Forte, 230 Ashland Place: Review and Ratings

Review of 230 Ashland Place by Carter Horsley

This attractive, 28-story residential condominium building at 230 Ashland Place at Fulton Street in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn is known as the Forte and was erected in 2007 by The Clarett Group. 

It was designed by FXFowle Architects and they and The Clarett Group were the same team that created the handsome 55-story residential tower at 11 West 29th Street on the grounds of the Little Church Around the Corner in Manhattan.

The building has 108 apartments.

Clarett was also the developer of the Brooklyner, a rental which was completed in 2009 as the tallest building in Brooklyn and was designed by Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel.

Bottom Line

A striking, 28-story triangular tower that is close to public transportation and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Description

This tower has been called Brooklyn's Flatiron Building because of its basic triangular shape, especially when viewed from the south, even though one of its "long legs" actually has two sections. 

The aesthetic style is definitely "streamlined" Art Deco-revival and its façade looks like it might have been inspired by the entrance to the former McGraw-Hill Building at 320 West 42nd Street not too far away from FXFowle's great Condé Nast Building on the northeast corner of Broadway and 42nd Street.

The building's mechanical spaces on the roof are setback but unfortunately are not clad as handsomely as the main shaft of the building.

Amenities

The building has a doorman, a concierge, a gym, a roof deck, a very attractive lobby, an entrance marquee, and a spacious and handsome entry plaza with very nice two-lamp light stanchions.

Apartments

Many of its apartments at the south end of the building have spectacular living rooms almost completely surrounded by large windows that conjure the bridge of an oceanliner. 

Apartment 11B has a foyer that passes an 11-foot-long open kitchen and opens onto a 21-foot-long living room that leads to an angled bedroom. 

Apartment 12 C is a two-bedroom unit that has a very long entrance foyer that leads to a 24-foot-long broadly curved living room at the building’s prow with an open kitchen.

An upper floor Apartment A is a three-bedroom unit that has a foyer that leads past an angled open kitchen to a 12-foot-long dining room that opens onto a 18-foot-long corner living room.

History

In early 2010 the development was turned over by the developer to the lender the building and prices were reduced the building was sold out.

Location

The building is near the Brooklyn Academy of Music, one of the city's major performing arts centers, and many subways. It is also not far from One Hanson Place and DKLB BKLYN and the three towers make for a very impressive high-rise trio.