Lofts are perhaps the most New York way of living. Airy and spacious, they are the romantic manifestation of the city’s transformation from industrial grit into a chic urban utopia. High ceilings, wide open spaces and cast-iron never go out of style, and here are three of our favorites.
Where: 200 Mercer Street, 2-A
Size: 4 bedrooms/4 bathrooms
Asking: $4,500,000
Listed by: Patrick Mills and Evan Greenberg
This SoHo triplex makes the best use of combining the loft style with a more traditional, townhouse-like layout, creating a common area that is expansive and open but still allows the privacy of a separate floor for bedrooms and an informal media room. What really makes the place special, however, is the third level which simply consists of a large bedroom or office and a huge private outdoor terrace.
Where: 56 Warren Street, 5-E
Size: Currently configured as 1 bedroom/1 bathroom
Asking: $2,395,000
Listed by: Tom Postilio & Natalie Rakowski
Formerly industrial TriBeCa is well known for its lofts, perhaps being one of the neighborhoods most responsible (along with SoHo, of course) for bringing the style into prominence. This floor-through unit lets your configure at your whim, with a 3-bed/2-bath layout being one suggested outcome. Whatever you choose, 12 foot ceilings and a great skylight in this landmark 126-year-old-building really make the place feel like you’re living in a slice of history ushered into the new century.
Where: 7 East 17th Street, 8th Floor
Size: 2,800 square feet
Asking: $3,595,000
Listed by: Emily Beare
Searching for great raw loft space is like hunting for truffles. It’s hard labor and often goes unrewarded, but when a great specimen is found, it makes all the dirty work worth it. This 2,800-square-foot loft near Union Square is as authentic as it gets. Totally untouched, it’s a blank canvas of sorts, with the buyer having control over what their dream home ultimately will be. The full floor in the turn-of-the-century building also includes 2,700 square feet of private outdoor space to customize.