How The Other Half Live: On the (Williamsburg) Edge

The Edge (wikipedia.org)

A young man and his dog were standing in the elevator in the Williamsburg Edge luxury condominiums when the elevator stopped on the second floor and a group of two girls and three guys stepped in the elevator.  The man’s dog grew excited when members of the group kneeled down to pet it, and urinated in the middle of the elevator.

“Well that sucks,” the man said, and the group laughed. 

The elevator reached the lobby level and the man wished the group a pleasant evening, before leaving the elevator with the middle still on the floor.

“Shouldn’t somebody clean that up?” one of the group said. He walked to the lobby, informed the doorman that a dog had urinated in the elevator and the doorman assured that he would call somebody would be along to clean it up.

The Williamsburg Edge, which was opened in May 2010, has 120 luxury apartment units and approximately 350 affordable housing units, according to website brooklyn11211.com.   Since its opening, 90% of the luxury condominiums have been sold.  The remaining units cost between $515,000 for a studio and $2,495,000 for a 2 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom.  A studio in the affordable housing scheme costs $886 a month and the renter must have an annual income of between $37,000 and $43,000.

The luxury and affordable housing are located alongside one other.  The apartments on one side of the luxury condo building face the apartments on one side of the affordable housing. Both residents have a view of how the other half lives.

           

            Those living in affordable housing use a separate entrance and do not have access to the Williamsburg’s most lucrative attraction; its amenities.

(williamsburgedge.com)

The amenities are split between two towers.  In the smaller tower, there is a lounge, a gym, a WII fit room and a virtual golf room.  The virtual golf room is equipped with two sets of golf clubs. To play, you stand at the tee, swing and hit the ball into the screen and the camera races down the fairway relative to the power and accuracy of your swing.

           

“Last time I was down here there was a guy dressed in professional golf gear,” said John, the only one in the group who owns an apartment at The Edge.

           

       The doorman pointed them in the direction of the second towers amenities building.   It has a bigger gym, a poolroom, a screening room, a basketball court, a swimming pool with a view of the Manhattan skyline, a sauna and even naked pictures of Barbie and Ken in the men and women’s changing rooms respectively.

(greenpointstar.com)

      On their way to find the second tower, they unknowingly walked in the entrance to the affordable housing.  There is no doorman, no water features on the wall, just corridors lined with apartment doors. 

        A man entered behind them and they asked if he knew how to get to the gym.

        “The gym?” he said, and kept on walking.