apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


Clock Tower Penthouse in Brooklyn
The New York Times

Look at this apartment that just went on the market! The New York Times takes us inside the triplex penthouse of Brooklyn's ClockTower Building — where the most striking features are the four 14' clocks housed in gigantic round windows.

 
 

The DUMBO building was built by a cardboard box manufacturer and renovated by DUMBO developer David Walentas. The approximately 6,400 square foot apartment is on the market for $25 million — "more than double the highest price known to have been paid for a home in Brooklyn."

In addition to the clocks and amazing views, the triplex features 16 foot ceilings on the main level and central glass elevator and floating staircase!

For even more pictures and the complete article, check out: No Need to Wear a Watch and the slide show from The New York Times.

(Images: ©:2009 Angel Franco/The New York Times)

Tags

real estate, The New York Times, clock, Brooklyn, penthouse

Related Links

Share

Comments (56)

Incredible.

posted by Catherine W on August 10th 2009 at 2:17pm
view Catherine W's profile

Form beats function – i would always be late if i used these backward clocks :)

posted by shofner on August 10th 2009 at 2:30pm
view shofner's profile

Holy Smokes, I do not like NYC but if I could like here, I could live in NYC - amazing.

posted by bagelpower on August 10th 2009 at 2:30pm
view bagelpower's profile

absolutely drool worthy. Ahh to have 25 mil hanging around. *sigh* lovely!!

posted by Limeliteshines on August 10th 2009 at 2:30pm
view Limeliteshines's profile

What an amazing place.

posted by LSUgrad03 on August 10th 2009 at 2:38pm
view LSUgrad03's profile

Wowie wow wow!!

posted by plumeria on August 10th 2009 at 2:38pm
view plumeria's profile

shofner- just put a mirror on the opposite wall and look at that to tell the time :).
I read the article over the weekend and have been dreaming of how I would design the interior. I thought now this would be a great place to have a freestanding bath tub in the living room under the clock shadows.

The lucky person who can afford this!

posted by LoriSF on August 10th 2009 at 2:39pm
view LoriSF's profile

I love Musée d'Orsay and its famous clock so my heart skipped a beat when I saw this. Amazing.

posted by wally3 on August 10th 2009 at 2:53pm
view wally3's profile

O-M-G!!!!!

I have always fantasized about living in clock tower but this is way more beautiful than anything I've dreamt up. Stunning!

posted by ShopgirlCA on August 10th 2009 at 2:56pm
view ShopgirlCA's profile

Absolutely stunning !!! I wish I could afford to buy it !!!

posted by Eric-Keith on August 10th 2009 at 2:57pm
view Eric-Keith's profile

Its like living in a batman movie.

posted by Jose A on August 10th 2009 at 3:03pm
view Jose A's profile

If I could, I so, so would.

posted by hmr on August 10th 2009 at 3:07pm
view hmr's profile

Love the bathtub - anyone know the source?

posted by ElleBee on August 10th 2009 at 3:09pm
view ElleBee's profile

Ditto about the Musée d'Orsay. This totally reminded me of it.

What an amazing property. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Goodness, I'm surprised Brad Pitt hasn't snatched it up.

Also surprising someone didn't want to turn it into a party space.

posted by st@cy on August 10th 2009 at 3:13pm
view st@cy's profile

I could have sworn I saw this apt pre-renovation featured on a TV show years ago. Maybe Designer Living? It was not nearly as modern and rather looked more industrial.

posted by tsp213 on August 10th 2009 at 3:16pm
view tsp213's profile

I wonder if the clock is disabled...the ticking would be drive me mad....

posted by trailingedge on August 10th 2009 at 3:18pm
view trailingedge's profile

Right on trailingedge. I want to know just how loud that tower booms every 30 mins and hour.

Not that I have 25 million lying around.

posted by am_clarke on August 10th 2009 at 4:15pm
view am_clarke's profile

My best guess for the bathtub is Mount Olympus.

:) cheeky, but the tub is so perfect it fits!

posted by am_clarke on August 10th 2009 at 4:33pm
view am_clarke's profile

This is so amazing! I would love to raise my family here.

posted by brittney on August 10th 2009 at 4:36pm
view brittney's profile

Just think, all the cash you would save never having to buy a watch again. This place would practically pay for itself!

