The area farthest west of midtown Manhattan was once a quiet part of town. Subway lines didn’t stretch there, and many of the apartment buildings were modest in size.
But in the last decade, developers have been building in the area and turning it into a shiny new neighborhood full of upscale restaurants, luxury condos, and fancy boutiques. Hudson Yards will have about 19 million square feet of housing, retail, and offices, and it is said to be the largest and most expensive real-estate development the US.
One of the latest buildings to open in the Hudson Yards neighborhood is The Eugene, the tallest rental skyscraper in New York City. (It’s part of the Manhattan West development by Brookfield Properties, which is separate from the official $20 billion Hudson Yards project by developer Related Companies.)
Designed by SOM, an architecture firm based in NYC, The Eugene features 50,000 square feet of shared amenity spaces, including a full-size basketball court. Though some parts of the building won’t be complete until July, the first resident will arrive in mid-March, according to Maria Masi, vice president of development at Brookfield.
Take a look inside The Eugene, where monthly rent can cost up to $10,300.
The Eugene is located at 435 W 31st Street in the Hudson Yards neighborhood on Manhattan's far west side. At 62 stories, it's New York City's tallest skyscraper to feature only rental units.
When we walked in, we were greeted by the concierge. The building has 844 apartment units, which span from studios to three bedrooms.
Monthly rent ranges from $3,210 to $10,300. One-bedrooms, like the 694-square-foot one pictured below, start at $4,480 per month.
Here's a view of the living room, which features floor-to-ceiling windows.
The bedroom was pretty spacious, too (by New York standards).
Two-bedroom units measure about 1,100 square feet. The one pictured below is on the 10th floor.
Connected to the living room, there's a dining room with a view ...
... and a kitchen with stainless steel appliances and custom cabinetry.
The master bedroom is large enough to fit a queen-sized mattress.
Monthly rent for two-bedrooms like this one will start at $6,780. The photo below is of a second, smaller bedroom.
The bathroom has a tiled wall.
The building also comes with a slew of resident-only amenity spaces, including a library ...
... swanky lounges with custom-made furniture ...
... and a game room with shuffleboard, air hockey, four retro arcade machines ...
... and five pinball machines.
Around the corner, there's a room with couches, a plasma TV, a screen with a projector, and a stage with a keyboard and guitar. It's called "the crash pad," Masi says.
Several furniture pieces in the shared spaces are vintage and restored.
For athletic residents, there's also a rock climbing wall, a golf simulator ...
... and a full-size basketball court (all three cost an extra fee for access). Masi says future residents could arrange weekly games here.
Membership in the building's gym also comes at an extra cost. Throughout the huge space, there are treadmills and ellipticals that face the windows ...
... weight machines, a pilates room ...
... and two studios, including one that's designated for spin classes. The building will also offer personal trainers to residents.
The Eugene follows the recent NYC development trend of creating shared areas for entertainment, sport, eating, and lounging — some at an added cost to renters. This makes sense for developers, because residents will spend money for services in their own building instead of venturing outside.
These kinds of spaces will continue on the rooftop of the building, which will include a kitchen, dining room, bar, sun room, piano lounge, and poker room.
"With the large amenity spaces, you can socialize," Masi says. "You don't have to go to restaurant to celebrate your birthday with friends. You can do it here. You can stay home."
The rooftop's view of the city isn't too shabby either.
