SERHANT.,recently announced that it's New Development division, in partnership with developer The Horizon Group, has launched sales at The Library, a residential conversion with a contemporary glass addition located at 61 Rivington Street in Manhattan's Lower East Side.  

Originally built in 1905 by architects McKim, Mead & White, who also designed the original Pennsylvania Station, the Brooklyn Museum, the Washington Square Arch, and the campus of Columbia University, the building served as the downtown branch of the New York Public Library until 1950 when it became a dance hall and restaurant, and later the Church of Nazarene.  The recent residential conversion of the property was led by Brittany Marom Interior Design and Issac & Stern Architects.

“When planning the transformation of 61 Rivington Street, we wanted to create a one-of-a-kind, timeless residential building in the heart of the Lower East Side. The former New York Public Library’s rich history was the inspiration behind our old-meets-new design style reflected throughout the facade and interiors,” said Jillian Forman, director, marketing and operations of The Horizon Group. “The Library offers homeowners the opportunity to live in the crown jewel of the neighborhood and we look forward to launching sales with SERHANT. New Development.”

Standing six stories tall, The Library includes three floors of the original Classical Revival facade and three floors of a contemporary glass addition. Special care was taken to preserve the original terrazzo floors throughout the first floor and lobby, and the exposed bricks in select apartments.  Inspired by the property’s history and initial design, finishes throughout The Library include dark wood paneling details, dark wood cabinetry, shaker style doors, and exposed ceiling beams.  

“Given the opportunity to design the interiors of a historic building in New York City was an exciting and creative challenge for my firm,” said Brittany Marom of Brittany Marom Interior Design. “The design intent was to restore the integrity of the 115-year old building while creating a modern living environment that speaks to today's market and trends.”

The Library is a boutique building boasting 11 residences ranging from one to three bedrooms, including two garden-level duplex units with private outdoor space and two penthouse units.  Each unit features European light oak floors, oversized windows, natural stone waterfall countertop and backsplash in the kitchen with custom walnut lower cabinets and matte lacquered upper cabinets, radiant heated floors and towel warmer in the bathroom, and Bosch washer and dryer.  The building offers a fitness center, virtual doorman, bicycle storage and community Wi-Fi in amenity areas.  Paying homage to the city’s first open-air rooftop reading room that once stood atop this building, residents will also have access to a shared furnished rooftop space with BBQ.

“As New York comes back to life, we’ve seen an increased appetite for Lower East Side properties and so we’re excited to bring The Library at 61 Rivington Street to market,” said Jennifer Alese, director of new development at SERHANT.  “This is an exceptional boutique building by The Horizon Group that strikes the right balance of historic and contemporary while remaining timeless.  No detail was overlooked in this conversion and development process; buyers are going to love calling The Library home.”

Manhattan’s Lower East Side is growing in popularity and has witnessed a remarkable turnaround in the past year. According to data from SERHANT., the number of transactions in the neighborhood are up 117% year-over-year while the average number of days a unit spends on the market is down 22%. In addition, the average and median sales prices have risen 25% and 38% respectively.

Sales of The Library are being led by The McPeak Team at SERHANT.  Current available units range from $1.25 million to just over $2 million.

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