Or not.

posted by kellylc on August 10th 2009 at 5:12pm
view kellylc's profile

What I would do to stand naked in front of that window...

posted by Comicgeek on August 10th 2009 at 5:13pm
view Comicgeek's profile

This space reminds me of my own home...when Im sleep...dreaming...really dreaming...

WAIT! Im still sleep.

posted by jayjay5 on August 10th 2009 at 5:56pm
view jayjay5's profile

I love everything about it. Would be great to live there, although I could never live in such a crowded city.

But hey, when you have 25 million you could probably buy a nice weekendhouse :-)

posted by AlexHoogeveen on August 10th 2009 at 6:25pm
view AlexHoogeveen's profile

Isn't this Pierre Delacroix's apartment in Spike Lee's Bamboozled? That movie is a mind-blower-- I can't believe the apartment is up for sale!

posted by margaretlouise on August 10th 2009 at 7:25pm
view margaretlouise's profile

so. freaking. cool.

posted by mrsjonessoapbox on August 10th 2009 at 7:56pm
view mrsjonessoapbox's profile

Wonderfull!.

posted by hrhprincessfiona on August 11th 2009 at 1:30am
view hrhprincessfiona's profile

I wanted to live in this place since I was 13 years old. Walking by it on the Manhattan Bridge, you feel like you are going back to grander times.

gia

posted by gia lam on August 11th 2009 at 8:46am
view gia lam 's profile

Amazing!

posted by Brandyjane on August 11th 2009 at 10:06am
view Brandyjane's profile

heaven?

posted by gridpaper on August 11th 2009 at 12:57pm
view gridpaper's profile

I'm gonna offer $325K, and keep my fingers crossed.

posted by GreatFriend on August 11th 2009 at 1:44pm
view GreatFriend's profile

I'd want a bell to go with this, a FREAKING LOUD BELL!!!!

8^)

posted by btoddster on August 11th 2009 at 3:22pm
view btoddster's profile

amazing. Also, note that the place is not staged. No need!

posted by benayse on August 11th 2009 at 5:03pm
view benayse's profile

I absolutely love this more than I can say - but... if the clocks tick, I'd go insane!

...still... it's stunning.

posted by Rob in PDX on August 11th 2009 at 5:49pm
view Rob in PDX's profile

WOW. How much for just the crow's nest?

posted by Lucy (SF Bay Area) on August 11th 2009 at 7:57pm
view Lucy (SF Bay Area)'s profile

Amazing to have those clock windows... wonder if we could DIY it?

posted by heather @ dollarstorecrafts.com on August 12th 2009 at 1:44am
view heather @ dollarstorecrafts.com's profile

How do you furnish such an amazing place?! I wouldn't know where to start!

posted by amelia_atlantic on August 12th 2009 at 12:54pm
view amelia_atlantic's profile

Okay, made my offer of $325K. Haven't heard from them yet. They must be thinking it over!!!

posted by GreatFriend on August 12th 2009 at 3:21pm
view GreatFriend's profile

Girl, you know what time it is!

posted by dystopia86 on August 13th 2009 at 2:14pm
view dystopia86's profile

If I could spend one weekend here, I would never complain about anything in life ever again!!

posted by cliokitty on August 13th 2009 at 3:08pm
view cliokitty's profile

Hahaha, I'm going to post the snob post:
if I had 25 million, I SO wouldn't live in Brooklyn.
;D

posted by puddle on August 14th 2009 at 8:00am
view puddle's profile

bidding war im oferr $330K...

posted by 519Wilson on August 15th 2009 at 3:13pm
view 519Wilson's profile

REALITY CHECK:
I looked at this apartment when it hit the market in about 1993. It was listed for something retarded like 549K. It was a total shit hole. I mean, it was a gut, and I'm using the term generously. It had bad 80's finished, lousy layout and kid crap all over it. I can still see their depressing little boys' room with no window and bunk beds jammed in there like a square peg in a round hole. The people who lived there just didn't give a rat's behind about what a rare gem they were sitting on (or didn't care.) Clearly, I didn't but it because it needed nothing but money thrown at it, which I didn't have. Now it looks fab, all shiny like a penny, and they probably threw AT LEAST 2-3M at it. Trust me, that is exactly what it needed.

