The Alexander, 250 East 49th Street: Review and Ratings

Review of 250 East 49th Street by Carter Horsley

The Alexander is a 24-story residential condominium tower at 250 East 49^th Street on Second Avenue in Turtle Bay at the northeast end of the block with landmark townhouses that share a very large common garden.

The 88-unit tower was developed by Alexander Gurevich and designed by Sydness Architects.

It is distinguished by its broadly curved corner tower on a low-rise, terracotta base with unusual balconies.

It was  completed in 2010.

Bottom Line

The tower’s curve looks up Second Avenue rather than west over the famous, landmarked Turtle Bay garden townhouses that are one of the city’s very nicest residential enclaves.

Description

The architects here decided to “hold” the building line along the avenue and sidestreet rather than extend the tower’s handsome corner curve all the way to the sidewalk.

Given that this tower replaced the very famous Box Tree restaurant and is highly visible from the very large common garden that the mid-block townhouses on 48^th and 49^th Streets share, it is surprising that the architects did not consider a more interesting west façade.  The principal of the architectural firm used to work for John Burgee, who was Philip Johnson’s partner for many years.

The tower is not symmetrical will a long straight frontage on the sidestreet than on the avenue and both those frontages are masonry rather than glass, which gives the building an interesting contrast that is perhaps not as satisfying as an all-glass solution.

The low-rise base on the avenue splits apart to reveal the emerging curved tower behind some quite fancy and delicate balconies connecting the “wings.”  The vertical split and the balconies are quite interesting in concept but are almost lost by the horizontal “split” of the base’s façade to provide retail exposure.

Amenities

The building has a concierge, a roof deck, basement storage and a fitness center.

Apartments

Apartments have 11-and-a-half-foot high ceilings and unusual layouts.

Kitchens have Poggenpohl cabinetry, Sub-Zero refrigerators, Viking gas cooktops, Miele dishwashers and granite countertops.

Bathrooms have limestsone floors and walls and a Runthal heated towel bar.

Apartment 18Cd has a entry foyer that leads past an open, 11-foot-long kitchen to a 26-foot-long curved living room and a 10-foot-long library.  The apartment also has three bedrooms.

History

According to a March 24, 2010 article by David Jones at therealdeal.com, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo “quietly settled a five-month investigation in which developer Alexander Gurevich [was]…banned from selling condominium and cooperative units in New York State for three years, will pay a $300,000 fine and was separately forced to offer refunds to all buyers” in the building.

Attorney General Cuomo, the article continued, “entered a so-called assurance of discontinuance with Gurevich Feb. 18, after launching a probe in September 2009, amid allegations that the sponsor of the building…failed to disclose key information about the principal investors from prospective buyers.”

As a result of the investigation, the “clock” ran out and the sponsor had to close the project.  Attorney General Cuomo found that the sponsors failed to disclose that Mr. Gurevich was the “sole signatory” of the escrow agent and was also the principal of Trans Continental Abstract, the title company that was recommended to buyers, and the sole principal of Continental Funding, the mortgage lender recommended by the sponsor.

Location

The building has excellent public transportation although there is considerable traffic on the avenue.

It is not far from the United Nations complex and Beekman Place.