56 Leonard

The 135 apartments and 10 penthouse suites have been designed to create a cascading style for the 60-story tower, giving each residence a free-flowing feel. The cantilevered design has a width-to-height ratio of 1:10.5 which results in a degree of symmetrical perfection not seen in all the modern, super-slim apartment buildings.

The cantilevers create extruded floor plates and many terraces, so every one of the apartments feels completely private and intimate, and each is complemented by its own private balcony. To quote Pierre de Meuron, one of the architects, "We could tell you the reason for every wall, every setback, every cantilever" to create a special piece of architecture that ultimately appears to melt up into the sky.

No two floors are quite the same, and the units which vary from studios to penthouses, are organized into seven zones, which is quite rare in Manhattan Real Estate

The 11 to 18 feet high glass walls (3.3 - 5.8 meters) in each residence, plus its terrace, give unprecedented views across the city to the Hudson and East Rivers, Wall Street, and Midtown. Surrounding buildings are typically historic and height-limited, but the law school's "air rights" came with the land purchase.

The interior columns create character within each home while seeming to dominate the common areas giving them a unique feel and adding to the reasons for Leonard Street becoming a symbol of the district's prestige.

The smallest apartments are 650 square foot studios (60.38 square meters), then there is a selection of one-bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom designs of 1,027 square feet (95.4 square meters) with 11 feet (3.3 meters) high ceilings and 130 square foot (12 square meters) balconies. Larger design residences include two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathrooms.

The 10 penthouses range in size. Two are half-floor residences, and the others each occupy a whole floor. The larger penthouses have four bedrooms with four en-suite bathrooms plus a powder room They occupy up to 6,400 square feet (595.45 square meters) of living space plus 438 square feet (40.69 square meters) of outside terrace, and deliver up to 200 linear feet (61 meters) of uninterrupted floor-to-ceiling windows.

Residents enjoy speedy and smooth elevator rides to their homes. Those on the top 15 floors go directly to their apartment. On the lower floors, there are no more than three apartments per elevator bank, affording convenience and privacy for everyone.

The interior details are exquisite and are designed to complete the architects' goal of enhancing everything about a luxury lifestyle while also providing harmony and discretion. The exposed concrete in each residence has satin-edged glass with champagne shades for the sills. The glazing is insulated to control heat gain and minimize glare. Everything appears soft-toned and light-reflective.

The floors are both natural solid wood, such as Appalachian white oak, as well as travertine tile. Bathrooms have uniquely-designed fittings, walls are white marble, and the lighting is purpose-designed. The kitchen cabinets' mirror finishes are acid-etched to give each apartment a unique look and feel. The penthouse kitchens are set off with a grand piano-shaped island, and each has a custom-sculpted hood over the range.

The grand lobby has a terrazzo floor and black marble walls that lead to the feast of light once residents arrive at their home, or at the two-story, 17,000 square foot (1,579 square meters) amenity space, which takes up the 9th and 10th floors. The lobby's elaborate lighting includes a handmade chandelier by Patrick Nash. Its mailroom is designed to be a convenient meeting area in line with the current style of luxury condos, and not simply somewhere to collect mail. Its finish, therefore, compares well to the lobby area. The active amenities include a 75-foot (22.86 meters) two-lane lap pool bordered by a black terrazzo floor inlaid with glass marbles. The walls are finished in polished stainless steel penny tiles. The outside terrace and sundeck area are cantilevered to enable everyone enjoying the hot tub to be treated to spectacular city views. There is a fully-equipped fitness center, a yoga studio, a steam room, and a sauna. The Tribeca Tot Room is a children's play area. When not enjoying active pastimes, the library lounge has black granite-tiled walls, a custom carpet, and a spectacular open fireplace and conference center. Residents who wish to entertain guests also have for their use, a private dining salon and catering kitchen. The Leonard Indoor/Outdoor theater room has 25 recliner seating.

The Tribeca Neighborhood

Famous for its history and old-world feel, Tribeca is also home to the finest shopping and dining establishments. There are also a number of destination galleries and museums serving the locale. The beautiful riverside parks plus the many events and parades that take place make Tribeca a focus for Lower Manhattan's cultural life and one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in any global city.

It is a uniquely conceived and designed building. The architects are not only world-renowned but in 56 Leonard they have brought something special to Tribeca that adds so much to the neighborhood's culture and history. To complete the rest of Henry Ford's famous sentence, "What matters is the history we make today" and that is precisely what Herzog & de Meuron have done; they have made new architectural history.

The development is a real home to many of New York's wealthy inhabitants as well as some of the world's business celebrities, rather than primarily a vacant collection of pieds-à-terre. Its location and the benefits its design deliver to its residents make it an obvious choice and one we highly recommend.

111 Murray

Recently completed and standing where Battery Park City, Tribeca, and the Financial District intersect, this luxury real estate tower delivers 157 residences. They range from single-bedroom apartments to full-floor penthouse suites. The architect Kohn Pedersen Fox and interior designer David Mann collaborated with David Rockwell, who worked on the amenities, and with landscape architect Edmund Hollander to create this bold shape which now enhances Tribeca's skyline.

The residences and the two-floor state-of-the-art amenities area are truly completed by the stunning landscaped gardens. All of which seem to effortlessly merge into a single, desirable place to call home. 

565 Broome SoHo

Focused on arts and culture, SoHo is also a center for fine dining, upscale shopping, and exciting nightlife. Add to that the transformed Hudson River waterfront bringing with it so many opportunities for outside recreational activities, and the perfect retreat that is 565 Broome demands attention.

Its 30 stories, created by Renzo Piano Building Workshop and interior designers RDAI, deliver a European touch of luxury and craftsmanship that uses white oak, stone, glass, and concrete "in a very honest way," to quote Renzo Piano. Their intention was to feature open living areas making the most of the natural light to provide beautiful views over the river and across the city.

Greenwich West

The Paris firms of Loci Anima and Sebastian Segers used the industrial architecture of western SoHo as their inspiration for this 30-story tower at 110 Charlton Street, due for completion in 2020. In doing so they created an interesting interpretation of classic New York and French architecture. The goal is to bring a "downtown" lifestyle and "uptown" amenities complemented by superb views of the Hudson.

The 30-story tower will offer 170 apartments to its residents. They will include all options from studios to 3-bedroom residences. The amenities will include on-site parking, a gymnasium, a children's play area, a multi-purpose room, a rooftop terrace with a pool, and a café on the ground floor. The developer will begin accepting purchase contracts on the apartments shortly.