At 15 William, the gym gets raves. But the catering kitchen is too "Real Housewives."
Each week, our intrepid Perk Check correspondent Polly Mosendz surveys those who live in New York's most amenity-laden buildings to find out which extras are actually useful and which ones barely get a try.
The building: 15 William Street (f.k.a. William Beaver House)
What you'll pay: Rentals available now start at $4,650 for a one-bedroom. Buying the same type of place has a price tag of just under $1 million. For two- and three-bedroom apartments, rent starts at $7,250 and asking prices are well over $4 million. If you're going through the leasing office to rent a unit, there is no additional fee for amenities. Owners are subject to maintenace fees, which cover the use of amenities.
Amenities: Doorman, concierge, lounge, catering kitchen, dining area, outdoor terrace, fitness center, squash court, yoga studio, indoor pool, outdoor basketball, handball and tetherball courts, dog run, parking, hot tub, sauna, steam rooms
Which amenities do you swear by?
Bennett: I use the gym, the pool, and most of the courts.
Emma: The dog run gets a lot of use, and the spa services.
Joshua: I just moved in, but I think I will use the gym most of all.
Mitch: Mainly the gym. I don't feel like anything else is all that practical.
Suzy: Same for me.[Ed's note: Mitch and Suzy live together]. I like the gym but that's all I like.
Rogers: The steam room is great. It's a nice way to relax and it's almost always empty.
Which do you never use?
Bennett: I don’t have a dog, so none of that.
Emma: The catering kitchen and the dining area.
Joshua: Catering kitchen? No on that. I don’t see myself in the lounge much either.
Mitch: Everything, basically, but the gym. The pool is super chlorinated, it hurts my eyes to come near.
Suzy: Agree 100 percent about the pool. It just isn't our thing.
Rogers: I've tried to check out everything but I honestly can't say I know what a catering kitchen would do for me. I don't think I could even find it.
What surprised you?
Suzy: Everyone is kind of snobby. I know it's a fancy building, but I didn't think I had to make friends with ladies to go to the sauna and relax. There's a whole social structure around using the nicer of the amenities here. It's like their little club and we aren't invited.
Rogers: I'm surprised we have a catering kitchen. I saw that on "Real Housewives" last night. One of the Beverly Hills women had one.
Did you move here for the amenities?
Bennett: Yes, but I think even if they took some of them away, I’d still live here.
Emma: I wanted a fancy building, so yes, [I] did.
Joshua: I wanted to live somewhere presentable. This place is above and beyond in that respect.
Mitch: Not for me. I loved the location, and obviously I was happy to cancel my Equinox membership, but it didn't seal the deal.
Suzy: Originally, they did for me, but now not at all because I don't care for using them in the building.
Rogers: I think of them more as a bonus.
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