One of the questions I am asked the most on my boat tours is
“What is that yellow and black checked building on the Battery?” Until tonight my answer has always been, “I
don’t know.” The time has come to find
out. It is the William Beaver House
located at 15 William Street.
First off, the building gets it name due its location, the
corner of Beaver Street and William Street.
Cheeky folks call the building the “WillyBeav.”
It’s unique, if not somewhat ugly, yellow and black block
exterior has given the building the nickname “Post-It Note Building.” Some New Yorkers call it the “ugliest condo
building in Manhattan,” but I know several tourists who would disagree. They find the design unique and fun.
Originally opening in 2008, the building was supposed to be
home to condominiums. Three of the
penthouses sold before the building was even completed for 4.7 million dollars,
the highest price per square foot ever paid in the Financial District at the
time. Despite this promising start, poor
sales in the building by the year 2011 meant that 209 of the 320 of the units
were converted into rentals. Some news
articles playfully called these rental units “nondos.” To give you an idea of what rent prices are
in the building, a single bedroom (approx. 832 square feet) in 2011 went for
$3,295 per month. Studio apartments are
on higher floors so actually go for more money!
$3,550 per month.
The building has several quirks, which you may or may not
see as “fun.” For example, the kitchens
are all murphy kitchens, designed to be compact and sleek. In fact, they are so sleek that the bathrooms
are larger than the kitchens in this building!
Speaking of the bathrooms, they are “peekaboo bathrooms.” This means you get spectacular views of the
harbor while you are taking your shower…or spectacular views of your neighbor
if you don’t happen to have a harbor view.
So there you have it.
The crazy yellow and black building in the Financial District is simply
a condominium building – that also has rental units.
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