The apartment buyer who expects a yard-long list of amenities in every condo development will pass HL23 over with hardly a second look. It is true that the development, located at 517 West 23rd Street and designed by architect Neil Denari, doesn’t have a swimming pool or a community gym. But why would it need to have all that when it is literally steps from one of the most unique parks in the world? Residents can watch construction of the High Line Park right outside their windows. The thin strip of greenery will follow the abandoned rail line elevated above the West Chelsea landscape. This park will forever link High Line with the only other such park in the world in Paris, France.

HL 23 is really an architectural miracle for the area. With hardly forty feet width to work with, the building’s stainless steel and glass facade had to fit in the limited space while appearing spacious to the residents. In addition, because of the building’s proximity to the High Line tracks, one side of the building is cantilevered over the railway, appearing to hang in the sky. One look at the building and visitors can see that the builders met with success.

There are eleven full-floor units spread among the fifteen-story building, including two duplexes. The two-story duplexes have seventeen-foot, double-height ceilings in the living room along with private outdoor gardens. The penthouse duplex, located on the two upper-stories of the building, has 3,700 square feet of living space. The remaining units are smaller, but still spacious for the area. They boast custom interior decor by Thomas Juul-Hansen, including Corian countertops in the kitchen and rift-cut oak flooring throughout. Even the master bath reflects a unique flair with its honed stone floors and wall-mounted toilet.

While it is true that HL 23 doesn’t have some of the more common development amenities, the designers made up for what they couldn’t offer by offering other building-wide perks. One is the absolutely huge windows provided throughout. These monsters represent some of the largest ever used in residential construction, with panes measuring eleven feet by six feet. Imagine two or three placed in a row and that is what the typical living/dining room looks like. And they don’t stop there. The bedroom and the master bath both have the same floor-to-ceiling window, which is quite uncommon in modern homes. Bottom-up privacy shades guarantee privacy when it’s needed. Convenience amenities like the Nu-heat flooring system in the bathroom and the Aprilaire temperature sensor for further temperature regulation give the homes an extra boost.

The one and two-bedroom units at HL 23 are going on sale in Spring 2008. Homes start at 1,900 square feet and far surpass 3,000 square feet. Prices will range from $2.65-$10.5 million. The development is trying to achieve a LEED-certified gold rating for using recycled building materials and reflective roofing. Completion is expected in Summer 2009.

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This entry was posted on Friday, March 7th, 2008 at 9:30 am and is filed under Chelsea.