Gida A Ƙarƙashin Bishiyoyi ...

Wasu tituna suna sa mutum ya ɗauki lokacinsa. Titin West 149th Street ya daɗe yana cikin irin waɗannan tituna. Ko kana tafiya gabas ko yamma, tafiya a cikinsa ta kasance mai daraja koyaushe.

Yana tsaye cikin yanayinsa na halitta kamar yadda ya kasance tsawon tsararraki, 531 West 149th Street kyakkyawan misali ne na tsarin gine-ginen Romanesque Revival. Tagogin bay ɗinsa masu zagaye, ƙawayen dutse mai launin ruwan kasa da aka sassaka, matakalar shiga mai kyau, da ƙofar ƙarfe da aka ƙera da hannu suna ba da alamun farko ne kawai na ɗumi, ƙwarewar sana’a, da kebantaccen hali da ke jiran a ciki.

Tun kafin a isa gidan farko, gidan ya fara ba da labarinsa. Falon da aka shimfiɗa da tayal ɗin mosaic, bangarorin katako masu armashi, bangon wainscot, tagogin transom, da aikin katako na musamman suna gabatar da zamanin da ya gabata, inda ƙwarewar sana’a ta sami matsayinta a wuraren rayuwar yau da kullum. A sama, hasken sama na ƙarfen galvanized yana cika babban zauren matakala da sauye-sauyen fasaha na haske da inuwa.

Kowane rukunin zama yana da nasa kebantaccen salo, amma a fili yake cewa duk wani ɓangare ne na babban tsari guda. A ko’ina cikin gidan, tarin kayan murhu na daga cikin mafi kyawun bayanansa. Murhun katako da aka sassaka tare da madubai a samansu, tayal ɗin yumbu masu ƙayataccen tsari da ke kewaye da murhu da shimfiɗar gabansa, da akwatunan wuta na ƙarfen siminti masu fasalin zane suna bayyana manyan ɗakunan gidan. Dogayen rufin ɗakuna, ƙawayen bango, gyare-gyare, aikin katako, tagogi masu tsayi waɗanda rufin tagoginsu na ciki na gargajiya ke kewaye da su, da kallon arewa da kudu suna ƙara bambanta kowane wurin zama.

An sabunta dakunan girki cikin kulawa tsawon shekaru, ba tare da tilasta wa gidan ya zama abin da ba a taɓa nufin ya zama ba. Kowane wurin zama mai ɗaukar cikakken bene har yanzu yana da ƙofar gaba da ta baya, wata siffa da ke ba da sassauci tare da tuna da tsohuwar hanyar rayuwa.

Ɗakunan da suke fuskantar kudu suna da kyakkyawar alaƙa da rufin ganyen bishiyoyin da ke kewaye da su. Dangane da yanayi, ɗakunan suna kama da suna ƙarƙashin ganyen, a cikinsu, ko kuma kaɗan a samansu, suna tunasar da kai a hankali cewa yanayi har yanzu yana da matsayi a Manhattan. Tagar bay mai zagaye a bene na uku ta zama ɗaya daga cikin wuraren da aka fi so a gidan; kujerar taga da aka gina a cikinta ba ta neman komai daga gare ka face ka ƙara zama na ɗan lokaci. A sama, banɗakin bene na huɗu yana ba da nasa wurin natsuwa a ƙarƙashin hasken sama, wurin da za ka iya ɓoyewa na ɗan lokaci.

Har yanzu akwai sarari don tunani da ƙirƙira a nan.

A halin yanzu an tsara gidan ya ƙunshi wuraren zama huɗu na cikakken bene, waɗanda ake bayar da su a kasuwar haya ba tare da takunkumi ba. Gidan yana ba da fiye da hanya ɗaya ta ci gaba. Ana iya barinsa yadda yake, tare da gidaje huɗu masu zaman kansu da kuɗin shiga da suke samarwa. Ko kuma wataƙila mafi ban sha’awa tana tsakanin waɗannan zaɓuɓɓuka.

Ana iya haɗa benaye biyu domin ƙirƙirar babban wurin zama na sirri, yayin da sauran benayen ke ci gaba da aiki cikin nutsuwa a matsayin gidajen da ke samar da kuɗin shiga. Ga wanda yake son faɗi da halayen rayuwar gidan townhouse ba tare da ba da dukkan ginin ga wurin zama guda ɗaya ba, wannan wata dama ce mai ban sha’awa ta tsaka-tsaki: ƙarin sarari don kanka, tare da ci gaba da samun muhimmin kuɗin haya daga sauran sassan gidan. Ana hasashen cewa kuɗin hayar kowane wurin zama zai kasance kusan dala 3,300 zuwa 3,500 a wata.

