If there’s anything the pandemic showed Americans, it’s that their lives need not be as rooted as once was the case. According to some reports, contract signings for part-time residences have risen 70% since pre-pandemic days. For many people, a more flexible lifestyle means choosing pieds-a-terre that enable departures from their usual abodes.
For instance, Manhattan-based buyers are opting to add part-time residences in the more open spaces of suburbia. Meanwhile, some Angelenos are enjoying the best of both SoCal worlds, dividing time between a part-time residence along Hollywood’s most legendary byways and the more relaxed lifestyle afforded by a beachside pad.
Among properties being eyed by those seeking pieds-a-terre is Pendry Residences West Hollywood by Montage Hotels & Resorts. Situated in the center of West Hollywood on the iconic Sunset Boulevard, the property offers open layout floor plans that sprawl into luxuriant private green spaces and private terraces. Residence 603, for instance, priced at an attainable $7.7 million and offering 3,690 square feet of indoor-outdoor space including an 1,100-square-foot private terrace and Jacuzzi with panoramic perspectives on downtown LA, is one SoCal pied-a-terre worth considering.
“Our buyers appreciate the many unique attributes of the location, from the storied history of the Sunset Strip to connecting with the vibrancy of the neighborhood [and] the walkability, the culture, the arts and the incredible sense of community,” says Tina Necrason, executive vice president at Montage International, on behalf of Pendry Residence WeHo development. “While it’s an urban location by definition, you truly arrive at your own resort within an incredible city backdrop.”
Modern retreat
A property that appears high on lists of those seeking Pacific Northwest pieds-a-terre is The Modern, located in the Emerald City’s well-regarded downtown waterfront Belltown nook, the city’s most densely populated. Luxury features include nine-foot-high floor-to-ceiling windows offering dramatic perspectives on the city skyline and Elliot Bay.
“Savvy Seattleites are seeking pieds-a-terre since [they offer] them the ability to split time in between a vibrant city and the peaceful outdoors or other West Coast cities,” says Jordan Selig, executive vice president of Martin Selig Real Estate. “During the pandemic, many retreated to the suburbs for more space. But now they want to be where the action is with one space where they can do it all — work, play and entertain.”
Belltown is a logical spot for a pied-a-terre, as the district is highly walkable, offering a wealth of attractions that are only steps away. Pike Place Market, the Seattle Public Library, Seattle Aquarium and Seattle Art Museum represent just a few of them.
Other examples
Some of those who left Manhattan during the pandemic are considering 525 West 52nd Street as a setting to stage their return.
Bearing an address just a minute from the Manhattan Theatre District in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen, the property provides extras that include a fitness center and yoga studio, rooftop sundeck and lounge, sports lounge and billiards, library, pet care center and multiple in-residence work-from-home spaces.
Some who split their residential life prefer a South Florida pied-a-terre, and Turnberry Ocean Club in Sunny Isles, Fla. might be a candidate for those prioritizing luxury, exclusivity, privacy and lifestyle.
Situated on Miami’s Millionaire Row, the 54-story tower counts among its amenities a 70,000-square-foot wellness oasis featuring two cantilevered swimming pools that appear to float away from the structure. Its three-story Sky Club also offers an indoor-outdoor fitness center with floor-to-ceiling views of the ocean, a revitalization spa and salon, private wine vault, full-service indoor-outdoor sunset lounge and a choice of exclusive resident-only restaurants.