points for having a doorman.
5) Price.
10 Downing is on par with neighborhood price points – especially taking into account the building amenities, apartment features, location, and elusive West Village doorman. According to Stonehenge’s website, one-bedrooms start at $4,750/month. Studios tend to rent in the high $2,000s and two-bedrooms in the low-mid $5,000s. It’s worth noting that this is a no-fee building (as is the case with the rest of the Stonehenge portfolio), which will definitely help reduce your upfront costs.
I look forward to adding to this list and uncovering many more amazing buildings together. Feel free to drop me a line at [email protected] with a building you would like to see in the next spotlight.
In the meantime, apartment hunters - go check out 10 Downing so I can live vicariously through you!
Happy Hunting,
Caren
Caren Maio is the CEO & Co-Founder of Nestio.com, a website that makes it easy for renters to collect and organize rental listings from any site. She currently lives downtown in a boutique elevator building that has ten coffee shops in a three-block radius (a feature she claims sealed the deal--but the washer-dryer didn't hurt either).
See all Serial Renter.
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Serial Renter: The perfect rental application
