429 Kent Ave

The Oosten

Answering the demand for large luxury condominiums during Williamsburg’s mid-2010s residential construction boom, 429 Kent Avenue was imagined as a block-wide development with a diverse range of residences and a cleverly programmed suite of amenities. The 216-unit complex was dubbed The Oosten — the Dutch word for east — hinting at New York City’s colonial heritage and its architect Piet Boon’s origins, but perhaps also the fact that so many Manhattanites were moving across the East River to the Brooklyn neighborhood during that time. This “eastern outpost” is right across the street from the waterfront. Tapped by Chinese development company XIN Development, Boon collaborated with local firm Think Architecture on a design strategy that breaks up what could have been an imposing “all-glass” monolith with an interchanging skin of vertical metal fins and masonry walls. An enfilade of discrete volumes, rising eight to nine stories high at different intervals, help visually scale down the 500 thousand square foot complex so that it better reflects the proportion of buildings in the surrounding area. “Nothing is cookie-cutter here,” says Stephen Filipponi, a Realtor with Compass. “All of the two and three-bedroom units have unique layouts.” While its exterior is aesthetically unified, The Oosten incorporates seven different residence typologies: townhomes, duplexes, lofts, penthouses, and one to three bedrooms. The 17 highly sought-after townhomes, which Filipponi notes never stay on the market for too long, include private backyards with hot tubs. Averaging 3,300 square feet in size, these three-story residences have sold for between $2.9 million and $ 3.7 million since the building’s completion in 2015. They have four bedrooms and include integrated garages with enough space for two cars. Penthouses also come with one-car garages; separate ground-level suites that also incorporate storage rooms. “These units are unique in that they can incorporate up to six en suite bedrooms,” Filipponi adds. “It’s rare to find this type of offering in Williamsburg.” Penthouse 5, on the market with him for $4.5 million in summer 2024, covers 5,000 square feet of space and, like the other comparable six top-floor residences, has outdoor space on two sides: a north exposure balcony and a slightly larger, courtyard-facing terrace to the south. On the other end of the spectrum, oversized one-bedrooms hover around the $1 million mark. Across the eclectic offering, Boon and Think Architecture imbued The Oosten with two suites of finishes: a darker palette defined by Noir St. Laurent stone and a light palette denoted by white Carrara marble. Floor-to-ceiling gunmetal casement windows deflect strong sun rays, thanks to the exterior fins, while still filtering plenty of natural light into white wall, wide oak plank floored living rooms. Open-plan kitchens feature custom cabinetry anchoring top-line Smeg and Viking Range appliances; 48-inch cooktops and refrigerators in the lofts and penthouses. Originally, all units were outfitted with Bosch washer/dryers but like the finishes, these appliances might have been updated by previous owners. The jewel in the Oosten crown is its over 13,000 square foot courtyard. Landscaped with mature plants, this undulating turfed landscape is encircled by walkways and organically shaped decks. “Whenever I give tours, I see this green space being used for soccer games, yoga sessions or even birthday parties,” Filipponi says. Toward the west, a procession of steeped terraces gradually descends to reveal as greenhouse-enclosed, basement-level pool. Though officially an indoor amenity space, it can also be accessed by large glass garage doors that can open-up completely on warm days, forming a seamless indoor-outdoor connection. “Residents tend to bring lounge chairs outside or transition from the courtyard to the pool.” Inside, they can utilize open showers and saunas that abut a prerequisite top-line fitness center and yoga studio on the other side. There’s also a splash pool on the especially large L-shaped rooftop terrace positioned along the complex’s southeastern corner. It’s outfitted with six grills and ample seating and parasols arranged in separated, intimate areas that are ingeniously broken up by a procession of mechanical volumes but connected by covered passageways. Back on the ground level, residents enter from a Kent Avenue-facing main lobby helmed by 24-hour door attendants. They can also enter through a more discrete side entrance on South 8th Street. The Oosten’s Club level incorporates a bar, TV area and billiards room. “During the day, I often see people set up with their laptops, co-working,” says Filipponi. “During football season, residents gather to watch games.” This combined space can also be rented out for private parties. The icing on the cake is the next-level children's playroom, replete with an oversized bouncy castle and extensive playscape. “When I do showings with parents that come with toddlers, I ask them on the side; ‘I probably shouldn’t show this to you because when young kids see this space, they’ll go nuts.’ They want to run in and play, and then our showing is shot because we can’t get them out of there.” The property is assuredly family-friendly, but so is the surrounding neighborhood. Nearby Domino Park was recently completed and features a whole host of unique playscapes and waterfront lawns for adults to lounge. Other than that, Williamsburg offers an eclectic array of hip, upmarket eateries, bars and boutiques. The legendary Peter Luger Steak House restaurant is only a few blocks west. For residents commuting into Manhattan for work, the J, M and Z subway lines stop at the Marcy Avenue stop, a short 10-minute walk. The South Williamsburg NYC Ferry stop is a block away.