For those who are curious about the specific machines that will be in the fitness center, as well as the layout, look no further: Fitness Center Blueprint.

We visited the building site yesterday and got a firsthand look at its progress towards completion. We walked through the entire first floor, including the lobby, retail space, fitness center, playroom, and pool.

Photo: View Of 10 West End Avenue from the rear, where the hoist was.

First of all, as most of us know, the external glass on the building has been mostly completed. The only strip that is missing is on the back of the building where the hoist used to be (see photo above).

The lobby is in a state of construction, but we could observe the beginnings of something really gorgeous. The floor tile has already been partly lain. It is a high-gloss marble in beige/light grey. The supports for an enormous piece of art are also visible directly behind the spot where the front desk will be.

Photo: The soon-to-be-completed lobby from the point of view of someone entering the front entrance of the building. The large square is the backdrop to the front desk, which will soon house a huge canvas by well-known pop artist Jim Dine.

When one enters the lobby through the front entrance, directly to one’s left is access to the retail space, and to the right are all the amenities. Currently there is no word on what store will occupy the retail space, though it will be something upscale.

The fitness center and playroom, which we covered in our last post, benefit from being on the first floor due to the exceptionally high ceilings and generously-sized windows.

The pool is, naturally, one of the most exciting parts of the building. Accessible through the fitness center, it will likely become a treasured area to those of us who are motivated enough to swim regularly – and those of us who choose just to paddle around as well.

Photos: Two perspectives on the pool in mid-construction phase.

We did get a chance to visit our own apartments as well. All of the HVAC, water, and electrical systems have been in place for over a month already, so it was mostly the interior furnishing we were looking for. Since we are on a lower floor, we were among the first to see the wood flooring in place. As you can see from the photo, it looks great. While we were down there, a construction guy actually stopped us to ask what we thought of the floor, and when we replied “They’re nice,” he looked at us and exclaimed: “These floor are nothing short of perfection. Take a look around and let me know if you disagree.” I was impressed that the crew cared enough about their work to have that dialogue with us.

Photo: A detailed shot of the wood floors. Pardon the dust.

The kitchens we saw were all nearly completed. We were excited by this, since the kitchens were one of the main initial draws to the building for us. (OK, let’s face it: it was the wine cooler.) We were also pleased to see that the kitchens look exactly like they did in the sales materials.

Photos: A kitchen in a one bedroom apartment, from the perspective of someone standing inside the living room.

Photos: The sub zero refrigerators are quite cool (pun intended). Here is a view of the main refrigerator as well as the freezer drawer below.

The bathroom is nearly finished as well, with sparkling white tile adorning the wall, attractive overhead lights, and a fully-installed tub and commode. The washer/dryer are in place as well.

Photo: The gleaming white tiles on the bathroom walls.

Photo: The washer and dryer.

In the coming weeks, we expect to see the wine coolers and microwaves installed in the kitchens, showerheads installed in the bathrooms, working overhead light fixtures, cove base where the wall meets the floor, and basic painting of the walls. Before closings can begin, every apartment must be inspected and given a certificate of occupancy. The building expects that to happen shortly for the lower floors, which should keep us on schedule for late June / early July move-ins on floors 3 – 12. Stay tuned for more updates.

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Find your way home in Bootsy’s Maze. Or Test your brain with the Memory Game.

 

During our recent tour of the building, we got a chance to walk through the spaces where the gym and playroom will be located.  The two rooms, located next to the lobby on the first floor, are adjoining, with just a pane of glass separating them.  The idea is that parents will be able to watch their kids play while they are working out.

Because the first floor has exceptionally high ceilings, the room feels huge, and I can just picture light pouring through the large windows on a Saturday morning, making for an ideal work-out setting. 

The sales office tells us that the builder conceived the gym as an actual replacement for owners’ current gym memberships.  While most buildings haphazardly throw the gym in a cinder-block-walled basement, or fall short on equipment, 10 WEA’s gym actually has a great selection of machines.

We are told that the gym will look exactly like the rendering above, complete with a variety of tread mills, ellipticals, free weights, weight stack machines, boxing bags, plasma TVs, and plenty of walking space.  (We are going to try to get an exact list of the gym equipment from Ari Weiller, the celeb trainer who designed the gym.)

The playroom really impressed me because I was expecting, once again, the type of thing I’ve seen in other buildings – a small, carpeted room with a bunch of cubbies and toys scattered on the floor.  Not here.  There will be an entire make-believe land, accompanied by a fire truck and bus playground, lots of building blocks, and an area with surfaces to color and draw.  Don’t be surprised if you see us hanging out in there (hey, we never had stuff like that when we were kids!).