Posh NY Luxury Real Estate Trends in 2022 See Higher Prices

By: Benyamin Davidsons 

 

This year, New York City’s luxury real estate market has continued to see higher prices.

As per a recent article in the NY Post, the year also brought new trends in property improvements, some of which can even be called outlandish.  As New Yorkers desperately scourge the city to find much needed luxury living space, in one trend churches are being converted to suit living needs.  “Churches make excellent live-work spaces, which are now in high demand,” said James Male of House Hudson Valley Realty.  In Upstate NY, he’s listing 73-79 N. Second St. in Hudson, now known as the Hudson Abbey Building.

It had been a church, built in 1933, and it has been meticulously transformed into a single-family residence with1 bedroom, large office or event space and three bathrooms, spanning a total of 8,000 square feet.  The property, being listed at $2.875 million has kept the tall coffered ceilings, stained glass windows and overall, Abbey look, borrowing from the charm.  “It was owned by a Chinese artist who shipped over some of his art and motorcycles but never did much with the space,” Male said. “After that, it was owned by a couple who created a chocolate factory in the basement and lived upstairs. The current owner did most of the design work and used it as an event space.”

In another such conversion, a church in upstate Rifton, at 1883 Route 213 St, has seen another remarkable transformation.  A church, dating back to 1876, which had previously served as a town hall, was converted into a four-bedroom, four-bathroom, 4,356-square-foot home.  The property is currently listed for sale asking $2.49 million by listing agent Angelica Ferguson of Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty.  “The owner made it his dream home and did amazing things, like a complete structural restoration that preserved as much of the original details as possible,” says Ferguson. “All the floors are original, and he repurposed a ton of the salvaged wood from different parts of the building and turned it into staircases and the mantel over the fireplace.”

Nearby in Rosedale, a Gothic-style church was similarly converted into a three-bedroom, five-bathroom, 7,600-square-foot home.  Formerly the Rosendale Reformed Church, originally built in 1896 and utilized for the Volunteer Firemen’s Association, the home at 398 Main St. is asking $1.5 million, listed with  Petra Heist of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nutshell Realty.

Another posh trend in the residential market is architecturally interesting curving staircases.  With duplexes and triplexes gaining speed in Manhattan’s top modern skyscrapers, graceful steps are becoming a thing. “People appreciate points of architectural interest that make an apartment feel unique,” says Deborah Grubman of Corcoran Group. “A very graceful floating staircase is a perfect example.” She is currently marketing two luxury properties with very different but very central staircases.  One is a triplex penthouse atop One Madison at 23 E. 22nd St., asking $58 million, with a gravity defying, almost yacht-like vernacular surrounded by windows created by renowned residential architect J.L. Ramirez.

The other is at triplex apartment, No. 10S, at 176 Perry St, where a modern floating curved staircase has been encased in glass in the 11,000-square-foot mansion. “They’re both beautiful, and perfectly designed so that they never feel awkward to walk up,” Grubman told the Post.

Another real estate trend this year in luxury residentials is bold sculptures or art designed into the apartments by visionary designers striving to elevate their properties.