@@ArvinHaddadOfficial next I find an agent, owner, broker who will let me give an unbiased truthful tour of a home LOL. The hours of bloopers I have on hard drives...
@@erikvanconoverthat is SO true. If you actually said what you wanted to say about these properties they wouldn’t let you make the video or upload it 👍🏼
Imagine hosting a dinner party and having to spend the evening guarding the terrace to make sure some of your inebriated guests don’t fall to their deaths!
i dont know thats a pretty skinny and narrow balcony. its barely useful. im scared of heights so i would feel like im gonna blow off in the wind. some building really scare me to be in lol. i remember the worst time i had a panic attack just from being in a building lol. its funny i know. also they are always bobbling around its so weird.
Trust me as someone who lives in NYC, the two elevator thing is a HUGE deal. My building is only 22 stories high and I am constantly having to wait 5+ minutes for one to come, and these don’t even open directly into ppl’s homes and can be shared. I would straight up never live in a building this tall with only two elevators, keep in mind there will be many times where one of the elevators will be dedicated to ppl moving in for hours or for the building staff to make trash pickups. Imagine being on the 60th floor and there is only one operational elevator that has to make individual pickups and drop-offs in the lobby, no exaggeration to say you could be waiting 15-20 minutes at times which is obviously horrible if you are in a rush or there’s an emergency. These are the details most ppl do not take into account when buying a place but you absolutely should, it’s something that will effect your life on a daily basis and can never be changed.
100% agree. I live in a Chicago 30-floor building with three shared elevators (2 residential + 1 service) and wait times can be horrendous-and that’s when all 3 elevators are in service. What happens in Steinway Tower if one of its two elevators breaks down? In my building, when one elevator goes out of service and needs repairs, our wait times double. And if someone needs the service elevator for moving or delivery, some of us just plan to not bother trying to leave home or order food/grocery/etc. delivery that day. 😅Usually a broken elevator stays out of service for at least 1.5 days. Something tells me Steinway Tower doesn’t have a dedicated elevator service person on-call for same-day repair.
@@randomchannel323 100%, plenty of places like this end up selling to ultra rich middle-eastern/ Asian clients who maybe stay there a few months a year at most. In that respect the buyers would care less about the day to day operations of the building, good point. That is a common theme with a lot of mega high end NYC realty, It seems like the homes are designed to look good rather than be the most optimal for a family to live in.
I worked on the upper floor of old skyscraper in Manhattan that was skinny and it swayed back and forth in high winds. Doors swung back and forth, the elevators banged against the sides when they went up and down. It was awful. I would never live in an ultra-tall, skinny building like this.
@@floxy20 one can shove one's head in the sand all one wants in denial, but the climate change is real and not just based on science. i remember how winters were like even 20 years ago. it's nothing remotely like that, hardly any snow or frozen over ponds anymore. maybe it's debatable whether it's man made, or god made, or nature made, but it is real.
A friend of mine knows someone who looked at a unit at 111 West 57th. The takeaway from their viewing was that all the rooms are tiny, and things felt on a smaller scale - for example countertops did not feel as deep as standard (such as in the kitchen, and check out the width of the stairs, they are almost unusable) - to give a sense that there was more room than there actually was. The other takeaway was that while it photographs well (especially if you use the proper lens to make it feel bigger, which is the case in Conover's video) is that the build quality was not all that. In addition, I was told it feels very claustrophobic and if there were standard height ceilings it would show how truly cramped it is. Height to width ratio of 24:1 (IIRC) is insane. I don’t care if it has a mass damper, that puppy is gonna sway in moderate to high winds big time. And that “Romeo and Juliet balcony” (good call on that by the way) is useless, and there’s no way you’d get me on that (that retaining glass is not high enough). All of that said, the one thing that never seems to be mentioned about these super slender high rise condos is that they have much fewer units than a building of normal width and depth for that height. That means that, aside from common charges (which for that place are around $20,000.00 per month) the cost to maintain a mega tall skyscraper after a number of years, by so few people will end up costing more than one originally paid for the unit. Yeah, sure, 20K a month for someone who can afford 57 million is no big deal, but after some years when the special assessments start to hit, repairs and upkeep to perform work beyond the general scope of maintenance, that’s going to be insane. (There are some Wilshire Corridor owners out there who know what I’m talking about, and those are folks have much higher percentage of units per height, and the structures are nowhere near as complicated and expensive). I subscribed because I’m really liking your observations. Well done. BTW, Conover did a 2fer (2 units in a single video) at Madison House (in NoMad at 15 East 30th St). The lower unit on the 58th floor, which is a single story, and I like better than the penthouse above, has one of the most insane views of any condo in Manhattan I’ve seen. It alone is worth the 13.9 million asking price. You might want to check that one out. Cheers!
