The Standish,
171 Columbia Heights

Overview of The Standish at 171 Columbia Heights

The Standish at 171 Columbia Heights is a 12 story Beaux Arts landmark built in 1903 as the Standish Arms Hotel, originally designed by Frank S. Lowe with 122 rooms. The building was acquired by Jehovah's Witnesses in 1981 and sold in 2007 to Taurus Investment Holdings for $50 million, which converted it into 90 rental apartments. In 2015, DDG and Westbrook Partners purchased the property for $60 million and undertook an extensive conversion into 29 luxury condominium residences, completed in 2017. This marked the first conversion project for DDG, led by Joseph A. McMillan Jr., and the firm's first venture outside Manhattan.

The building's symmetrical façade features a rusticated limestone base with arched windows beneath three dark bay window piers, two bracketed cornices, and a crenellated roofline with balustraded balconies at the base of the piers. During the renovation, the brick façade was stripped and recoated to replicate its original ivory hue, while the marble fire staircase with cast iron railings near the building's center was carefully preserved. The five step entrance sits beneath a marquee, maintaining the building's elegant street presence in Brooklyn Heights.

Residences range from studios to five bedrooms, with a particularly notable townhouse unit spanning 4,434 square feet across four plus bedrooms, four bathrooms, and two powder rooms. This townhouse features ceiling heights exceeding 12 feet, a 780 square foot garden running the length of the building, and over 800 square feet of lower level space. A maisonette duplex also offers 12 foot ceilings. Common features throughout the building include wide plank Austrian white oak flooring, Italian Carrara marble countertops and islands, custom designed Shaker style cabinetry, and separate pantries in many units.

Kitchens are equipped with premium Bertazzoni Italia ranges and hoods alongside Bosch refrigerators and dishwashers, all complemented by natural brass Fantini fixtures. Bathrooms feature rain showers, travertine marble slabs, mosaic tile accents, and Fantini fixtures in natural brass. Primary suites typically include walk in closets and windowed bathrooms with under mounted sinks and freestanding tubs. Many units feature the building's signature bay windows, with some residences offering views of New York Harbor, the Manhattan skyline, and the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.

The building offers 24 hour doorman and concierge services, a fitness studio, a children's playroom, and a landscaped rooftop terrace with harbor views, grilling areas, and seating. Additional storage cages and bicycle spaces are available for purchase. The location on Columbia Heights places residents steps from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and numerous subway lines at Jay Street/Borough Hall, including the 2/3/4/5/R/F/A/C trains. Notable residents have included Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, as well as Matt Damon.

The building carries notable historical and cultural significance beyond its architectural pedigree. The land was originally owned by Eliza Matilda Chandler, wife of former congressman Stephen Van Culen White and a descendant of Myles Standish, the Mayflower passenger and military adviser to the Pilgrims. The Standish Arms Hotel has appeared in popular culture as the fictional residence of Clark Kent in Superman comics and as the hotel where Willy Loman has an affair in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman."

Doorman

Full Time

Type

Condo

Year Built

1903

Converted: 2017

Apartments

2929 (view all units)

Floors

12

Neighborhood

Brooklyn Heights (Brooklyn)

Min Down

20%

Developer

DDG & Westbrook Partners

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