Amalgamated Dwellings

Housing complex with deep ties to the labor movement

Completed in 1947 as an extension of the adjacent Amalgamated Dwellings complex, Hillman Co-Op was erected in the crisscross structural style popular at the time. This strategy, enacted by the then-leading social housing development architecture firm Springsteen and Goldhammer, ensured that smaller units positioned along one of its recessed bays could also have as much access to natural light and fresh air as possible. "Hillman is more charming than the nearby East River Housing development but not as charming as Amalgamated which is prewar and features Art Deco accents,” Goldman says. Though emphatically midcentury modern in its rational massing, setbacks on the top three levels of both buildings accommodate large terraces that look out onto unobstructed views of the nearby East River and Lower Manhattan skyline. According to Goldman, just under half of the complex’s 525 residences incorporate balconies. Its three buildings are each named after major figures of the early 20th Century labor movement — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, founder of the credit union movement Edward A. Filene and socialist member of the U.S. House of Representative Meyer London. Two of these structures form a proscenium around one of the complex’s two private parks. This meticulously landscaped green space opens to Grand Street through a dramatic set of gates. Even if this complex, like the others, was developed as an affordable housing project, the goal was always to imbue it with a sense of grandeur. Efficiency and durability were also taken into consideration.

One to three bedrooms and larger combined residences with good bones

Though reflecting different levels of renovation introduced by previous owners, the majority of Hillman Co-Op residences feature original but oft-restored baseline finishes: cross-pattern hardwood parquet flooring, especially sound-absorbent through-plaster walls and 8.5-foot-high beamed ceilings. Mostly updated double hung windows flood these reasonably sized and configured residences with plenty of natural light, especially those on higher levels. Those on lower floor look out onto the two internal parks.

In summer 2024, a generously proportioned studio with separate kitchen and sleeping nook was on the market for $450,000. A slightly larger one bedroom on the 10th floor — benefiting from choice Midtown Manhattan views — was selling for $550,000. In the past, bigger two-bedroom corner units have sold for between $850,000 and $1.3 million. The combined 11/12A duplex unit, incorporating one of the previously mentioned balconies, sold for $1.3 million. Topping out all recent sales, combined four-bedroom unit E6DE6E sold for $1.6 million. As most listing descriptions will highlight, there’s plenty of potential to change layouts and open up separate kitchens and combine them into large open-plan great rooms. Though Hillman Co-op is just that, a shining example of cooperative housing, subsequent changes to its shareholder policies have allowed for certain leniencies favorable for new homeowners. These include the ability to utilize residences as a pied a terre. Gifting is also permitted.

On the edge of the historically eclectic yet ever-evolving Lower East Side

Though Hillman Co-Ops previously mentioned suite of amenities — which also includes a children’s playroom, electronics recycling service, bike storage room and a parking garage reserved for residents — location is one of its main draws. The complex is close to much of the Lower East Side’s long-established yet fervently alternative cultural offering; performance venues like the Abrons Art Center and Paul Taylor Dance Company. The repurposed Pier 36 warehouse is often the site of annual art and design fairs like Shoppe Object and Art on Paper. Just a block away, the soon to reopen East River Park was raised 8 to 10 feet to mitigate against coastal floods (a lesson learned from Superstorm Sandy). The amenities-rich green space is set to include a wide variety of sports fields, play structures and a running/cycling track that links into the much larger greenway that wraps most of Manhattan. Toward the west, residents can easily access the recently completed Essex Crossing and Essex Market mixed-use development which incorporates a premium food hall, Target and Trader Joe’s grocery store. If that weren’t enough, there’s also a raft of eclectic owner-operated eateries and bars set along Orchard Street and newly minted microneighborhood Dimes Square. Edgy, artistically inclined nightlife abounds, even more so, north of Delancey Street. “There’s a real downtown relaxed vibe here and diversity in all respects,” Young adds.

There are multiple modes of commuter transit available to residents including ferry service from close by Corlears Hook. Connecting different parts of Brooklyn to Lower and Midtown Manhattan, the Delancey Street/Essex Street subway station is served by F, J, M and Z lines. For homeowners that keep their cars in the onsite garage, the adjacent Williamsburg Bridge is a quick link out of town. There are also onramps to the FDR Drive highway nearby.