Wow, i didn’t think about collective repair costs! With fewer units and a super tall, new building, I agree. Ongoing costs are going to balloon! Thanks for adding that.
Agreed with everything you mentioned. Having lived in New York, my concern is a fire and only two elevators. Yes, the view is stunning but you don’t live in the view. I won’t mention some former NYC buildings, but you did feel them sway and creek on windy days. If I can’t get out quickly it’s a no go.
just imagine being asleep during the winter with strong winds and you're on the 70th floor and you feel the vibration while internally thinking about getting the hell out of there 😮😅😢
My legs turn to rubber just watching him on that glass terrace. I rented a high rise apartment a few years ago with a similar terrace and it was terrifying. Plus, the crazy wind out there at that height made it unusable.
The way he adds a schwa to the ends of words makes him sound like an immature girl: now-a, wing-a, again-a, view-a, tub-a, building-a... I would want an adult showing me the place.
I was on the observation deck in Sears Tower in Chicago during a storm about 30 years ago & felt the swaying sensation. Just based on that 15minutes & having to walk all the way down bc the elevators stopped working I’d never in a million years buy a condo/apartment way up a skyscraper. The swaying is really uncomfortable & that was in a relatively wide building & not as high up as this apartment is. If you felt sick & your apartment started swaying side to side it’d be absolutely miserable. Imagine if you were older & had a condition that made you dizzy…you wouldn’t know if it was your illness or if it was the building. Even as a kid the swaying made me feel anxious & uncomfortable.
@@ArvinHaddadOfficial Hi Arvin. I'm from Kenya, I've seen the properties in Nigeria and Pakistan that you reviewed and would appreciate if you reviewed this one in Kenya. It's a $5m earthquake proof mansion. Thanks. m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-O_R_HqslEUk.html&pp=ygUWUmVhbHR5IGJvcmlzIGtpdGlzdXJ1IA%3D%3D
At night, reflective glass doesn't do much......one can still see into apartments. I don't love onyx either. I thought it was too soft for countertops. The piano theme was great until we got to the kitchen cabinets. (Did they forget the black keys?) Every elevator shaft eats up space, so I understand limiting it to two. Since units are going to be sold for foreign money laundering, no one will care about waiting 10 minutes for their elevator. The glamour of Manhattan at night is stupendous. All in all, much more thought and quality went into this building. Very little to complain about. I really love the 'corner moments.'
The kind of people who live in situations like this WANT to be looked at through the windows. This is not the kind of place an introvert would be comfortable, at all.
I just can't believe a building can call itself luxury without a separate freight elevator. I'm merely middle-class, and the comfy, beautiful 1920s vintage high rises I've lived in in St. Louis and Chicago had two passenger plus at least one freight elevator for 50 and 60 unit buildings with 15 floors.
@@stanlee3619 lol do you take a sht in a prison cell or something? all bathrooms have windows and a drone can fly wherever. in nyc you actually need a permit and it is hard to get to fly a drone, anybody with permit probably tryna get a nice video of the city skyline and don't want you in it wiping your ass lol
Something else no-one mentions about penthouse apartments is that at the higher floors you're going to be spending more time waiting for and in an elevator; don't be surprised if it takes 5 minutes from when you press the elevator button in your apartment to when you exit the lobby/garage. Now imagine it taking 5 minutes from your front door to the street; something equivalent is having a big block of land that can only be reached via a dirt path. I live on 9 acres and it takes a bit over 5 minutes from my front door to reaching bitumen, and it gets old sometimes.
Loving your long and in depth videos. This building really is beautiful and an engineering masterpiece, but definitely only for people completely unafraid of heights. Nobody would ever get me on that balcony.
I think you have summed my thoughts perfectly. The building is stunning and obviously a lot of complex engineering had to be used in its construction. But I could never live in such a high and narrow building! Perhaps I could try the 30th floor? Haha.
Steinway Tower for me is absolutely crazy, as a french parisian citizen, no chance ever to see this type of tower in Paris. However, living there, enjoying "corner moment" not really for me. What about opening the windows and breath the fresh air over NYC...?
It is amazing. Absolutely every observation and critic Arvin made in these videos are spot on. This is the value that a good professional can bring to the table. Outstanding!
