Movin’ on Up
New strides in urban development show there’s much more to
a high-rise than just the view
If Hoboken, N.J., were anything like Hooterville, Jeffrey French would identify with Eva Gabor. Like Gabor’s Green Acres character, French finds yard work more taxing than relaxing. And he just adores the view of Manhattan he gets from his urban apartment building — so much so, in fact, that he’s moving up for a better look.
In about two years, the 42-year-old interior designer will move from his apartment to a condo he’s purchased in the 26-story W Hoboken Hotel & Residences under construction right next door. “I’m going to be up on the 18th floor, with a northeast view, so the view is just going to be amazing.” French says. “Plus, it’s a premier location. It’s two and a half blocks from the PATH [commuter rail that runs from New Jersey to Manhattan] station, and it’s literally right on the Hudson River.”
Living in downtown Hoboken for 15 years — during a time of great revitalization in the area — French has been at the forefront of a growing trend of Americans moving into their cities’ centers. According to urban economist and University of California-Irvine professor Jan Brueckner, it’s a trend that is widespread and shows no signs of slowing down.
“This is happening all over the place,” Brueckner explains. “It’s partly a taste issue. People care more about entertainment that downtown areas have to offer. And then there’s a bit of a life cycle thing going on too, with the empty-nest phenomenon. You have the baby boom generation growing up, the kids moving out. They [baby boomers] can move downtown and enjoy all the things that downtowns have to offer.”
But as consumers’ interest in urban life has grown, so have their standards for the urban lifestyle. Now, in addition to a great view and easy access to downtown culture, urban dwellers like French crave unique design, high-quality finishes, and an array of services to make their lives easier. And developers are stepping up to the challenge in ways that residents of high-rises of the past could only imagine.
Turnkey Treatment
Back in the day (i.e., anytime before 2003), most high-rise condo owners considered having an on-site exercise room quite the luxury. Now they can expect buildings equipped with hotel-style amenities and services, according to Rick Cavenaugh, president of the Fifield Companies, a Chicago-based development firm specializing in urban high-rises. And, for the most part, that goes for buyers in every price range — not just high-end shoppers.
“In all the projects, you’re finding that you have concierges, guest suites, delivery services that can arrange everything, valet parking, outdoor pools, and spa-type services,” Cavenaugh says.
Many residential high-rise projects, including the W in Hoboken, actually contain a hotel component, which allows full-time residents to use amenities — such as room service — offered to hotel guests. To French, who stays busy running his design business, these are the details that matter most.
“To have these high-rises that are full service takes that burden off you and allows you to focus on your work,” French says. “So when I come home and I do have some downtime, I can relax and catch up with friends and family. I’m not spending [my free time] getting to the dry cleaners and going to the grocery store.”
In Panama, an increasingly popular destination for many U.S. retirees and second-home buyers, beachfront high-rise developers like Btesh & Virzi are also trending toward creating a low-maintenance lifestyle for their clients. Even in the past year, says Btesh & Virzi partner Moisés Hasky, the number of amenities offered in high-rises has increased tenfold to match what’s going on in the United States.
“Every developer in Panama now has been changing to that market,” Hasky explains. “People from outside prefer [this lifestyle] because they know they can close the door, turn the key, and go.”
All the trimmings
So urban apartment dwellers want the convenience hotel amenities can offer. That doesn’t mean, however, that they want their living spaces to look like hotels. They crave innovative design over cookie-cutter sameness, and they’re getting it. Contemporary developers like the Los Angeles–based Kor Group are creating unique spaces with finishes — including intricate cabinetry and high-end appliances — that rival those found in many single-family homes.
Even with high-rise conversion projects, like the Kor Group’s Eastern Columbia and Broadway Hollywood buildings in downtown L.A., architects and designers have found creative ways to add a bit of modern style to these historic buildings without detracting from their old-world charm.
“You take the old, and you mix it in with the new,” explains Kimberly Lucero, Kor’s vice president of sales and marketing. “For example, Kelly [Wearstler, the projects’ interior designer] comes in and she brings it up-to-date with what today’s buyer is looking for as far as European-style cabinetry or balconies and outdoor patios that have fireplaces.”
In some newer high-rises, even the façades are part of the design magic. Bill Thompson, executive vice president of the South Florida–based Related Group, says that is how one of his firm’s current projects, the Phillipe Starck–designed Icon Brickell development, is going to stand out from the crowd.
“The entrance level area actually comes in underneath the building. In this area, we have some 90 columns that are wrapped in statues designed after the Easter Island statues,” he says. “The idea was that when you drive underneath, you’re going to be surrounded by works of art, and it’s very cool.”
A Cherry on Top
In the midst of all this urban advancement, one age-old fact remains unchanged: For every die-hard, Eva Gabor–like urbanite, there’s someone else who prefers farm living — or at least a yard. But here’s another, newer truth: Although city condos will never include all the features of freestanding suburban homes, advancements in technology and structural design are — in a sense — bringing the two closer. As president of the Marketing Directors, a New York–based firm that has handled the sales and marketing of urban high-rises like the W in Hoboken for 26 years, Adrienne Albert is watching it happen.
“More and more you’re seeing the Smart House technology that used to only be available in single-family homes coming to urban environments. It’s heating systems that can be set remotely. It’s electronic shades or blinds that go up and down at the touch of the remote. It’s cooking systems that can be set from outside the home. It’s monitoring systems within the home, so that you can check to make sure everything is the way you set it [while you’re away],” she explains.
Even the eco-conscious can feel at home in luxury high-rises, thanks to the incorporation of green technology in urban design. Now that some East Coast cities are offering developers tax incentives to go green, Albert says features like geothermal heating, recycling systems, and outdoor green spaces are becoming more prevalent in urban residences. These “extras,” unlike some of the fancier high-rise amenities, are not only helping the planet, they’re also making buyers’ transitions from suburbia a little easier. Because with private green acres on roofs high above the city, who really needs a yard anyway?
— Deblina Chakraborty
