The less heralded New York City views — the ones without an Empire State Building or Chrysler Building lighting up the night sky — sneak up on you over time and make you really fall in love with the Big Apple. Standing tall above the rooftops of Greenwich Village, this high-floor apartment at classic 11 Fifth Avenue has some of the most expansive views of the historic neighborhood. If being a few steps away from Washington Square Park isn’t enough, we think that the views of the neighborhood’s eclectic architecture — pre-war, mid-century and modern — are a beautiful sight. Guess being 20 floors up has its advantages.

The East Village, Greenwich Village and the West Village have their own distinct personalities, but the boundaries between them tend to be elastic (or downright invisible, to some people), and together these neighborhoods collectively create one dynamic and vibrant downtown scene — each with charms and attractions that bolster the other two. Here are our favorite properties from the three downtown neighborhoods that make up the Villages.

Where: 11 Fifth Avenue, #20K
Size: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Asking: $2,650,000
Listed by: Vickey Barron

This apartment represents everything that lower Fifth Avenue, affectionately referred to as downtown’s Gold Coast, represents. A spacious two-bedroom in the lauded and full-service Brevoort, this co-op unit has a massive living and dining area with expansive views. Grand, elegant, and almost bringing an uptown feel down to Greenwich Village, this is a perfect example of white-glove living in a downtown setting.

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Photos by Richard Caplan

Where: 11 Fifth Avenue 20-A
Size: 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Asking: $1,475,000
Listed by: Vickey Barron

Lower Fifth Avenue feels like old New York, with historic brick co-op buildings lining both sides of the street, and Washington Square Park serving as its starting point. And this apartment in The Breevort at 11 Fifth Avenue, one of the block’s best buildings, puts you right in the thick of it. This bright, high-floor unit with a double exposure also has a private south-facing terrace with great views. The Brevoort features a 24-hour doorman, concierge, porters, live-in resident manager, a brand new gym, laundry room, private storage, bike room, a garage and a convenient circular driveway. This just might be the best one-bedroom apartment on the market downtown. Here’s a glimpse inside the living room:

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HGTV’s “Selling New York” follows CORE agents as they navigate the country’s most competitive—and compelling—real estate market. Here’s our behind-the-scenes look at Episode #509, which first aired on March 22, 2012. For more SNY recaps, click here.

In “Strategic Marketing,” CORE Managing Director Vickey Barron was faced with the challenge of listing a Fifth Avenue penthouse that two brokers had previously failed to sell. With her seller stressing the importance of getting the $6.995 million penthouse into contract quickly to facilitate his move to Florida, and with a fairly strict building policy of no public or broker open houses, Vickey had to get her creative juices flowing. In order to come up with new ideas on how to market and sell her new listing at The Brevoort in Greenwich Village, Vickey decided to enlist the help of her fellow CORE brokers by hosting a friendly marketing competition. The two teams of two toured the penthouse and partnered up with architects and designers to create a new marketing strategy.

After a few weeks, both teams regrouped and presented their marketing strategies to a group of colleagues, potential buyers and the competition’s judges – Vickey, CORE CEO Shaun Osher and The Brevoort’s board President, Diane Nardone. Each team presented a variety of marketing strategies that ranged from architectural renderings of possible renovations to historic information on the building and surrounding neighborhood. After much debate the judges picked a winning team, and just three weeks later, Vickey had an accepted offer on the penthouse and a very happy seller. Keep on reading for some exclusive behind-the-scenes information about what didn’t make it into last night’s episode of “Selling New York” and what happened after the cameras stopped rolling!

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Where: 160 Central Park South 1015-1018
Size: 2 bedrooms/3 bathrooms/1,555 square feet
Asking: $3,995,000
Listed by: Tom Postilio and Lisa Graham

New York City views don’t come more postcard-ready than Central Park, and few buildings can claim a better vantage point than the classic Essex House located smack dab at the center of Central Park South. Flanked by the architectural diversity of Central Park West and the stateliness of Fifth Avenue with the park in between, this is a Big Apple view that few can call their own. And there’s service to match, with residents enjoying the full services of the five-star Jumeirah Essex House hotel. It’s a package that’s tough to top, but care to see what other vistas made our cut?

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