Since you are the "How to buy a mansion guy" I would say a video comparing the pros and cons of mansions / townhouses vs penthouses / luxury condos might be interesting as well. I faced that dilemma a bit in Switzerland where an apartment with private pool terrace in an A+ location was asking the very same as a house in an A-/B+ neighborhood and offered the exact same amenities and comparable finishes and both were lakefront properties. Generally speaking it can also be easy to fall prey to buying amenities which you don't actually use that often when talking about mansions (e.g. home cinemas while common in luxury mansions, do you you really use them enough? Or how do you like to entertain and who are your guests - friends vs business partners?). In many of these cases shared amenities in a luxury condo building can be a cool alternative even though that means a bit less privacy / flexibility. Or take a shared gym in the right building which can also be great for networking. Plus always consider maintenance costs, taxes and available services (concierge, security, chefs) etc... Also learn as much as you can about your neighbors before buying (e.g. families = children noise while very old neighbors means that these neighboring properties might soon come onto the market) and the building (how many apartments and buyer structure/turnover). Or ask yourself the question whether you would also consider buying something which needs a bit of work done (can be great deals) rather than a done house and is a done house really a done house in your eyes. This said, my personal advice to anyone looking to buy property is to gain clarity regarding what you really need and want first (and how much time you actually spend there -> primary vs. secondary residence, etc.)! Once you figured out how you want to live and what amenities and layout you want and which ones are optional/just nice to have approach your broker with that list and ask them to tell you a price range matching these criteria. Don't tell them your budget right of the bat because my experience has been that once you put that number out there they'll only show you properties around that number! Back in 2018 I for example told the broker my budget is 60 million (and also got shown 111 West 57th despite not a great match to my criteria of which one was outdoor space) and they only showed me products around that price point. Only by incident back then I heard about a property which cost half of what my budget was yet met all my criteria in a great neighborhood... and that to me is a bit of a problem that brokers are so budget focused rather than "lifestyle-focused" and hence I suggest you try to reverse that if you can by letting the broker know how you want to live and then let them educate you what this means in terms of pricing. Take it from there. *PS: Another great and educative video, Arvin! You're doing a great job here and I really like your videos!* PPS: I guess two offices in an apartment can make sense: One office for him and one for her.
This may be a bit more than we generally look for in the "comment" section. Has anyone read the whole damn thing? Or understood it if you have read it?
Love your critique with no sugarcoating but also highlight the positive aspects of these properties. If I am ever fortunate enough to consult you I will!
You’ll have to get in line. I’ve got plans to book him too when I’m ready to move to LA/Hollywood area. @ArvinHaddadOfficial your investment in doing these is paying off!
There are several lots between this building and Central Park. Some day someone is going to build a tower right in front on this one and obstruct the million dollar view to Central Park.
And who knows? The building built between Steinway Towers and Central Park might be even taller than Steinway Towers, thus not only potentially completely obstructing the view, but also presenting significant privacy issues and lowering the property values of Steinway.
Let me just take a corner moment to discuss a $54M airline sized apartment in a swaying skinny high-rise. I would feel ripped off if I paid more than $12M for a duplex with little character aside from good views. At least the balcony is easy to jump off when you realize what you’ve done. Thanks Arvin for another great video. (Yes, the elevator situation is ridiculous. How long is the wait?)
Although everyone is an individual - as a general principle this extreme exposure to height and glass is unnatural, for most people, in my opinion. Humans have evolved to be physiologically wary of heights. This particular arrangement is so "in your face" that there might be some kind of subconscious stress going on, even if not perceptible. It is possible that many people would be unsettled to live in this structure. P.S. The low height of the glass balcony railing is astonishing. It would be so easy for accidents to happen, and for objects to be dropped inadvertently too.
That's true. What does it say about The US culture that we build incredibly expensive buildings that almost nobody lives in? And this isn't the only one.
Two elevators work fine here. The owners of these apartments have multiple properties and likely will only spend a few weeks a year in this building, if that. So no worry that both elevators would be in use at the same time. On West 57th there are probably right now only a handful of apartments where someone is home today. I walk by these building entrances frequently and have yet to see anyone except a doorman enter or leave, not even a food delivery, It's for good reason in NYC they are called 'safe deposit boxes in the sky'.
Found this channel by accident. My, my, MY, but as an experienced condo owner, I have to say that you are really spot-on. First-rate comments in every way!
Out of all those super tall skinny towers, I have to say I like this one the best also!! I love the Art Deco design of the building. It's aesthetically pleasing to look at, but I also wouldn't buy one of those because I would be uncertain of how well this building is going to stand the test of time.
