The Brooklyner has arrived to the borough in a big way. Usurping the venerable Williamsburgh Bank as Brooklyn’s tallest sky scraper and plastering every known subway with resort like photos of a promised land, who wasn’t a little curious? Even our broker spoke about it like it was something special, “that place is really popular” he said in wide-eyed wonder at the dark tower. Finally, I understand.
Everything the advertisements tells you is mostly true. There’s coffee and tea in the morning, a knowledgeable concierge / doorman, latest in gym equipment, the zennest of all yoga rooms (eat your heart out One Bridge Park), and the holy of holies SKEE BALL. It was all I could do to not roll up my sleeves and roll in glee. The outside lounge with custom fire pit is nice too. At this point we were expecting perhaps too much from the units and they almost lived up to the hype. We looked at 2 BD / 2BA, 2BD / 1 BA and 1 BD / 1BA. Surprisingly, the 1 BD had the best view, and the most unique space, with even a small window overlooking lower Manhattan in its hallway, rare.
The first unit she showed us was 2BD / 1 BA along the 42G seemed roomier than it’s 902 sqft let on. Great light, nice floor to ceiling windows in its living room, and main bedroom. Good finishes, though the weird speckled granite counter in the bathroom seemed out of place. And the parquet wooden floors was a little too much like the Ghettoway , cheapening what would otherwise have been catchy. We didn’t like that the bedrooms were rail roaded together, and the big air units would have to be creatively covered up. But the views would melt even the hardest Manhattan heart. Coming in at $4,000 with 1 month free ($3,583 net) it was a little unreasonable.
The second two bedroom unit was also on the 42nd floor – 42H this one had 2BD / 2BA but about the same sq feet. The views not quite as staggering but still overwhelming. The bedrooms are also rail roaded, and no floor to ceiling – though the windows are generous, same finishes including the unfortunate parquet floors. Coming in at $3,675 with 1 month free ($3,285 net) this was acceptable.
But there was more, each renter gets to participate in Equity Residential’s “Equity Rewards” program. The sales agents couldn’t tell me much about the program, even though it was in emblazoned in huge letters behind her desk, ” no one’s asked me before..” she offered limpy. “Can you find out?” I asked curious. But her efforts yielded little results, it was just “some program” where you get “points” towards a purchase should you buy from one of their other developments. A little sleuthing on my part showed that you only get up to 3% on the cost of a new home, but as much as $1,600 cash back from “select” agents. OK — I guess it’s something, more than we ever got in the dingy Manhattan.
Overall, the Brooklyner was quite impressive, and I’m still dreaming about skee ball contests by day, and smores by night.
The Queen Bee. She rules over the Flatbush Riviera. All of Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene is her domain. 
