Solara Co-ops (Clay, Webster, Morris: apartments, neighborhood, purchasing)

[blueloks]

Hi I am new to the forums and to the bronx. I am thinking of purchasing a 1 bedroom at the Solara. I wish it were closer to the area that is really going through renovation, but the building itself looks nice.

What do you guys think about the area it sits in, 169th and Grant Ave? Also has anyone else purchased at the Solara?

[john_starks]

is that the one in riverdale? i always notice it when i'm coming down the henry hudson. it stands out compared to all the other older brick structures..

you have all these brick highrises and then this glass structure. looks nice as hell from the outside.

[blueloks]

No it is the one in the Morrisania area of the bronx. 169th and Grant, two blocks east of Grand Concourse and like ten blocks from the Yankee Stadium.

[Sha83]

Originally Posted by blueloks

Hi I am new to the forums and to the bronx. I am thinking of purchasing a 1 bedroom at the Solara. I wish it were closer to the area that is really going through renovation, but the building itself looks nice.

What do you guys think about the area it sits in, 169th and Grant Ave? Also has anyone else purchased at the Solara?

I live in that neighborhood and put in an application, which got drawn. The people at Solara were so unprofessional that after talking to them a few times I told them to withdraw me. As for the area? It's a craphole. 167 St is not that bad in comparison to the side streets and Grant is quieter south of there. The problem is is that it's situated up the hill from some pretty rough areas like the Webster Avenue housing projects (there are several of them), Clay Avenue, and those kinds of places; not places I'd like to live too close to.

[SobroGuy]

The building itself is great, and will have amazing amenites, and with 1 bedrooms starting at $108,000, and 2 bedrooms at $134,000 it is the best deal around, never mind that is has excellent access to the city. The neighborhood is changing, however, and there are some rough blocks around there, although this one is ok. Sure it would have been better a few blocks south, closer to Yankee stadium, but this is nonetheless a great deal. For more info check the website: The Solara Cooperative Apartments

[bmwguydc]

Originally Posted by john_starks

is that the one in riverdale? i always notice it when i'm coming down the henry hudson. it stands out compared to all the other older brick structures..

you have all these brick highrises and then this glass structure. looks nice as hell from the outside.

Actually, that's Solaria in Riverdale. I did a double-take myself at the name of the thread since the names are very similar. Just for reference sake, a 1BR is just over $700k at Solaria.

[SobroGuy]

Wow..thats quite a difference! Then again...the Highbridge vs Riverdale neighborhood differences are just as dramatic!

[blueloks]

do you think in ten years, it would be a good investment?

[SobroGuy]

I would say absolutely, as a significant portion of all the money being poured into the Bronx are being poured into 3 distint areas, the Yankee Stadium redevelopment zone (which this co-op borders), the Lower Grand Concourse redevelopment, and the Melrose/The Hub redevelopment. Those 3 areas alone will easily garner tens of billions over the next 5 years in new housing, parkland, retail, and infrastructure improvements. They are basically repositioning the entire Southern Bronx (basically everything south of 165th) into a working/middle class community, with the amenities, housing, retail, parkland, and transportation to support it. What you see now is just the beginning, phase 1.

[SobroGuy]

And here is an excellent summary of SOME of what is and will be coming to the Southern Bronx over the next 5 years: http://www.nycedc.com/NR/rdonlyres/A60E9C11-AE4C-4808-99FA-15FB2664307A/0/SBI_ENG_DATE_book.pdf (broken link)