21st Century Regenerative Technology

1. Go Green in New York Minute: Check Out these Affordable, Eco-Condos (No, Not DiCaprio's Crib)

Go Green in New York Minute: Check Out these Affordable, Eco-Condos...

2009-03-24 14:00

susan - Sustainable Ideas

By Susan Seliger

Here's the simplest way to green your apartment — in a New York minute: buy one that's already greened up. I visited a new condo-complex that fills the bill for all of you busy-lazy city dwellers who want to live greener but also say make-it-easy-for-me or fuggeddaboutit.

While there are a number of eco-friendly apartment complexes in NYC to pick from – most come with price tags that only Leonardo Di Caprio and friends can afford. (And we do hear he has bought one of those gorgeous, oh-so-bamboo-and-all-hand-carved-wood-furniture-in the-lobby versions in Riverhouse, so close to the Hudson River you could throw a tofuburger into it from his window – though, that wouldn't be eco-friendly, now would it?)

However, the Kalahari on 115th Street in Manhattan is an eco-conscious condo with a difference. Sure, it's green — it meets the US Green Building Council’s LEED Silver Standards. But what makes it unique among green buildings in this high-priced city is that half of the apartments are for sale at subsidized rates to low-income residents, and the other half are priced at fair (in this economy, that now means fairly decent) market rates.

The deal gets even better once you move in. The building uses almost one-third less energy than comparable new buildings (keeping maintenance costs low). And each homeowner will save an average of $1,200 per year on their energy costs.

The Kalahari Harlem also features some cool, green amenities like green roofs, ionic and plex-air filters for cleaner air, bamboo flooring (eat your heart out, Leo) and on-site Zip Cars (low-cost rental cars allowing you to drive only when you absolutely have to, without the costly-parking-headaches of owning in a big city).

"The tiles on the roof reflect the heat and they also allow for water to be retained underneath them, delaying water going down the drain," explains Julia Lynch Siegel, Project Manager of Sustainability at Full Spectrum NY, the eco-real-estate developers for the Kalahari. Pointing to the solar panels on a different part of the roof, Julia says, "These panels supply all the electricity we need to light the lobby, the entry and the artwork in the building." Though that's only a small percentage of total energy needs, the building's sponsors project that by 2030, the 200+ Kalahari homeowners will collectively have saved over $21 million in total energy costs.

During construction, the sustainable developers kept millions of tons of waste out of the landfills by using recycled materials, from the structural steel and concrete in the foundation to the carpets in the hallways and the recycled-glass tiles in the kitchens.

Inspiration for the name of the building and the dramatic colors and artwork used throughout come from the San bushmen of the South African Kalahari Desert, whose commitment to preserving the earth's natural resources (and their "click" language) were made famous in the movie, "The Gods Must Be Crazy." (Go watch it again – you know you want to.)

** If you're in the market for a green condo in NY, check out the Kalahari website.

** If you're not in the market for condos in NY, but want to let your local builders see how green building can be done, if the spirit is willing, forward them the website:

** For more on greening the apartment you've got, check out this blog post from Best Green Home Tips.