Wasu na iya ganin tsarin iyalai biyu, ko wurin zama na lambu da ya haɗa da cellar, ko kuma daga baya a mayar da gidan gaba ɗaya ya zama gida guda. Tsarin da yake yanzu ba ya tilasta wata amsa guda ɗaya. Yana barin dukkan yiwuwar a buɗe ne kawai.

An kula da kadarar cikin tsari, kuma ta amfana daga ci gaba da gyare-gyare, ciki har da sauya rufin kwanan nan, abin da ke nuna irin wannan kulawa ta basira da ake gani a ko’ina cikin gidan.

Tare da kusan murabba’in ƙafa 3,500 na sararin da ke sama da matakin ƙasa, cellar mai murabba’in ƙafa 788, da sararin waje mai murabba’in ƙafa 928, kadarar tana da ƙarin murabba’in ƙafa sama da 1,600 na damar FAR, wanda ke ba da ƙarin sassauci ga waɗanda za su so faɗaɗa ta cikin kulawa a nan gaba, bisa ga ƙa’idojin tsarin gine-gine da amincewar da ake buƙata.

Ka san abin da ke jan hankalin Hamilton Heights. Ɗaruruwan shekaru da suka wuce, kuma har yanzu haka a yau, akwai wani abu da ba za a iya musantawa ba game da wannan ɓangare na Manhattan, wanda ke sa mutum ya juya ya kalle shi. A nan, cikin yankin tarihi na Sugar Hill, yana da sauƙi

A House Beneath The Trees ...

Certain streets encourage you to take your time. West 149th Street has long been one of those blocks. Whether heading east or west, it has always been worth the walk.

Standing as naturally today as it has for generations, 531 West 149th Street is a beautiful example of Romanesque Revival design. Its rounded bay, carved brownstone detailing, elegant stoop, and wrought-iron gate offer only the first indication of the warmth and individuality waiting within.

Long before arriving at the first residence, the house begins telling its story. Mosaic tile floors, rich wood paneling, wainscoting, transoms, and millwork introduce an earlier era, when craftsmanship found its place in everyday spaces. Above, the galvanized steel skylight fills the central stair hall with an ever-changing, sculptural interplay of light and shadow.

Each residence is individual in its own way, yet unmistakably part of a greater whole. Throughout the house, fireplace ensembles remain among its finest details. Carved wood mantels with overmantel mirrors, richly patterned ceramic tile surrounds and hearths, and sculptural cast-iron fireboxes define the principal rooms. Elevated ceilings, moldings, trim, tall windows framed by their time-honored interior shutters, and north and south exposures further distinguish each floor.

Kitchens have been thoughtfully refreshed through the years, their updates sitting comfortably alongside the house's original character. Each full-floor residence retains both front and rear entrances, a feature offering flexibility while recalling an earlier way of living.

The south-facing rooms enjoy a wonderful relationship with the surrounding canopy. Depending upon the season, they seem to rest beneath the leaves, among them, or just above them, gently reminding you that nature still has a place in Manhattan. The third-floor rounded bay becomes one of the house's favorite places, its built-in window seat asking nothing of you except to stay a little longer. Above, the fourth-floor bath offers its own retreat beneath a skylight, a place to disappear for a while.

And then there's the house itself. For more than a century, it has welcomed one chapter after another, gracefully and irresistibly, never needing to be anything other than itself.

Its doors have opened to generations of residents. Now, a new kind of welcome awaits.

There is still room for imagination here.

Currently arranged as four free-market, full-floor residences, the house offers more than one way forward. It can continue much as it is, with four independent homes and the income they provide. Or perhaps the more interesting possibility lies somewhere in between.

For an owner who wants more of the house for themselves, the existing floor-through arrangement lends itself naturally to combination. The Garden and Parlor floors could come together as an owner's duplex with the private garden, while the Third and Fourth floors remain independent residences above. At projected rents of approximately $3,300-$3,500 per month each, those homes could continue providing meaningful income.

Another possibility is to divide the house into two substantial duplex residences-Garden and Parlor below, Third and Fourth above.

Or take more of the house: Garden, Parlor and Third could become a three-level owner's residence, with the Fourth Floor remaining an independent full-floor home.

For someone drawn to house living but not necessarily to giving over the entire building to a single residence, these possibilities offer an intriguing middle ground: more house for yourself, with income still working elsewhere. A legal reduction to three residences or fewer may also result in a different NYC property-tax classification and potentially meaningful tax savings. Any future tax treatment is property-specific and should be independently verified.

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