Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/579640
Project: ALEXAN MIDTOWN Address: 2310 Main Street. Developer: Trammel Crow Residential. Floors & Units: 7 floors, 215 units. Status: Under construction. Square Footage: 665 to 1,690 square feet. Starchitect/designer: Denver-based Kephart. Amenities: Open-air outdoor living room, resort-style pool, pet park, cyber cafe. Luxe Factor: Bluetooth surround systems and wine refrigerators. Walkability: The light rail couldn't be much closer, and the Mix in Midtown complex with a gym, restaurants and the sweet shop Dolce Delights is across the street. Why We'd Live Here: Finding a somewhat unique building in Midtown isn't easy. The Alexan stands out. Dollar: For lease; $1,415 to $3,397 monthly Move-in Date: November 2015 Contact: On-site leasing office, 713.522.2310, alexanmidtown.com, alexanmidtownmkt@windsor communities.com HIGH-RISE LIVING SOARS IN HOUSTON, AND LUXURY LIVING MAY NEVER BE THE SAME. W ith more than 40 new luxury high-rise and mid-rise projects in various stages of construction, keeping up with Houston's vertical boom requires much more than counting cranes. We look at the top luxury high-rises and mid-rises in various stages of completion — comparing square footage, amenities, view from the top, luxe factor, walkability and starting price, and listing developer, architect, contacts and more — for the definitive guide to Houston's new high life. By CHRIS BALD WIN and JAILYN M ARCEL HOUSTON'S SKY-HIGH GUIDE Project: ARIA AT WILLOWICK PARK Address: 3255 Las Palmas Street. Developer: Martin Fein, Martin Fein Interests. Floors & Units: 7 floors, 325 units. Status: Open. Square Footage: 539 to 1,728 square feet. Starachitect/Designer: Houston-based Steinberg Design Collaborative and Project: ARIS MARKET SQUARE Address: 409 Travis Street. Developer: Hines. Floors & Units: 32 floors, 274 units. Status: Under construction. Square Footage: TBD. Starchitect/designer: Houston-based Ziegler Cooper; Dallas-based SJL Design Group. Amenities: Valet, movie theater lounge, aqua lounge, dog wash, bicycle repair room. Luxe Factor: This high-rise combines the best of both worlds with a historic brick-and-cast stone base and a gleaming modern tower made of glass and steel. Walkability: Market Square Park is outside the lobby doors, and the restaurants and bars of the re-emerging Main Street corridor are ultra-close. Why We'd Live Here: Having restaurants, a cafe and maybe even a boutique grocery on the ground floor of your building is no small perk. The high-rise's own planned pocket park and dog-friendly Market Square Park give you green spaces galore. Dollar: For lease; rates to be determined. Move-In Date: 2017. Contact: Not leasing yet, hines.com. Project: ASTORIA Address: 1409 Post Oak Boulevard. Developer: Randall Davis Company. Floors & Units: 29 floors, 75 units. Project: AURORA Address: 4906 Tilbury Drive. Developer: Chris Sims, Sims Luxury Builders. Floors & Units: 16 floors, 40 units. Status: Construction begins after half the 40 units are sold. Five units quickly sold. A chic sales office is open in Uptown Park. Square Footage: 3,400 to 6,400 square feet. Starchitect/Designer: NYC's Philip Johnson/Alan Ritchie Architects. Man on the ground: Marko Dasigenis. Amenities: 24-hour concierge, swooping rooftop terrace, fitness center, library, resort-style pool, conference room, on-site pet grooming. Luxe Factor: The Aurora brings one of New York real estate's hottest trends to Houston: direct-entry elevators. Each of the 40 units will have a direct elevator that whisks residents straight up to their home. (The building will have 20 elevators, one for every two condos, with the front and back doors opening into different units). "It's so much nicer to step off the elevator right into your home, rather than walking down a corridor," says architect Marko Dasigenis. Walkability: Across from Uptown Park, adjacent to Hotel Granduca, walking distance to Tanglewood. Why We'd Live Here: Did we mention Philip Johnson? This striking curved- glass building (influenced by Mies van der Rohe's work) rises above the trees to become one of Houston's most distinctive addresses. Move-In Date: Mid-2018. Dollar: For purchase; from $2 million, to $5 million for penthouses. Contact: John Marr, across street at 1111 Uptown Park Boulevard, 713.600.5085, jmarr@aurorahouston.com, aurorahouston.com. Project: ARABELLA Address: 4521 San Felipe. Developer: Randall Davis and Roberto Contresas. Floors & Units: 33 floors, 99 units. Status: Construction begins later this fall; nearly half the units are pre-sold. Ziegler Cooper Architects; Dallas-based Moore Design Group. Amenities: Yoga and Pilates studios, resort-style pool, day spa, game room, library, fitness center, pet grooming facilities. Luxe Factor: Sky bar with views of the Galleria makes cocktails at home quite fabulous. There are also 38 three-story townhomes, each with its own large rooftop terrace, private backyard and private two-car garage in the complex dubbed The Townhomes at Willowick Park, for an all-together different luxury splurge. Walkability: Seventy-five-year-old oak trees, and a nice strolling distance to Highland Village and River Oaks District. Why We'd Live Here: Three times the amenities. Aria is part of a three-property complex, so residents have more perks, one of which is a one-acre park in the middle of the community. Dollar: For lease; $1,275 to $3,665. Move-In Date: Now. Contact: Rental office on site, 713.572.3255, ariaatwillowickpark.com Status: Under construction. Square Footage: 1,459 to 9,503 square feet, with the option to combine units. Starchitect/Designer: New York-based 212 Box. Amenities: Starlight infinity-edge pool, pied-à-terre for guests, storage units, private movie theater, private wine room, fitness center and private elevator entry options. Luxe Factor: Astoria's 10 exclusive penthouses have extra-large terraces, private garages and exclusive access to four sky pools. Walkability: It's Post Oak Boulevard! Why We'd Live Here: Astoria is a hot commodity. With construction still underway, the building has one unit left for purchase at press time. Dollar: For purchase; $800,000 to $7 million. Move-in Date: First quarter 2016. Contact: Gloria Tanksley, off-site sales center at 4521 San Felipe, 713.822.3163, gloria@astoriahouston. com, astoriahouston.com. Square Footage: 1,466 to 5,354 square feet. Starchitect/Designer: New York-based 212 Box and Powers Brown Architecture in Houston Amenities: Valet, two pools (one, an indoor heated lap pool), wine cellar with resident lockers, massage room, sauna, steam room. Luxe Factor: Several units come with a private pool. Penthouses have heated floors. Walkability: River Oaks District (see The Wilshire and Skyhouse River Oaks listings) is nearby for luxury essentials. Why We'd Live Here: With fritted-glass windows — a design cue borrowed from Frank Gehry and Richard Meier — Arabella is designed to be one of the most striking and distinctive buildings in Houston. Dollar: For purchase; $800,000 to $4 million. Move-In Date: January 2018. Contact: Gloria Tanksley, on-site sales office at Westcreek Lane, 713.622.7760, gloria@arabellahouston.com. Alexan Midtown Alexan Midtown Arabella Aurora Aurora Astoria Aris Market Square Astoria Aris Market Square Arabella Arabella Willowick Park OCTOBER | PAGE 112 | 2015