211 E 13th St

The Jefferson

Situated in one of New York’s original Bohemian neighborhoods, the East Village, The Jefferson was designed with a gray masonry facade to honor and augment the area’s traditional brick architecture. The luxury condominium was envisioned by BSKS Architects and completed in 2014 on the former site of a vaudeville theater demolished in 2000. To reclaim the charming, tree-lined block, the New York-based architecture practice devised a design that honors the neighborhood with a contemporary twist. Using time-honored materials in a contemporary fashion, the exposed steel frame low-rise features an almost theatrical composition of decorative bricks floating above the street-level windows. “The Jefferson offers a forward-looking sense of modern craft, assertive and bold,” says BSKS Architects in the project statement on their website. “Echoing the lost theatrical presence, the building’s center rises above the block’s datum, outlined by a painted steel frame to create a proscenium, with a ‘play’ of brick piers and varied window patterns on display.” The residences are outfitted with custom-designed kitchens and bathrooms. Featuring bespoke, warm oak cabinetry by Eggersmann, the kitchens are equipped with white Corian counters, Sub-Zero refrigerators and wine coolers, Wolf gas ranges and Broan ventilation hoods and dishwashers. The bathroom vanities consist of reclaimed barn wood set in a steel satin-nickel frames, supporting white Corian sinks. “The design of the interiors feels distinctly ‘East Village’ somehow,” says Seth Podell, a real estate broker at Elegran who lived on the same block for years. “The interior design feels just like this charming, tree-lined block.” Comprising 83 units across eight stories, The Jefferson offers studios, one-, two- and three-bedrooms. A 496-square-foot studio on the ground floor with custom motorized shades and south-facing oversized windows last sold for $999,999 in November 2023. Similarly, a two-bedroom on the 6th floor with soaring ceilings and oversized windows in a special loft layout last sold for $2.5 million in September 2022. The grandest of units, a three-bedroom penthouse corner unit with a private rooftop terrace last sold for $4.2 million in June 2017. The Jefferson is a full-service luxury condominium with a 24-hour door attendant and live-in resident manager. According to Podell, the fitness center is one of “the best amenities,” with Technogym cardio and weight training equipment lit by an overhead skylight. Meanwhile, the resident’s lounge features a library, wet bar and pool table. On the same floor, the business center is outfitted with a conference room and worktables. Best of all, there’s a fully landscaped residents’ rooftop garden with barbeques, lounge seating and panoramic views of Manhattan, the East River, Brooklyn and beyond. The building has bike parking and private storage, available upon request. “Living on this block, you get the best of the East Village,” says Podell. “On 13th Street, one block from 1st Avenue, you have the best of all worlds: you’re around the corner from Gramercy, Union Square and the West Village.” In the vibrant neighborhood of St. Marks Place, there's a delightful mix of global cuisine. Veselka, a cozy James Beard-nominated diner, serves Ukrainian pierogies and borscht; meanwhile, 6th Street boasts Indian culinary gems, including Cafe Mogador’s Moroccan-inspired dishes. As night falls, the area comes alive with bar-hopping opportunities for all imbibing preferences, whether the lively scene at International Bar, the classic Irish charm of McSorley’s, or the sophistication of Amor y Amargo’s high-end cocktails. Despite closures due to gentrification and the pandemic, a number of speakeasy-style lounges and music-filled clubs still thrive, including the subterranean Lovers of Today with its bespoke specialty cocktails, Las Vegas punk bar Double Down Saloon and the tequila and mezcal bar Superbueno. Meanwhile, residents can shop at the neighborhood’s plentiful markets for groceries, including Target, Trader Joe’s and Westside Market. Residents are three blocks from Union Square Station, one of Lower Manhattan’s busiest transit hubs, which services the 4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R and W trains. There’s also access to the L train at 3RD Avenue Station, around the corner on 14th Street.