From Gramercy Park to Greenwich Village: I was outbid six times, so I meditated in the lobby of where I wanted to buy
Anna Tallerini broke her budget to buy a large, renovated condo in a full-service building with a pool—and says it was worth it.
After making the decision to buy a place in New York City, Anna Tallarini was outbid a whopping six times in a row. Her agent suggested meditating in her desired building’s lobby and setting an intention on finding a great place there to buy. The mindfulness worked. Here’s Anna’s story.
I was born and raised in White Plains, New York. I went to school at Syracuse for civil engineering and came to NYC in 2017 for work. Most recently I was living in Gramercy Park with a friend. We had a very small rental—probably about 550 square feet—and it only cost $2,900 because we got a Covid deal. Thankfully the apartment had in-unit laundry.
I liked the Gramercy neighborhood and nearby restaurants Isabelle’s Osteria and Barbounia, but I would mostly go downtown or to Chelsea for social activities. For food shopping I’d walk about 10 blocks to the Trader Joe's in Murray Hill. Living close to the 6 subway line made it easy to get anywhere on the East Side, and I could also walk to the hub at Union Square to catch other trains.
[Editor's Note: Brick Underground's series “Transitions” features first-person accounts of what it’s like to move from one New York City neighborhood to another. Have a story to share? Drop us an email. We respect all requests for anonymity.]
In late August 2021 I decided I didn’t want to rent anymore and began looking for a place to buy for around $1 million, preferably in Gramercy or further downtown.
After finding Kelly Dilek, an agent at Keller Williams NYC, we saw 50 to 60 apartments. It was a really long process and a challenging market for a buyer—I was outbid on six apartments, including a large one bedroom in Greenwich Village that I fell in love with. It was really upsetting because I felt I had found the perfect apartment in the perfect building in the perfect neighborhood. Kelly told me not to lose hope and we meditated in the lobby, putting an intention on owning a different apartment in the same building. Meditating was something new! I was desperate and willing to try anything.
Apparently, the mindfulness worked. The very next week, another apartment in the same line came on the market for $1.35 million and we sent my offer one hour after the agent listed it on StreetEasy—before even being able to view the unit! I had to go above my initial budget to win it and ended up paying $1.376 million, but it was worth it to get a 900-square-foot unit in a full-service building.
Paying more, but getting more
My monthly expenses have doubled, but I have a spacious bedroom plus a large living room and a dining room. Luckily my apartment is also nicely renovated. My building is beautiful, with a roof deck and a pool. The staff is great and always helpful.
My only dislike is that I do not have a washer/dryer in my unit, but there are laundry machines on every floor.
I love my lively new neighborhood and getting to know my neighbors. Washington Square Park is nearby and the East and West Village, Noho, and Union Square are all within walking distance. I also have access to a handful of subway lines that can take me anywhere in the city. The commute to my construction management job in Coney Island is only 45 minutes instead of about one hour and 20 minutes.
I enjoy going to Frank Restaurant, David’s Café, American Bar, and Saint Theos and walking down Broadway to shop in Soho.
There are a lot more options for food shopping, too. I can walk to the Whole Foods and Trader Joe's at Union Square or the H Mart in Astor Place. A Wegmans that's under construction one block away is supposed to open in a few months.
My friends and family love the new apartment and the area. I am very happy with this decision and plan on staying here for a long time.
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