The Essex, 125 Delancey Street: Review and Ratings

Review of 125 Delancey Street by Carter Horsley

This very prominent, 26-story building at 125 Delancey Street on the Lower East Side was erected in 2018 by Delancey Street Associates, a consortium of Taconic Investment Partners LLC, L + M Development Partners, BFC Partners, the Prusik Group and Goldman Sachs. 

It is known as The Essex and contains 96 rental apartments.  It was designed by Handel Architects. 

It is part of the 1.9-million-square-foot redevelopment of the Essex Market known as Essex Crossing that will also include a new Essex Market and a bazaar-style marketplace. 

The Essex, which is the tallest building of the nine-site project, boasts its own subway station for the F/M/J/Z lines. 

It is a skyline foil to the nearby Blue Tower at 105 Norfolk Street between Delancey and Rivington streets that became the sole skyscraper of the center of the Lower East Side when its angular form was designed by Bernard Tschumi in 2007.  This building is several stories taller than the Blue Tower. 

According to an November 3, 2017 article at ny.curbed.com by Tanay Warerkar, "the  developers behind the Lower East Side megaproject, Essex Crossing, have revealed the first rendering for their second, fully-affordable senior housing building, which will rise at 140 Essex Street. Designed by Beyer Blinder Belle, the building will stand eight stories tall, and bring 92 studio apartments to the Lower East Side. This is the second senior affordable building to be developed as part of the megaproject. The first, at 175 Delancey Street, launched the lottery on its 99 affordable apartments in April this year, and will welcome its first set of residents next year. 140 Essex Street was initially supposed to be a 80/20 condo building, but earlier this the development consortium behind the megaproject, Delancey Street Associates, decided to add more affordable housing into the mix. Now Essex Crossing will bring a total of 561 affordable apartments to the Lower East Side, part of a total 1,078 units that make up the Essex Crossing project. 140 Essex Street will also have 9,600 square feet of ground floor retail, and residents in the building will be able to access the senior center which will open at 175 Delancey Street next year. 

"At the Rollins, located at 145 Clinton Street, nearly all of its 211 rentals are occupied and both Trader Joe’s and Target have debuted their newest NYC outposts here," the article continued. 

Sales at SHoP’s 55-unit condo, 242 Broome, have crossed the 75 percent threshold in early 2019; it’s also the new home of the International Center of Photography and a bowling alley, both of which will open later.

Bottom Line

This 26-story centerpiece of the large Essex Crossing redevelopment on the Lower East Side boasts its own subway station for several lines and many amenities including a 14-theater cineplex and a quarter-acre "urban farm" on a large terrace.

Description

The tower with recessed fenestration and corner windows rises above a 7-story podium base, a corner of which has an angled glass base. 

The lobby has an angled, wooden wall with thin vertical light elements opposite an angled dark wall behind the wooden concierge station.

Amenities

The building has a 14-screen Regal Cinema facility, a roof deck, a fitness center with Peloton bikes, a concierge, a social lounge with billiards, a library lounge, a children's playroom, a private meeting room, a 6th floor garden terrace with hammocks, grills, dining areas and a quarter-acre urban farm. 

Apartments

Apartments have ceilings that soar up to 11 feet in height, engineered oak wood floors, double pane windows, kitchens with quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances, and a Bosch washer/dryer in each unit. 

Apartment 802 is a three-bedroom unit with a long entry foyer that leads to a long hall entrance to a 19-foot-wide living/dining room with an open kitchen. 

Apartment 2409 is a three-bedroom unit with a long entry foyer that leads to a 17-foot-wide living/dining room with an open kitchen. 

Apartment 2402 is a two-bedroom unit with a long entry foyer that leads to hallway to the 19-foot-wide living/dining room with an open kitchen. 

Apartment 2405 is a two-bedroom unit with large entry foyer across from the master bedroom that leads to a 19-foot-wide living/dining room with an open kitchen. 

Apartment 2404 is a one-bedroom unit with a 22-foot-long living/dining room with an open kitchen. 

Apartment 2401 is a studio unit with a 26-foot-long living/dining room and an open kitchen.