Casetta, 630 Lorimer Street: Review and Ratings

Review of 630 Lorimer Street by Carter Horsley

This very distinctive and attractive, 4-story, residential condominium building at 630 Lorimar Street between Jackson and Stillman streets in Williamsburg has 12 units and was developed in 2017 by Cecilia Mackie of Mackie Developments LLC.

The project is known as Casetta Williamsburg and was designed by ODA New York that replaced Gerald F. Caliendo.

It is distinguished by its abacus-inspired balcony screens and roof-top pergola.

It is two blocks away from the Lorimar Street subway station.

Bottom Line

The railings and overhangs of the façade’s balconies and the top of its rooftop trellises intriguingly resemble abacuses and appear to have movable “counters” – a delightful way to communicate without the use of semaphores with neighbors and passersby who would be further amazed by the building’s rear gardens with multiple levels and some long bridge-stairs without sand dunes.  Who doesn’t love puzzles!

Description

The building’s façade is divided into rectangular spaces by thin white frame with gray railings that appear to be broken into segments that may be movable like the counters on an abacus.  Some of the spaces also have the “abacus” treatments as overhangs and the top of the building has large rooftop trellises whose tops also have the “abacus” treatment.

Several of the building’s front balconies protrude.

The rear of the building is also visually challenging and unusual in that the two end apartments have very long “bridge” stairs that connect with a far garden and these “stairs” overlook two lower levels of gardens.  The gardens are walled.

Amenities

The building has a virtual doorman, bicycle room, and storage.

Apartments

Apartments have washers and dryers and kitchen appliances from Liebherr, Smeg and Summit.

Apartment 101 is a two-bedroom, duplex unit with 1,390 square feet of interior space and 1,113 square feet of outdoor space with a 5-foot-wide entry foyer on the ground floor that leads past an open kitchen with a breakfast bar to a 16-foot-long living/dining room that opens onto a 23-foot-long rear yard and then a 24-foot-wide secondary rear yard.  A stair by the foyer leads down to the cellar where there is a 19-foot-wide den that opens onto a 23-foot-long rear yard with two stairs.