If you haven’t had an opportunity to visit Urby Staten Island, the 900 unit mixed use development by Ironstate headed by David Barry, I suggest you get there soon because leases are quickly being signed – and with good reason. From an urban farm and farmer in residence who grows vegetables enriched by compost from household food scraps, to the communal kitchen where the chef in residence prepares meals for tenants using those vegetables, Urby Staten Island is a one of a kind residential experience designed to make life easier for the young Millennials it is attracting.
Ironstate Development Company was the genius behind Pier Village in Long Branch, New Jersey – a successful mix of unique street level retail with apartments above in an area which was once disenfranchised. Barry and his team capitalized on the spectacular waterfront views and the easy access location to create an oasis where people could live, work and play.
Urby Staten Island takes the Pier Village concept one step further. Barry, who is best known for his ability to create inviting environments that are both luxurious and comfortable, has created a destination in a Staten Island area well served by public transportation on a waterfront that was abandoned when the Navy moved to Virginia. Casandra Properties, worked with local elected officials and the New York City Economic Development Corporation to bring David Barry to the site and now this once abandoned property is home to an architecturally inviting series of buildings that compliment the waterfront, often pulling Staten Island Railroad riders off the train so they can explore both the buildings and the waterfront promenade beyond.
The use of hard wood alongside large panes of glass in the common areas provides a calm and peaceful feeling for those passing through. The stunning views of the New York Harbor are a breath taking, visual celebration of everything that is good about living on an island across from Manhattan. A bench from the 1964 World’s Fair with its patina intact, sits in the lobby across from the elevators to the residential floors. Long hallways lead to roomy apartments, the numbers of which are displayed in photographs of street signs from various New York City locations in frames outside their doors.
Once inside the apartments, it is easy to see that David Barry and his Ironstate team have thought of everything necessary to make New York City living a bit easier for the young people. Built in shelves and storage make it unnecessary for tenants to invest in lots of furniture.
A high tech gymnasium and outdoor swimming pool allow for tenants to keep fit and to socialize. The apartments are pet friendly which helps to reduce stress and make living more comfortable. The mail room is equipped with an oversized stone fountain where cyclists and walkers can refill their water bottles before heading out to walk the magnificently designed public promenade or to head out into the neighborhood to shop.
The balance between the residential space, the common space and the retail space is an important part of Urby’s success. Barry and his team, represented by Casandra Properties, have already signed leases with an upscale bodega, communal kitchen, specialty shops, sit down restaurants and an organic coffee shop aptly named, “Coffeed”, which are all intended to service tenants and the public who is already flocking to the waterfront promenade. Keeping it simple is the goal of Urby which rightly states that it is “people shaped.”
Last week I was among approximately 40 north shore opinion makers who toured Urby along with our elected officials. All came away with the opinion that Urby Staten Island is the trailblazing project that will provide Millennials what they have been longing for on Staten Island – a place they can call home in the borough where they grew up.
Casandra Properties continues to seek proposals from unique retailers to compliment this amazing project. For more information on retail leasing opportunities at Urby Staten Island please contact me at james@casandraproperties.com
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