Checking Out Charlie West: Hell's Kitchen Condos with Midtown Views and Plush Amenities

By Ondel Hylton | From Future New York Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Common roof deck from Charlie West

In Saul Steinberg's famous 1976 New Yorker cover, Manhattan west of Ninth Avenue fades into a sea of fuzzy buildings right before petering out into the Hudson River, Kansas City and the Pacific Ocean (sounds about right). Fast-forward 44 years later and behold, manifest destiny! — where Eleventh Avenue is more in vogue than First Avenue with urban magnets such as the High Line, Hudson River Park, and the 7 train extension shifting the island's center of gravity westward. As expected, acres of new office and residential space have opened in the area (Hudson Yards for one) and coming to fruition near the corner of Tenth Avenue and 43rd Street is Charlie West, a two-wing condo development most notable for its modest size, views, and hotel-grade amenities.

Co-developed by the Elad Group and Mi&Co, the 123-unit project straddles an Amtrak right-of-way that snakes down the west side into Penn Station. Rest assured, the building's bridge-like foundation prevents disturbances to the apartments above and has been used for dozens of new buildings decking the rail cut. ODA Architecture, one of the city's most popular design firms, prescribed an exterior of textured earth-colored brick contrasted by rows of glass windows framed by gold-hued mullions. For the most part, the full-height windows are grouped in rows of two and stagger and connect at different points, effectively distorting the scale of the 16-floor buildings.

Charlie West is located one block from the Hudson River waterfront, a short walk to the Javits Center and Hudson Yards, and two avenues west of the Theater District. The boxy duo rises just outside the Hell's Kitchen Special District, which largely limits new construction to 85 feet — just higher than the neighborhood's archetypal tenement buildings. Reaping the rewards of a 2011 Bloomberg administration rezoning allowing for as-of-right residential construction between Tenth and Eleventh, Charlie West joins a growing batch of midscale newcomers that include Oskar, Gotham West, and 535W43. Charlie West is somewhat a pioneer in the area, however. All the aforementioned projects are rentals and the only exceptions nearby are the school-to-condo conversion Inkwell, the 2007 condo Chatham 44, and the towering Atelier building on 42nd Street near Twelfth.

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Charlie West's for-sale residences are offered in studio to four-bedroom layouts and include several penthouse homes with large terraces. Mid-to upper-floor units, especially those facing north and east, have incredible views over Hell's Kitchen towards the Midtown West skyline. There are currently no studio apartments available, but one-bedrooms start at $1.22M, two-beds from at $1.835M, and three-beds from $2.74M. A sole three-bedroom penthouse, measuring nearly 2,000 square feet in size, is also on the market for $4.59M. Additionally, the sales team led by Reuveni Real Estate tells us there will several townhouse-style units that will open onto a sidewalk-landscaped 44th Street.

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The interiors are being honed by Lemay & Escobar and are said to fuse raw, natural materials with sumptuous textures. The open plans have wide plank oak wood floors and fully-integrated kitchens with wood and lacquered cabinets, white quartz counters and backsplashes, and appliances from Bosch, Thermador, and Danby. Master baths don Calacatta marble, oak, and white lacquer wood finishes.

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Midtown West closing condo average (CityRealty)

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Availabilities blend to an average of just under $2,000 a foot. This is in line with listings in the Atelier, above the sold-out Inkwell, but well below the $2,302 per ft² Manhattan new development condo average recorded in our latest monthly market report.

Despite the modest number of units, Charlie West presents an ample amenity package that includes an indoor/outdoor swimming pool, an open-air courtyard, fitness center, and children's playroom. The double-height lobby will double as a library/lounge and will feature a curated collection of books along with its walls, a fireplace, and a 24-hour doorman. Just off the dramatic space, within the corridor connecting the two wings, will be an innovative (and attractive) bike storage system that store residents' private bikes as well as offering a shared bike service to residents.