The Oro was not love at first sight. The first time Josh saw the Oro (Dec. ’09) he thought it was beautiful but over priced. I also thought it was beautiful but still in the daze of the Toren thought it was just a tad or two less. The amenities were good, not spectacular, and the apartment pretty but not breathtaking. But our offer on the Toren languished, so we decided to take a closer second look. And it grew on us. The finishes although not custom were good quality, in fact comparable quality. The bathrooms were virtually the same, it lacked the his and her sinks — but has better tile work — giving the bath and tub a different personality, and more features to its soaking tub. The bedrooms were larger, and featured walk in closets. And the views with those gorgeous bay windows were incomparable. It in fact it obstructs the Toren’s views, forever blemishing their Manhattan skyline scape. The kitchen cabinets were not custom-made Louisiana carpentry but hosted a fabulous kitchen island with extra storage and a large counter that acts as a casual eat-in dining table. Finally, the space, the Toren was smaller then all the similarly priced units we saw at the Oro. Within a couple of days — like the fickle lovers we were our eyes fixated on the Oro and her spectacular Manhattan skyline views. Once again we made an offer.
The Oro was very responsive our offer did not languish for days — they turned around quickly and we soon found our equilibrium price with the sponsor. It was a tough choice, all the units they had shown us were beautiful and each equipped with their own charms. Disappointingly our two top choices came in at a higher price point then we expected. Not too much higher but just enough to make the next year a lean one — full of ramen filled nights. But we felt it offered a good investment and we were taken with the idea of waking, sleeping and wandering with those views. The Purchase Agreement was sent and we braced ourselves for the forthcoming belt tightening.
The Queen Bee. She rules over the Flatbush Riviera. All of Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene is her domain. 
