Out and About: Unavailable for half a century

It is not even an estate sale, but the Upper West Side co-op in the high 70s on West End Avenue apparently hasn’t been improved in the half century since the owners purchased the place.

Defining “vintage,” the apartment is typical of one that has aged in tandem with the owners.

The situation is understandable and not all that unusual, except for the number of years that have passed.  More often than not, it seems, owners grow comfortable in their homes and fail to notice the need for updating.

I suppose the feeling is not unlike the pleasures of an old pair of slippers, a well-worn cardigan or a hardcover book that has been losing the test of time.

The challenge for any broker is

Out and About: Vintage spaces worth preserving

Kitchen of relatively recent vintage that needs not be preserved.

When I glance into some baths or kitchens that retain their original character and their nearly original condition, I confess turning a shade of green.

Not all buyers have the same reaction, however.

They see “old” when I see preserved.  They see potential to be realized when I see authenticity to be celebrated.