In the arms race of luxury development in Manhattan, 101 West 87th stands as a gracious alternative to decamping to the suburbs. With more and more young parents choosing to raise their families in the city, large, well designed, practically planned and detailed units have become very hard to come by. This project was developed with young families in mind. Located on the Upper West Side in a landmark district, the project began as a modest conversion and gut renovation of a seriously ugly 1980’s “affordable” rental building of approximately 72,000 square feet. Because of changes to the area’s zoning ordinances, it was discovered that an additional 42,000 square feet could be developed. In the design of the additions to the existing structure, INC worked closely with the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission to develop a building exterior more comfortable alongside the charming brownstone architecture of the district, by giving the characterless structure a distinctly modern and yet classically inspired base, middle and crown. For the interiors, INC sought out family oriented solutions like plenty of storage and materials selected for their durability as much as their beauty. A kitchen island was provided were mom and dad get to sit down too, with seating on both sides of the counter. Modern, practical and with a nod to the domestic charm of its historic context, 101 West 87th is comfortably sophisticated never dowdy. In so many words, not your Mother’s Upper West Side.
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