Enter the apartment right off of the elevator into a formal entry foyer, leading to a long and gracious gallery, with stone slab floors and Venetian plaster walls. The light-filled and grandly scaled corner living room has exposures to the north over 12th Street and to the west toward the Hudson River. It also boasts Venetian plaster walls, a built-in entertainment center, oak herringbone floors, and a fireplace. Pocket doors open into a wood-paneled home office, with thoughtful built-ins. At the opposite end of the room, more enormous metal and glass doors open to the adjacent formal dining room. The extensive use of pocket doors throughout the apartment allows for both an open, flowing sensibility from room to room, or the ability to close off rooms for privacy or more formal entertaining.
Through another set of pocket doors, the chef’s kitchen boasts custom-made cabinetry, marble countertops, an oversized center island with bar seating for three, and top-of-the-line appliances, including an integrated Sub Zero refrigerator, integrated dishwasher, Wolf oven and gas range, and a Wolf convection oven. Off of the kitchen and the front hall is a den/media room that can also function as a fourth bedroom, with upholstered walls, a built-in entertainment center, and a built-in bookcase.
Separated from the rest of the apartment in a private wing is the enormous primary suite. Generously scaled, the suite is outfitted with a large walk-in closet with custom built-ins and two windows, as well as a luxurious bath with two separate vanities, a glass-enclosed steam shower, and a built-in dressing area. The spacious bedchamber is quiet and serene, a true oasis.
Two luxurious secondary bedroom suites, equal in size, both with en-suite baths, occupy another separate wing. A laundry room and a glamorous lacquered wet-bar complete this fabulous home. Rare to find in the center of the West Village, this perfect apartment was completely redesigned in a collaboration between two accomplished design professionals: the architect Eric J. Smith and the interior designer Erik R. Smith.
Built in 1906 as a hybrid of Georgian and Federal styles, The Abingdon was originally designed by Henry W. Wilkinson and restored and converted to condominiums by Flank Architecture + Development, completed in 2012. Amenities include a 24-hour doorman, porter/valet, superintendent, fitness center, sauna, and private storage rooms for each residence. 320 West 12th Street is adjacent to the charming Abingdon Square Park, with its weekly farmer’s market, and convenient to all of downtown Manhattan’s museums, restaurants, and shopping.
Quick Profile
Known for its high-end shopping on Bleecker Street, the elegant brownstones dating back to colonial times that have been depicted in films and television, the abundance of cafes, and its celebrity residents, the West Village neighborhood is what springs to mind when you think of the essence of New York City. This is a neighborhood where the pace of life is less hurried, and harried, than in other neighborhoods, exuding an understated elegance and naturally beautiful sophistication and charm.
The West Village has something to offer everyone, whether your taste runs to designer goods and trend-setting restaurants, or you are happier browsing thrift stores and whiling away the hours in conversation with friends at a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop. There are public green spaces dotted throughout this neighborhood, where you can stop and commune with nature, or grab a bite to eat from a local deli or cafe and have a picnic. The Hudson River Park offers recreational opportunities and events for all ages.
There is a tradition of bohemian non-conformity attached to the West Village. Even the intimate, tree-lined, and sometimes cobblestoned, streets refuse to conform to the grid layout of the rest of Manhattan. Activism and social consciousness have always been hallmarks of this neighborhood. The neighborhood is diverse and accepting of all. You will find artistic venues and experimental theater, together with a broad spectrum of bars, including speakeasies, and restaurants featuring myriad cuisines.
The West Village is primarily residential, conspicuously lacking the high-rise office buildings that characterize other neighborhoods. This lends an air of quiet sophistication during the day. At night, the area becomes more lively, as residents frequent their favorite restaurants, theaters, cafes, and gastropubs. Housing consists of brownstones dating back to the 18th century, low-rise walk-ups, townhouses, artists lofts, and condos in renovated buildings. Newer high-rise residential buildings are cropping up along the Hudson River. Always popular with celebrities and artistic types, the West Village is now attracting families and young professionals in the tech and financial fields.