posted by medusa12120 on August 15th 2009 at 5:30pm
view medusa12120's profile

How many people can say they have a clock for a window? It's great! Actually reminds me a little bit of the Back to the Future clock. :)

posted by MODERnestS on August 15th 2009 at 6:07pm
view MODERnestS's profile

I guess I'm all alone in my dislike of this space. It does absolutely nothing for me. ugh.

posted by beddybee on August 15th 2009 at 7:38pm
view beddybee's profile

The tower clock is beyond unbelievable! When the sun hits it, the shadows it creates in the one photo is a bonus. Otherwise, the place in itself is too sparse for my taste.

posted by junklover on August 15th 2009 at 8:02pm
view junklover's profile

Ok...since I can't edit or delete my post....the place is utterly fabulous! (after looking at all the photos....4 clocks..whoa!)

posted by junklover on August 15th 2009 at 8:06pm
view junklover's profile

I love most of it- excpet that kitchen. I just don't find it to be in the best place- that square countertop so close to that beautiful window...

posted by bkk on August 15th 2009 at 8:21pm
view bkk's profile

This really should be mine.

posted by lucica on August 15th 2009 at 9:22pm
view lucica's profile

Medusa 12120 --

I lived in DUMBO, and I don't think Walentas owned the building in 1993. From what I remember the clocktower was some kind of office building for a while. Then it started going residential, but most likely without a C of O. None of those buildings had C of Os, though many were lived in. But even the loftdwellers who were grandfathered in (and therefore theoretically protected from eviction) wound up getting pressured/bought out/kicked out/harassed (though not by Walentas, by Josh Guttman, the other big landlord) to leave. I'm sure the place was a mess. It was probably fixed up by the tenant herself, who was probably an artist, who was risking a whole lot to live and work there, most likely illegally, and didn't have money to blow at ABC. And yes, Walentas has developed his buildings into pretty swank places. No artists there. So to say that what an artist's loft needs is to be turned into a 25 million dollar apartment -- I know what you mean (a good looking loft is a delicious thin), but there are so much people whose lives got turned upside in the process. Just something to remember. Apologies for my speech. And yes, I too got evicted. But what happened in DUMBO displaced an incredible community, which I sometimes really miss.

posted by janamartin on August 16th 2009 at 8:03am
view janamartin's profile

:O
Ohmywow!!

posted by jillianne on August 16th 2009 at 11:08am
view jillianne's profile

Let me pick my jaw off the floor. Amazing. However, it seems very dark. For that kind of money I would expect them to include a remote control to the sun or at least bigger non clock related windows.

posted by Dawnmeshell on August 16th 2009 at 11:10am
view Dawnmeshell's profile

There was a really bad, super-short-lived sitcom in the '80s or '90s that had an apt. set with a clock window like this and I was always jealous. This is pretty hot, but 6,400 sq ft is way too huge, and living in Brooklyn...? No thanks. I'll spend my spare $25M elsewhere ;-)

posted by ridge_van_winkle on August 16th 2009 at 10:50pm
view ridge_van_winkle's profile

Wow. I hope it's bought by someone who will actually love it and live in it, instead of just keeping it as a party loft.

posted by Kaete on August 17th 2009 at 8:21am
view Kaete's profile

Looks like the set of a comic book movie.
Somebody get me Hollywood on the line!

posted by foolishwhit on August 17th 2009 at 11:23am
view foolishwhit's profile

me too, wally3 (D'ORSAY)!!!

posted by hla21 on September 28th 2009 at 12:31pm
view hla21's profile

i will love to live there,im in b'klyn also,but in my lil apt the only clock i hv is from my cable box. The view is so romantic! Apt w/clock=$25 millions,furniture=$1 million,make love in that apt. w view to NYC=PRICELESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!

posted by shantal on November 4th 2009 at 8:25am
view shantal's profile

Feeds

RSS icon New York

+ City Feeds