Hive mind: Birds and bees become haute amenities at NYC condo buildings

Let’s speak in regards to the birds and the bees … of residential actual property.

The most recent spin on inexperienced facilities is landscaped areas with beehives that produce honey for residents and areas that appeal to migratory birds.

“Now, as an alternative of simply having fairly gardens for residents to spend time in, buildings are being extra deliberate in regards to the form of nature experiences they provide,” stated Corcoran actual property agent Tara King-Brown. “[Birds and bees] ought to be celebrated as a result of they’re indicators that hotter climate is forward.”

First to the bees. New York Metropolis had 326 registered hives in 2020, in accordance with metropolis’s Division of Well being and Hygiene, which tracks beekeeping. In 2021, that quantity jumped to 454 because of the pandemic and new developments desperate to sweeten the deal (actually) for residents.

The Solaire, new residences on the market in Battery Park Metropolis, has a thriving neighborhood of hives on its rooftop which can be managed by the bee servicing firm Finest Bees. Harvesting honey is a part of their job. Aaron Goed, the constructing’s director of gross sales, says that each one potential consumers are gifted a jar once they take a tour.

Exterior of a lounge area at the Solaire.
The Solaire has bees on its roof that make honey for residents.
COOKFOX

“They respect the non-public contact and the distinctive connection to nature and our greenspaces,” he stated.

The Helena, on 57th Road, hosts seven hives on its 5,000-square-foot rooftop park.

They produce an abundance of honey that beekeeper Andrew Cote harvests and jars for residents.

The Durst Group owns and runs the Helena, together with the adjoining VIA 57 West, and shares the bounty between the 2 buildings.

“We give it to residents as a housewarming present, they usually like it,” stated Douglas Durst, the corporate’s president. “Tenants in bigger models additionally get it as a vacation present.”

VIA resident Carole Levine, 71, is a fan of her honey welcome present and says that it made her respect the constructing’s greenspaces and the way bees profit the setting.

“I’ve since fallen in love with honey,” she stated. “Plus, it’s very good to have the ability to say that there are beehives within the constructing subsequent door to the place I reside within the coronary heart of busy Manhattan.”

Hunter’s Level South, a rent-regulated growth on the East River waterfront in Queens, has an natural city farm and apiary that’s pollinated by honeybees. Beekeepers harvest the honey and distribute it to residents who're members of property’s backyard membership.

Developments are additionally creating inexperienced respites that should be inviting stopovers for migratory birds.

Exterior of the Belnord.
The Belnord attracts migratory birds with its backyard.
Evan Joseph Photographs

Take The Belnord on the Higher West Facet, the place the acclaimed panorama designer Edmund Hollander designed the courtyard backyard. With steering from the Audubon Society and Hollander Design, the oasis was planted with timber and dense flower beds that draw birds.

These embrace purple maple timber, rhododendrons, azaleas and Christmas fern.

After which there’s Flatiron Home, a condominium with a courtyard backyard and planted loggias designed by the panorama architect agency Future Inexperienced Studio.

Exterior of the Flatiron House's green space.
The Flatiron Home is rife with greenery.
River Movie

The luxurious greenery within the area contains agastache, a nectar plant that may be a favourite of hummingbirds, and blueberry and strawberry crops, a lure for birds normally in addition to butterflies. Aromatic lavender can also be a part of the combo and identified to draw honeybees.

Sophie Muschel-Horton, an affiliate designer at Future Inexperienced Studio, says that native and adaptive crops resembling these are integral to the corporate’s designs.

“They contribute to the sustainability and livability of our metropolis,” she stated. “Pollinators that go to these crops could also be our planet’s most vital species, from each an ecological and economical perspective, since flowering crops depend upon them to breed.”

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post