24-01 Queens Plz N

Carefully finished residences at a fraction of the cost of Manhattan comps

“A neighborly condominium, 24-01 Queens Plaza North serves as a modern architectural gem for the community,” New Empire Corp. Chairman Bentley Zhao says in a Long Island City Post article. Affordable when compared to similar properties in Manhattan and riverfront Brooklyn areas like Dumbo or Williamsburg, 24-01 Queens Plaza North incorporates studios priced at $700,000 on average and a three-bedroom penthouse selling for $2.5 million. In between, one-bedrooms range from $870,000 to $1.2 million. Two-bedrooms fetch $1.6 million. The larger residences have split-bedroom layouts and open-concept entertainment spaces making the most of the building’s curvilinear contour. Few have the same spatial distribution. Uncommon for new development condos, the building features high ceilings. Each home has an in-unit washer/dryer and ample closets.

Paris Forino imbued these residences with a fresh, light-tone palette of colors and materials, allowing the natural light that filters through the floor-to-ceiling, triple-pane casement windows to extend through much of the interior as well. This was achieved through the seamless implementation of wide plank oak flooring, white oak cabinetry, white marble countertops, soft pastels, light-toned grays and earth-tone accents. Hand-textured tilework reveals how a whimsical quality balances out the otherwise pure sleekness of this intervention. Functionality was also an important consideration. Bosch appliances, soft self-closing hinges, integrated LED lighting, multi-zone climate controls and smart-lock keyless entry devices are found throughout.

A comprehensive neighborhood-within-a-building amenities package

Residents and their guests enter the building through a dramatic, yet sophisticatedly appointed double-height lobby rendered in a monochromatic blue, which carries across from the seating to the acoustic wall paneling, installed with a striated pattern similar to the building’s facade. The building is helmed by full-time door attendants and a daytime concierge. It’s also wheelchair accessible. The condo’s extensive amenities package is broken down into three categories. The entertainment offering includes a basketball court; a rooftop lounge with kitchen and billiards; an adjoining fully furnished terrace with multiple grilling stations and an additional residents’ lounge with table tennis. This area also doubles as a co-working space during the day. The children’s playroom gives way to a rock-climbing wall. The media room is fully equipped for karaoke. The wellness section includes a double-height fitness center also taking in plenty of natural light; a full basketball court and a state-of-the-art Finnish-style sauna. There’s also a pet spa.

Ever-evolving Long Island City and optimal connectivity

Once an industrial stronghold defined by blocks of large warehouses and somewhat treacherous alleyways, Long Island City has emerged as a popular residential neighborhood in recent decades. With that has come a slew of new hospitality venues and robust improvements to public infrastructure,: the complete transformation of derelict riverfront piers into innovative parkland for one. Hunter’s Point South, Gantry Plaza and Queensbridge parks all have overlooks, picnic lawns, dog runs, sports fields and playgrounds.

The cultural offering here isn’t anything to be discounted either. Nearby is the Museum of Modern Art outpost PS1, the SculptureCenter, Noguchi Museum, Socrates Sculpture Park and the Museum of the Moving Image. If the building’s own rock wall isn’t enough, especially as it's mostly programmed for children, the Brooklyn Boulders Queensbridge facility is right around the corner. Close-by restaurants include top-ranked barbecue joint John Brown, pizza go-to Beebe’s and the JACX&CO Food Hall at Queensboro Plaza, a multimodal hub with a subway station served by 7, N and W lines. A bit further south, Court Square has a Target, Foodcellar Market and a Trader Joe’s as well. Its subway station has E, G and M line services. Residents can get to Midtown Manhattan within mere minutes and other parts of the borough within the half-hour. While there isn’t an integrated garage at 24-01 Queens Plaza North, there are facilities within a few blocks’ radius. The condo is located right next to the Queensboro Bridge and Queens Boulevard. Onramps to the Long Island and Brooklyn Queens expressways aren’t too far.