The Metropolitan, 349 Metropolitan Avenue: Review and Ratings

Review of 349 Metropolitan Avenue by Carter Horsley

The size of this 7-story residential building at 349 Metropolitan Avenue in the Northside section of Williamsburg in Brooklyn is deceptive because its top two floors are setback and slightly angled and its base is more significantly angled with larger windows.

The building initially had 35 condominium apartments although it eventually had a "face-lift" and was converted to a 42-unit rental building. Its two-tone façade originally had a base of cream-colored Jerusalem marble that contrasted dramatically but nicely with the upper darker façade.

Like many buildings, its beginnings in the financial crisis led to some dramatic changes in appearance and ownership. The new façade is not as "solid" in appearance as the earlier one. The "final" version increased the apartment count to 40 and introduced some beige paneling to the façade of the base, which disrupted the earlier, bolder composition.

The building, which is also known as the Metropolitan and 223-07 North 4th Street, has an interior courtyard, a fitness center, private storage, balconies, some terraces and roof decks and a garage. The building is pet-friendly.

Kitchens have Liebherr stainless steel refrigerators, Miele gas cooktops, Wenge cabinetry, granite countertops and dishwashers. Bathrooms have Toto toilets, and Neptune soaking tubs.

Avi Galapu was the developer and Gary H. Silver was the architect.

The building is not far from Bedford Avenue and the apartments have bamboo flooring and some units have washers and dryers.

The building has a fitness center and its landscaped courtyard "sanctuary" has a 4-story-high, large mural by R. Nicholad Kuszyk, a local artist.

The building had been nearly 70 percent sold in the summer of 2008 when the developer default and returned buyer's deposits. While the building was vacant, vandals covered part of the façade with graffiti and ripped off chunks of the façade.

"When another developer, Masada Metropolitan LLC, stepped in about eight months ago and bought the original developer s $12 million loan for $6.3 million, the first thing it did was replace the façade," according to an August 20, 2010 article in The New York Times by Vivian S. Toy.

"'It was ugly,' said Nissim Ben-nun, a principal of Masada. 'But the real reason we changed it was it was unsafe.'"

"In addition to paying off the bank, Mr. Ben-nun said," the article continued, "he also had to spend $3 million to clear contractors' liens, an additional $2 million to get clear title to the property from the original developer, and $1 million more to replace the façade and finish construction. 'Financially I'd be better off selling' the apartments as condos, he said, 'but I decided to rent it and own it for a while, maybe leave it to my kids.'

The article said that at the first open house in August 2010, "21 of the 40 apartments were rented at current market rates, with one-bedrooms listed for about $2,200 and two-bedrooms about $2,800."