Carter's Review

The Vista is a very attractive, 15-story condominium at 44-15 Purves Street in the Hunters Point section of Queens. 

It was built in 2012 by Emmy Homes, of which Craig Axelrod is a principal, and Vantage Partners. 

It has 48 apartments. 

Gene Kaufman was the architect. 

The building has been designed with the assistance of Laura Cerrano, an expert in feng shui, who decided it should not have a fourth floor because that number is considered unlucky. She also influenced other aspects of the building process, as the balconies will not be adjacent to the living rooms and apartment entrances will not face another. 

At its ground-breaking, according to a November 9, 2011 article at observer.com by Thornton McEnery, Ms. Cerrano buried red baggies on the site with objects that represented the five elements.  

The article said that she also burned sage and conducted a ceremony in which 99 drops of Smirnoff Vodka were poured onto a bowl full of uncooked rice before adding cinnabar and stirring the mixture 99 times with her middle finger.  She then sprinkled the rice around the lot’s perimeter to feed the ghosts and spirits that inhabit the space and provide energy for its future tenants.

Bottom Line

A handsome, 15-story apartment building in Hunters Point with staggered balconies designed with feng shui principles and many amenities. 

Description

The building is notable for its staggered balconies in the center of its main façade flanked by slightly protruding window bays that are next to corner windows. 

The lobby has a water element.

Amenities

The building has a doorman, landscaped roof deck, a fitness center, a yoga room, a bicycle room, an entertainment room, a dog bath, and a garage. 

Apartments

Apartments have hardwood oak flooring, stainless-steel appliances in the kitchens and marble and porcelain tiling in the bathrooms. 

Apartment D on the third through the tenth floors is a studio unit with a 15-foot-long entry foyer off a 9-foot-long open storage area that leads to a 16-foot-long living/sleeping area with an open kitchen. 

Apartment A on the fifth through the 15^th floors is a two-bedroom unit with an entry foyer that opens across from an open, pass-through kitchen that leads to a dining area and a living room.  The unit has a 107-square-foot balcony. 

Apartment C on the fifth through the 15^th floors is a one-bedroom unit with a 76-square-foot balcony.