FINDING HOME
Preparing for the Toddler Takeover

Rachel & Eli’s 2-bedroom rental had served them well for a decade, but their new boss (a rapidly growing toddler) made their work-from-home lifestyle exceptionally more challenging. Rachel is a book editor who now takes Zoom calls from the kitchen, where she’s mastered the mute button mid-snack request. Eli, a nonprofit strategist, has carved out a workspace in what used to be the coat closet.

They met in grad school, built a life around late-night movies at Lincoln Center and Saturday mornings in Riverside Park, and never imagined wanting to live anywhere else. But after ten years of improvising — shelving in hallways, guests on air mattresses, office chairs in corners — they were ready for a home that actually fit the life they’ve built.

With a $3M budget and zero interest in a renovation, they set their sights on a true three-bedroom, two-bathroom home on the Upper West Side. Something quiet, light-filled, and elevator-serviced.

Here’s where their priorities started:

• True 3 bed / 2 bath

• Within a few blocks of the 1/2/3 train

• Move-in ready, ideally in an elevator building

• An abundance of pre-war charm

Here were their options:

No. 1:
The Parkside Prewar

This unit offered the dreamiest location: a few blocks north of the Museum of Natural History with bay windows facing Central Park. Rachel loved the separate dining room and living room, and that this home charged the lowest maintenance fees of the three options. Eli felt the third bedroom was too small - as an 11’ x 7’ room, it could fit one desk, no guest bed.

No. 2:
The West End Wonder

This one felt like a seamless transition, just a block away from their current rental. The combination of prewar character and an updated kitchen & baths was extremely enticing, as was the study off the kitchen - separate from all three bedrooms. The home was a condo, with maintenance & taxes landing them around $5,000 - a tough figure for Eli and Rachel to accept.

No. 3:
The Sunset Stage

Viewing this home at golden hour stopped them in their tracks. The sun setting over the Hudson River filled the home with a cozy glow. Every aspect of the home felt turnkey and move-in ready, and their proximity to Riverside Park was ideal for their active toddler. The bedrooms were all a great size, but storage felt lacking here. Eli was sold on the views and open concept, while Rachel felt storage & bathroom sizes were too small for their needs.

*Specifics have been changed to protect client privacy

Which Home Do You Think They Chose?

RACHEL & ELI’S HOME:
THE SUNSET STAGE
How could anyone pass up the sunset coming through this home, or the prewar character that lined the walls? One of Rachel & Eli’s greatest concerns was storage and office space, but the living room was quite oversized — so they closed in part of it to form a fourth room for an office. Their views might not be of Central Park, but Riverside Park was already their main stomping ground, so it eased their transition after living in the same home for 10 years. As a bonus: this building put them equidistant from their favorite playgrounds, so their growing toddler could continue to rule her grounds — and not Rachel’s zoom calls.

*Specifics have been changed to protect client privacy

MARKET INDICATOR
Manhattan

Manhattan is filled with submarkets, and this data speaks on the borough as a whole. But I can tell you from my boots on the ground: I’m seeing a small shift in favor toward sellers. Notice how inventory has decreased over the past three months while contract signings have held steady. My clients on the UWS won a small bidding battle on a well-priced condo, and a condo toured in Tribeca had two offers in after just a week on market.

This data focuses on the neighborhoods northwest of Prospect Park. You can see how active buyers are in the market - though sellers are beginning to cool down as we approach summer vacation time. I expect to see fewer listings in the coming months, as is typical in the summer. Smart sellers would take advantage of this upcoming inventory shortage: Notice the decline in inventory last summer, coupled by the consistent contract signings. That’s a signal of competition among buyers to score a home.

HOMES I’M LOVING
61 North Moore Street

61 North Moore St #5E
4 beds / 3 baths
$5,680,000
Tribeca

Why I love it:
Where do I start? With four bedrooms spread across two floors, it has the space of a townhouse with the best part of condo living: shared responsibility for building maintenance. And with common charges in the $2Ks, that’s a win.

What really gets me, though, is the layout. It’s a true duplex with natural light on both ends — meaning every bedroom gets full sunlight. That’s rare. Most industrial conversions tuck bedrooms by dark brick walls, and many duplexes stick the lower level in a gloomy garden unit. Not here.

And beyond the practical features, the place is simply… stunning. Cozy. Original wood beams, renovated finishes, a working fireplace, massive (for New York) bedrooms. All that’s left is the fun part: customizing the kitchen and bathrooms to make it yours.

This is the first time it’s been available in 25 years.
Email me your guess for what the owners paid back then, and I’ll give you the apartment.*

*for legal reasons, this is a joke.