184 Thompson - Condos for NYU Kids?

Recently, I just can't seem to get enough of 184 Thompson Street, a new condo conversion on Thompson and Bleecker. There are approximately 140 apartments in the building and 15 will remain rent stabilized. The sales office opened about 7 weeks ago and sales seem to be going strong despite the media screaming about the "condo glut." The apartments are priced competitively, at around $1,000 a sq ft, so they are sure to go quickly. Because the building was once two separate buildings, there are so many different layouts that you will never feel like you have a "cookie-cutter" apartment.
184 Thompson is a unique product because it is one of the very rare places in the Village where you can buy a condo for $455K. There is simply nowhere else in the Village where you can buy a one bedroom condo with a huge terrace for $820K!

People who hate students should steer clear, however. This building is destined to be the darling of parents who want to purchase an apartment for their undergrad or graduate student kids. The Developer's Group did a perfect job sussing out the demographic for this project. They renovated the kitchens and bathrooms and that's about it. Even some closet doors have been painted when they probably should have been replaced. Although the kitchens are modern and feature stainless steel appliances and granite countertops, the Developers Group wisely skipped the Waterworks and went for Avanti. In the upstairs bedrooms of the duplexes, you'll find carpeting but no hardwood floors beneath it. Sales and Marketing perfection! After all, who would pay ultra-luxury prices to live a few doors down from Senor Swanky's?! No one.

Most of the apartments are studios (most with balconies) for $455K and up. Some apartments are studios with a mezzanine area perfect for a bed. The only problem is that anyone taller than 5'9 can't fully stand up in the loft area. There are also one bedroom duplexes with steep stairs leading to the bedroom, so grandma ain't visiting anytime soon. The one and two bedrooms with terraces are superb for people who like to entertain, especially because the 6th floor apartments clear most of the neighboring buildings and have lovely views.

184 Thompson will have a doorman and a few washer/dryers on every floor, but no storage, bike storage, or other amenities to speak of. That's ok, because it keeps the common charges low.
Although I poke fun at the building a little bit, I love it. Too many snobby co-op boards with "no students, no pied-a-terres, and no parents buying for children" policies have cropped up in this great neighborhood. 184 Thompson provides buyers an opportunity to live in an area which had almost priced out the young people who keep the neighborhood fresh and happening in the first place!

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