Yes, this is an actual example of an apartment at The W, located at 123 Washington St. in the Financial District.  This room is part of an apartment being touted as a “bachelor pad”, one of the 10 units on the 55th and 56th floors that were staged by a total of 22 different decorators.  They could have all been done by one person for all the originality they showed.  How about  that neon “PULSE” sign over the bed.  Seriously?  Fake fur throws and flokati rugs showed up all over the place.  It was as though they had slaughtered a flokati elephant and scattered its hide throughout the showrooms.

Okay, I have to admit, the views are pretty spectacular.  They have to be to make up for the tiny rooms.  The very commendable purpose of the Showhouse is to raise money for Lenox Hill Hospital, but it was also a vehicle to promote the unsold sponsor units.  There are currently 25 or so units on the market for sale (not all sponsor units) and most of these are also for rent.  I’ve been to other promotional events where they plied us with Champagne and delicious hors d’oeuvres.  At this one, the “drinks and nibbles”  were screw-top wine, various salumi and a couple of cheeses, definitely a low-budget affair. 

The view from the roof, though, was unarguably sublime, especially as the sun broke through the clouds and illuminated the Brooklyn highlands.

Anyone thinking of buying one of these needs to have a highly skilled negotiator on their side (moi, for instance).  Many of the sold units went for as much as 25% below the asking price, and the current availabilities are sitting there unsold, in a market where properties that are priced correctly go within days.