Looking for a contemporary, chic and affordable apartment near Manhattan? Though potentially out of the ordinary, Staten Island is a place to seriously consider with its new development, URBY Staten Island.
Developed plans for URBY Staten Island broke ground in 2013, according to DNAInfo. The complex will include shops, apartments, and a public park. Located in the former Navy Homeport on Staten Island’s North Shore, URBY Staten Island will help enliven a somewhat depleted area. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was quoted in DNAInfo’s article.
“We’re breathing new life into a once blighted and abandoned spot in our city,” Bloomberg said.
Less expensive than the Manhattan market, URBY Staten Island began leasing apartments this month, studios starting at $1,735, one-bedrooms at $2,165, and two-bedrooms at $3,310. Affordable housing apartments will be $867, $931, and $1,123 respectively per month.
With development beginning after Hurricane Sandy, the LEED-certified building is designed to be more storm-proof, being built two feet higher and installing backup generators. Relevant with talk of affordable housing in the city, 20 percent of apartments will be labeled as affordable housing.
The site is also designed to help keep young people in Staten Island.
The New York Times mentions it might be difficult to get people to move to the $275 million development site given its slightly isolated location. It sits on an isolated waterfront, but is only a mile from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. The surrounding neighborhood is industrial, including warehouses and car washes.
To compensate for this isolation, the development has included a variety of amenities including an olive oil shop and a chef-in-residence, Brendan Costello. Costello is a former sous chef at Jeffrey’s Grocery in Greenwich Village. There will also be a coffee shop, Coffeed, a clothing store, and a restaurant.
Other amenity includes an in-house organic 5,000 square foot farm and a farmer. According to DNAInfo, Cornell University Agricultural School graduate, Zaro Bates, helped plan the organic mini-farm, and will become the development’s resident farmer.
The apartments also have living rooms that look out to the bay.
According to the development’s site, the building will allow one pet per unit, and will have an outdoor pool, a filtered water bottle filling station, keyless building and apartment entry, and a two-floor fitness center.
In the development’s second phase, 328 apartments will be built on a neighboring site, which will also include retail space.
Jersey City and Stamford, Connecticut have similar developments underway.