January is barely half over and already those New Year’s resolutions seem like a distant memory. But for the marketing team behind the Sheffield condominium tower, an event last night was a chance to combine self-betterment (or at least self-indulgence) with a tour of newly opened amenity spaces (click the image above or here for the slide show).
Brokers trickled into the “New Year New You” gathering, which took place in a three-bedroom pad on the 56th floor, which is priced at a sliver under $4.7 million, for organic juices, chair massages and a chance to win a gourmet meal.
The 582-unit building, at 322 West 57th Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues that was developed by and is managed by Rose Associates, is now 75 percent sold, thanks in part to a “gangbusters” December, said Sophia Cicilioni, sales manager for the Marketing Directors at the Sheffield, which was developed by Kent Swig.
“We’ve enjoyed the company of some very interesting people,” she said, referring to some of the potential buyers, one of whom was apparently the heir to the throne of a foreign country, although Cicilioni wouldn’t say which one. “It wasn’t Prince William!” she said.
While brokers munched on crab cake sliders and cheesecake lollipops with bubblegum icing, courtesy of caterer David Burke at Bloomingdale’s, and sipped from a Technicolor array of Juice Well juices (with names like “Russian Red” and “Blissful Blueberry”), they had a chance to size up the apartment.
“I would live here myself,” said Olga Alexakos, a senior vice president at Keller Williams NYC, noting how retail such as a nearby Whole Foods had improved the neighborhood for residents. “It’s much easier to live day-to-day life here.”
When asked about past clients, Alexakos related the story of one celebrity whom she took to see a Hamptons property, only to spot the client’s face on the cover of a copy of Hamptons Magazine on a nearby table. Alexakos wouldn’t disclose the star’s name, but said she did manage to snag an autograph.
One broker commented on the apartment’s low eight-foot ceiling. Another concern was the spotty cell phone reception, which had at least one guest (and The Real Deal) following their smartphones like divining rods to the windows. (Ciciloini said it was not a problem for Verizon customers.)
Regardless, the event was planned with an eye toward relaxation.
Complete Body and Spa, which will manage the building’s pool, spa and personal training services when they open — planned for the spring — had set aside two rooms for chair massages, complete with dim lights and candles.
There were also raffle prizes, including a 60-minute massage from Complete Body and a luxurious meal at David Burke at Bloomingdale’s featuring bacon lobster macaroni and cheese, steak and vintage port.
When the first two brokers whose names were randomly drawn to win the dinner prize had already left the event, a representative for the caterer pulled another name and said, “We’re getting crazy!” and opted to hand out not just one free dinner, but three — to the two absentee winners, as well as a winner who was still in attendance.
That lucky guest was Natsumi Suzuki, an account representative at tenant insurance firm Redac Advantage, who had arrived in New York City from Tokyo a mere three months prior. Not such a bad way to start the new year.