123 THIRD
123 Third Ave., Manhattan

Tucked in the East Union Square neighborhood is 123 Third, a 19-story condominium, developed in partnership between Orange Management and the F&T Group. The building is comprised of 47 homes ranging from one-, two-, and three-bedroom residences, to four penthouses.

The building is set within close proximity of Union Square, Greenwich Village, the East Village, and Gramercy Park. Residents of 123 Third can enjoy the location close to Union Square greenmarket area, giving ample access to the locally sourced produce, meats, and fish as well as the area’s top restaurants.

In addition to striving for LEED certification, 123 Third was built for luxury—from premium finishes to abundant amenities that include full-time doorman, fitness center, and refrigerated storage, plus the option of bike storage and additional storage bins. The iLounge offers computer suites equipped with high-quality printers, editing programs, and audio/visual presentation facilities. The building’s outdoor space includes landscaped private residents’ garden with outdoor kitchen, lounge seating, sun terrace, and full-sized movie screen.

The units themselves offer finishes and fixtures from top-quality brands like Poliform kitchens, Miele appliances, Bosch washers and dryers, custom Duravit tubs and showers, and Dornbracht fixtures. Natural light is intended to flood these luxury apartments from oversized picture windows designed for high acoustic performance and energy conservation. Wide-plank white oak hardwoods blanket the floors of the units, and ceilings reach up to 11 feet.

Prices range from $585,000 for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom home, and $1.3 million for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom, to $4.2 million for a three-bedroom, three-bathroom duplex penthouse.

THE DETAILS
LEED Status: Anticipating LEED
Developer: The F&T Group
Broker/Agent: Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group

CATSKILL FARMS
Sullivan County, NY

Many New Yorkers are looking for getaways in the country, and that’s the niche entrepreneur developer Charles Petersheim has created in this rural landscape along the Delaware River in Sullivan County, just shy of two hours from Manhattan.

At a time when many builders are downsizing, Petersheim’s Catskill Farms is busy designing and constructing small second homes for artists, celebrities, young executives, and under-40 creative types from New York City.

These uniquely designed small, high-performance homes and cottages range from 750 square feet to the largest—under 2,000 square feet—on private parcels surrounded by woodlands. Layouts maximize the views of nature while smart building practices such as high-efficiency gas-fired boilers, low-flow fixtures, and insulation from Petersheim’s other business: EcoTech Spray Foam, ensure low operating costs. While many of the 60+ homes the developer has built in the past five years would qualify for LEED certification, that’s not what clients are concerned with: Rather, they want customized design, affordability, and a private retreat.

Characterized by elegant use of simple materials, from stone and wainscoting to wide-plank floors and plank ceilings from a local salvaged lumber supplier, there’s a lot of whimsy built in. Features include Dutch doors, sliding barn doors and track chalkboard doors for closets and room dividers, country kitchens, masonry fireplaces, built-in bookcases and cabinets, clawfoot tubs, and old-fashioned radiators, not to mention security and whole-house audio systems. Even the smallest “shacks” boast spacious kitchens and full basements. Each home offers plenty of storage and outdoor living areas, whether screened porches, full decks, or stone patio areas.

The developer’s design/build model allows for a 3- to 4-month build time. Home prices, depending on size, parcel, and design, range from just under $160,000 for a shack to $425,000 for a farmhouse.

THE DETAILS
LEED Status: High-performance homes
Developer: Charles Petersheim, Catskill Farms
Agent/Broker: Catskill Farms