A Couple With a Laundry List of Demands Settles For the Upper West Side

After making their rounds through the city, they finally found a place that suits their many needs

Every "The Hunt" column begins with the Hunters describing the apartment they want, and ends with them rationalizing whatever they came away with. This is The Hunt: Dreams vs. Reality.

The Hunters: Joan and Robert Khoury

Price

Dream: $4,000 to $5,000 a month

Reality: $4,095 a month

Neighborhood

Dream: Upper East Side

Reality: Upper West Side

Amenities

Dream: Natural light; Closet space; Close vicinity to stores and subways; On-site gym

Reality: Doormen; 24-hour gym

Summary

As a result of their constant career demands, Mr. and Mrs. Khoury have lived in several cities throughout their 30-year marriage. These included several residencies in New York City, the first one being back in 2004 in a West Midtown high-rise rental near Port Authority Bus Terminal and the second go-round in a rental south of Columbus Circle.

After a brief stint in California, the couple found themselves moving back to New York yet again. This time, they knew precisely what they wanted in a home. Their preference included a full-service rental building and an apartment with natural light coming in, ample closet space, and a convenient location that would allow for easy access to stores, parks, and transportation. The one necessity above all else: Mrs. Khoury had to have an on-site gym open around the clock.

The Upper East Side would have panned out if it weren’t for their distrust of the subway lines along the East Side. Mrs. Khoury, who led the hunt, just couldn’t chance its reliability with her daily commute to the Financial District. Afterwards, she checked out some apartments in Chelsea near the High Line but was quickly warned of the neighborhood’s noise from its night-life scene.

After entertaining the suggestion of a friend, Mrs. Khoury decided to check out a one-bedroom at the West River House. She liked the building and the neighborhood vibes and decided to bring her husband to check it out. Though he liked it as well, they decided to try their luck one more time and look at one of Tower 67’s units but alas, the gym wasn’t open around the clock.

They returned to West River House and rented a one-bedroom for $4,095 per month. They paid an annual fee of $200 which covers the children’s playroom, the recreation room, and of course, the 24-hour gym. Everything just felt right.

• The Upper West Side Wins [The New York Times]

from
http://ny.curbed.com/2016/7/2/12087452/couple-finds-upper-west-side-home