I agree, southern exposure to sun and UV is going to fade fabric and finishes of everything in no time. Direct sun will also raise air conditioning costs, and expensive paintings and wall coverings don't like direct sun light. That terrace is only to get fresh air and for smoking, it's really a way to launder offshore money, very nice design, though.
You’re wrong on the two elevator thing. The building is probably only ever 20-25% occupied at all times. People are going to be in Europe or Asia most of the time.
Arvin, you're so right. I currently live in a building only 9 floors high with 1 lift that can stop on every floor. New building modern lift. Takes forever. I can't imagine what it's like having 50+ floors, with two lifts, that cannot stop off on demand. That's insane. And then, what happens if there's a fire? How do you escape from the uppermost floors? It's sexy, but is it livable?
It's nice to find a real channel with real information that doesn't rely on bobbles or tricks to grab eyeballs and keep asses in the seats. No yellling or bro speak just logical facts clearly explained. Is this RU-vid? Thanks for this bit of clarity in a sea of internet noise.
Got to be honest I disagree on your whole pocket door take. I have a pretty big house and I actually prefer pocket doors. I even just built a new business as well and put pocket doors in instead just because they're so much better and take up less space and it looks cleaner
I agree with your disagreement. Pocket doors are much harder to construct well to close as tight and well as normal doors. But they just are much more elegant, don't waste space and never open up into people.
6:43 For many of these multimillionaires and billionaires, real estate is a way to diversify and park their money. It might not make money, but it holds it and holding the money is more important than making it at a certain point.
The way Eric is walking is just making me laugh out loud 😀 Arvin, thanks for another very interesting video with so much expert knowledge pointing out topics that I would've never been able to think about before finding your channel .. but meanwhile, I watch these original videos and already spot some significant weak spots that of course Erik, Enes and colleagues never mention. Still you also give kudos when they did something great. Keep up the great work!
I think that the railing of that balcony is very low specially for an 80th floor also you cant furnish that balcony because the furniture will fly away during a storm 😂
@@ArvinHaddadOfficial Hi Arvin. I'm from Kenya, I've seen the properties in Nigeria and Pakistan that you reviewed and would appreciate if you reviewed this one in Kenya. It's a $5m earthquake proof mansion. Thanks. m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-O_R_HqslEUk.html&pp=ygUWUmVhbHR5IGJvcmlzIGtpdGlzdXJ1IA%3D%3D
High winds and suction around that west corner can pull planters and any outdoor furniture over the railings, house rules may prohibit anything to be placed on those terraces. Will your homeowner's insurance cover a fatal injury of a pedestrian on 57th street getting hit by something from your apartment?
So much exterior glass window cleaning involved.Only 2 elevators.I guess having a Steinway grand piano brought up would be a challenge but realistically out of the question.!.
Great analysis of a video that is part real estate, part GQ. I watch the content of Erik & Enes because of the access they have to prime real estate, plus they're generally likable personalities. But I wasn't quite sure what was being featured here...the Steinway Tower, or Conover's pricey suits.
I do like the fact that Mr. Haddad gives the viewers a different perspective on properties. He helps separate out what is really nice and what seems to have been a personal preference but does not fit in. I enjoy watching these reviews. Thanks.
It's actually 2 elevators for 46 residences (most vacant most of the time). The Steinway hall portion has its own elevator. There is a third passenger/service elevator. The fitness center floor has its own. Still might have to wait for an elevator, I suppose.
The piano theme is too on-the-nose and cheesy-more befitting a theme park. Imagine constantly having to explain to guests that the one door hinge that looks out of place and was not originally designed to be a door hinge is a feature, not a temporary workaround for a broken door.
Compared to the other buildings on this street, I actually love the smaller scale of this penthouse. Guest bedrooms do not need to be enormous, an office does not need to be massive, etc. The primary spaces, like the living and dining rooms, kitchen, etc are scaled appropriately for their functions and grandness of the views. Maybe not worth the price, but at least this feels more like a home someone can easily move into and not feel overwhelmed by spaces too large to feel comfortable in.
Terrific review! You've got a new subscriber. The architectural beauty of this tower can hardly be overstated. Regarding the piano-key referencing of the kitchen cabinets, too corny to mention--especially since piano keys are flat, not fluted like the cabinet doors. Thankfully, there's no echoing of the 3 + 2 black-key patterns! The main take-away for me is the degree to which the limitations of space in this sort of construction so significantly compromise the overall luxury of the lived experience.
I actually love this place. I do agree that reconfiguring the primary to make a casual TV room is needed. The railing on the terrace seems low to me but maybe that dude is 7 feet tall? 😂
