533 Canal Street: Review and Ratings

Review of 533 Canal Street by Carter Horsley

This 8-story building at 533 Canal Street between Washington and Greenwich streets in SoHo was erected in 1911 and has 8 floor-through co-operative apartments. 

Despite its unremarkable appearance, the river views and spacious layouts in the building, which is also known as 477 Washington Street, has attracted several celebrity residents.

Bottom Line

Very close to the Manhattan entrance to the Holland Tunnel, this former industrial building on the southern edge of SoHo has a great deal of traffic but large apartments with high ceilings.

Description

The building has a pale-orange-colored brick façade with slightly arched windows on the top floor and a bandcourse over the third floor.

Amenities

The building has a doorman and allows pets. It has no roof deck, no balconies, no concierge and no garage.

Apartments

Apartment three is a loft space that measures 105 feet from east to west and has angled walls on its north side that is 55 feet at its furthest point from the south wall. 

The 6^th floor has a 45-foot-long living/dining room with an open 11-foot-square kitchen, two bedrooms and a study. 

Apartment 7E has a 30-foot-long living room with an open 12-foot-long kitchen with an island next to a 14-foot-square office on the lower level and two bedrooms on the upper level.

History

Michael Stipe, the former lead singer of R.E.M., the rock band, listed his three-bedroom penthouse with an atrium and a 2,500-square-foot terrace in the building in June, 2012 for almost $11 million. He had bought the unit from Ben Affleck’s young brother, Casey, for about $5.75 million in 2007.  Mr. Affleck had acquired it from Gus Van Sant, the movie director, who had purchased it in 2000. 

One of Mr. Stipe’s neighbors in the building was actress Kirsten Dunst. 

In a May 6, 2011 article at observer.com. Robin and Jeremy Stein, brokers with Sotheby’s, were quoted as stating that they had “rented in a non-descript loft building in Hudson Square at 533 Canal Street.” 

“It’s a total sleeper building that has the most amazing bones, water views, and southwestern light. We tired to buy the loft we were renting but it didn’t work out. When people walk past the building, they probably think it is abandoned when it fact it houses some of the greatest lofts in the city,” they said.