Nest Seekers to open Andres Escobar-designed office in the Avery

The Real Deal

Adam Fusfeld

Sept. 14, 2011

therealdeal.com/newyork/articles/nest-seekers-international-to-open-andres-escobar-designed-office-in-the-avery-at-100-riverside-boulevard

Nest Seekers to open Andres Escobar-designed office in the Avery

September 15, 2011 02:30PMBy Adam Fusfeld

Rendering of Nest Seekers' new office at 100 Riverside Boulevard (see inset)

This fall, a one block stretch of Riverside Boulevard will suddenly become crowded with real estate offices. First, Blu Realty Group brought a real estate office and cafe to the boulevard, now Nest Seekers International is bringing an office designed by Andres Escobar & Associates to Lincoln Square. The residential brokerage said it commissioned the high-end designer to transform the raw commercial condominium it bought at the base of the Avery into its newest office. Escobar is known for designing the Duvet nightclub in Gramercy and the 92 Greene Street condo in Soho, among other high-profile projects.

Nest Seekers closed on the $1.4 million, approximately 1,500-square-foot space at 100 Riverside Boulevard last month and will open the office, its fourth in Manhattan, in 30 to 60 days. The West Side office is the firm's 10th overall; in addition to the Manhattan locations it has one office in Long Island City, four on the East End, and one in Miami.

"Just as when we deal with clients and steer them towards value purchases, we chose this location for the long-term value and investment opportunity that comes in owning a space in a wonderful neighborhood," said Ravi Gulivindala, a Nest Seekers vice president and managing director who will head up the office. He said he is one of several agents who works on many deals in the area. Approximately 30 agents will be stationed in the new office, comprised of a mix of new hires and Nest Seekers agents from others offices.

The location will have about 50 feet of frontage along both Riverside Boulevard and West 65th Street, which Gulivandala said will serve as great advertisement to passersby and, potentially, drivers stuck in traffic on the West Side Highway.

Inside, the office will have a modern look, with open space and a highly bronzed finish (see renderings above).

"We are thrilled to be designing for Nest Seekers International," said Escobar, who also designed the new Lexington Avenue offices for Peter Ashe Real Estate. "Our studio has a longstanding, established presence in New York City's design scene, and we intend to expand that presence further, taking on high-profile residential, retail and commercial projects."

The office will open about the same time as Blu Realty Group's office one block north at 120 Riverside Boulevard. Blu's founders are all Nest Seekers alums, but Gulivindala said he doesn't see it as any different than other parts of Manhattan, such as Greenwich Village, where two competing firms have neighboring offices. Blu declined to comment on having Nest Seekers move nearby.