The Real Deal New York

Chelsea’s already-famous steampunk apartment gets ready for its close-up

August 12, 2011 05:27PM
By Sarabeth Sanders

The Real Deal New York
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  • Listing broker Parul Brahmbhatt (in white)

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Behold the second-floor loft at 120 West 29th Street, the steampunk-inspired co-op that hit the market last week for $1.75 million (see photos above by Derek Zahedi). The steampunk movement — whose followers dress the part — pays homage to an aesthetic that’s part Victorian, part science fiction. Or, as the listing by Core broker Parul Brahmbhatt puts it, “retro-futuristic fantasy…with a Jules Verne meets Tim Burton sensibility.”

Last night, steampunkers, HGTV camera crews and other curious observers gathered at an open house at the space, which is decked out with a variety of unusual creations: a living room-sized, neon-lit model of the Hindenburg blimp, a Murphy bed controlled by a skateboard-anchored pulley system, a submarine-style front door. The steampunkers were invited by an artist who goes by “Doctor Grymm.” He was there promoting his latest book, “1000 Steampunk Creations,” and brought along a six-foot-tall, steam-producing navigation system that gives directions in a voice that purports to be that of Amelia Earhart.

Rather than strip the apartment bare, the strategy is to try to sell it as-is to someone who will appreciate it as a piece of art, Core founder Shaun Osher told The Real Deal. As such, the asking price includes all the décor, custom-created by the apartment’s owner of five years. (He is, according to public records, under-the-radar screenwriter Jeremy Noritz, and as the Post reported last week, he’s selling the home because he plans to embark on a lengthy road trip on the West Coast).

Brahmbhatt also said she’s in talks with the owner of the vacant apartment upstairs about potentially trying to sell the two units together. She said she envisions that someone might use the steampunk-themed space for entertain in, and the upstairs unit to actually live.

The HGTV exposure should help reach what is sure to be an exceedingly specific buyer pool: last night’s open house is slated to be featured as part of the fourth season of “Selling New York,” in which Core regularly participates. The producers, we’re told, were “salivating” at the idea of shooting the colorful space.

Tags: core group, hgtv, jeremy noritz, parul brahmbhatt, Selling New York, Shaun Osher, steampunk

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