88 Charles Street — A Top-Floor South Facing Sunny Apartment for People Who Still Believe in Peace. It is incontrovertible that this is one of the most coveted blocks in NYC. And the math maths: why rent in this crazy rental climate when you can spend this money for your own home? The apartment is on the top floor. It is sunny. The ceilings are high, the kitchen has a window, the bathroom has a window, and the two large south-facing windows in the back look out onto quiet rather than chaos. I want to be clear that none of this should be taken for granted. What You Get: A top-floor perch that faces south, with two large windows and the kind of quiet that makes you wonder if the city has finally given up — it hasn't, but you won't hear it A bedroom that fits a full or queen, flanked by two windows, which is two more windows than most bedrooms in New York deserve An open kitchen — windowed, as previously noted, because apparently someone here believed in natural light and cross-ventilation Two hall closets, which in this city constitutes what lawyers call "ample storage" and what I call "a minor miracle" A windowed bath, which I refuse to take for granted The Practicalities (Since You Asked): Washer/dryer allowed with a plan and board approval Pets welcome — the building is not prejudiced against dogs and cats. Sublets permitted after one year (three out of every five) Pied-à-terre friendly Monthly maintenance is low. The Building: 88 Charles is a five-story landmarked brick brownstone, built circa 1880, part of the 84–88 Charles Street Owners Corp — a 45-unit cooperative that has managed, against considerable odds, to remain exactly what it should be: handsome, quiet, and unbothered. Twenty apartments across five stories. No concierge, no gym, no "amenity floor." You are an adult. You don't need all that. The Block: I have walked most blocks in Manhattan. Some of them are fine. Charles Street, between Greenwich and Hudson, is not fine — it is correct. It is what a street in this city is supposed to look like: tree-lined, brownstoned, historically intact, and entirely free of the kind of development that makes you feel the city has given up on itself. The Hudson River is nearby. Washington Square Park is nearby. Every subway you could possibly need is nearby. The restaurants are excellent. I won't list them. You live in New York — go find them. A Brief History, Because Context Matters: The street was named for Charles Christopher Amos, who owned the land the street passed through and who is also responsible for Christopher Street and the former Amos Street (now West 10th). Between 1866 and 1936, the precise block where 88 Charles sits was called Van Ness Place, named for a farming family who occupied that square block until 1865. The city renamed it. The city is always renaming things. At least this one stuck. ***PLEASE NOTE SOME PICS, THE DOG(Go Knicks!), THE WHITE ROOMS, WERE EDITED/VIRTUAL*** Start your next beautiful New York chapter right here, right now.