Ollie at Carmel Place, Photos courtesy of Ollie and Monadnock Development

Leasing has officially opened at Carmel Place, a development that’s the first of its kind in New York City. 

The city’s first micro-unit development, designed by Monadnock Development and Stage 3 Properties, is an innovative housing model that redefines the modern-day rental apartment while preserving affordable housing. Located at 335 E. 27th St. in Manhattan’s Kips Bay neighborhood, the nine-story building will consist of 55 units with a variety of layouts ranging in size from 260 to 360 square feet, with 9-foot-6-inch ceilings. The property officially began leasing yesterday.

“Ollie at Carmel Place represents a new way of living for New Yorkers and a paradigm shift for developers seeking a sustainable approach to cracking the code on housing affordability,” says Christopher Bledsoe, founding partner of Stage 3 Properties. “We have recognized what New Yorkers have known for a very long time—that space is simply one attribute that defines the overall living experience.”

The inclusion of Ollie at Carmel Place offers an all-inclusive living experience for residents in a fast-paced urban environment. The lifestyle amenities provided at the building—which are included in the rent price—include fully furnished apartment options and a personal butler service called Hello Alfred, which takes care of housekeeping chores such as laundry, changing linens, and even grocery shopping. Ollie also partnered with social concierge service Magnises, which will give residents an all-access pass to Magnises members-only social events throughout the city. 

Ollie at Carmel Place, Photos courtesy of Ollie and Monadnock Development

Within the micro units themselves, Ollie outfits the apartment with space-saving, transformable furniture to maximize the living space. 

“At Ollie, we eliminate dead space, which means the units generate more rent for each square foot provided, and, in turn, free up funds that can be reinvested back into other aspects of the overall tenant experience,” says Bledsoe. “What’s more, because of innovations in furniture design, we can do all of this without asking the tenant to sacrifice functionality in his or her home.”

Years in the making, the development, which was formerly known as My Micro NY, was the 2012 winner of the city of New York's adAPT NYC, a design competition launched by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to develop a new model of housing to adapt to the city’s changing demographics. 

Ollie at Carmel Place, Photos courtesy of Ollie and Monadnock Development

Twenty-two of the building’s units (40% of the building) are set aside for affordable housing, eight of which are designated for Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH).

The market-rate units will range in price from $2,560 to $2,910, which includes furnished and unfurnished apartments. Residents can begin moving into the building on Feb. 1. 

“When it comes to cosmopolitan living, Carmel Place has broken the mold by revolutionizing housing into something that's more practical, affordable, and value-driven,” commented Tobias Oriwol, project developer for Monadnock Development, in a news release Monday.