Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Courtyard Waterfalls & Continental Breakfast: Inside Williamsburg's Newest Luxury Building
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Nov 4, 2013
Modified Nov 5, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
View all 28
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Nov 4, 2013
Modified Nov 5, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
With studios starting at $2,700/month and penthouses topping out at $7,200, residents of Williamsburg's newest luxury rental complex, 50 North 5th, could be forgiven for having high expectations. For one, they can expect breakfast. Bagels, muffins, juice, and coffee will be waiting in the lobby each morning until 9 a.m. "People really appreciate little touches like that," says David Maundrell, the building's exclusive leasing agent, stressing that the food and coffee will be "from somewhere local."
A product of the Mack Real Estate Group, 50 North 5th's construction finished two months ahead of schedule. No longer a mud pit on North 5th, the building's first residents were moving in last week (20% of the 229 units have already been leased) when Maundrell, the president of aptsandlofts.com, and his associate, Angel Guzman, gave us a tour of the sample units and 15,000 square feet of amenities, which, as the men are eager to point out, come standard with the price of rent. Parking (there are around 100 spaces in the garage) and industrial loads of laundry will cost extra.
Both Maundrell and Guzman grew up in Williamsburg, and dismiss criticism that the neighborhood is becoming too glass-bound, homogenous, and expensive.
"People can say that these new people are pushing them out," Maundrell says. "But the people who are saying that are the artists, and the artists are the ones who pushed out my mother and grandmother. This neighborhood didn't used to be a place where you wanted to walk around at night. For a long time, no one cared about Williamsburg."
Maundrell admits that things have been getting "a little crazy" recently—Bedford Avenue has exploded, an Urban Outfitters is on the way, not to mention the impending Tronification of the Domino Sugar factory. "I just roll with it."
Tagged
50 north 5th
gentrification
luxury condos
real estate
williamsburg
original
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Federal court dismisses Trump DOJ’s lawsuit over ICE activity in NJ
The ruling comes after federal prosecutors filed a lawsuit in response to Gov. Mikie Sherill’s executive order banning immigration agents from operating in nonpublic state property.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Sep 4, 2026 at 8:12 p.m. ET
Did violence in Times Square and on the Brooklyn Bridge change how people feel about NYC?
Perception of safety is often disconnected from stats that say crime is down.
By
Willow Higgins
and
Brittany Kriegstein
News
Did violence in Times Square and on the Brooklyn Bridge change how people feel about NYC?
Perception of safety is often disconnected from stats that say crime is down.
By
Willow Higgins
and
Brittany Kriegstein
Mount Sinai reaches deal with Trump DOJ to end gender-affirming care for minors
By
Giulia Heyward
and
Caroline Lewis
NYPD ramps up security for West Indian Day parade as past shootings remain unsolved
By
Ben Feuerherd
Mamdani administration says it's time for Columbia to open up College Walk
By
Ryan Kost
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .