Buying in Lafayette Park

[Neilr]

We actually don't have kids yet, so we're planning pretty far ahead. LP seems to be ideal in that it has the great school and TREES, but still has walk/bike-ability to our jobs and downtown entertainment. I haven't explored LP yet, but it looks like the units on Navarre have private patios. That's awesome.

The 21 townhouses on Navarre Place are unique in Lafayette Park. First off, they're condos – most of the neighborhood is coop. There are clear differences between each type and there are advantages and disadvantages to both condo and coop terms of ownership.

Secondly, they have a strong fortress appearance and [[as opposed to the Mies coops) look inward onto themselves rather than outward through glass curtain walls.

Also, they are very big! Each home has 4 bedrooms, 3 full and 2 half baths, and an attached 2-car garage. They also each have a fireplace in the living room and another in the basement rec room.

[pseudo]

The 21 townhouses on Navarre Place are unique in Lafayette Park. First off, they're condos – most of the neighborhood is coop. There are clear differences between each type and there are advantages and disadvantages to both condo and coop terms of ownership.

Secondly, they have a strong fortress appearance and [[as opposed to the Mies coops) look inward onto themselves rather than outward through glass curtain walls.

Also, they are very big! Each home has 4 bedrooms, 3 full and 2 half baths, and an attached 2-car garage. They also each have a fireplace in the living room and another in the basement rec room.

I didn't realize the Navarre units weren't co-op. That's good to know. The patio + garage is a great draw, but then so are the glass curtain walls. I think the wife and I are going to check out an open house at a MvdR unit this weekend. We'll definitely take a stroll down Navarre as well.

Neilr, care to share your opinon on the pros/cons of co-op vs. condo?

[Gianni]

Many of the residents of the Mies units in LP will tell you that they are living in a work of art. This piece, from the Detroit-Berlin connection series recently on WDET, gives a hint at what it's like to live a Mies courthouse, There are only 20 of them here, and nowhere else in the world.

http://wdet.org/shows/detroit-berlin...-van-der-rohe/

P.S: biggest difference between a co-op and a condo: if you want to move into a coop, the board, made up of your hopefully future neighbors, votes on whether you can be a resident.

[Bagley]

Many of the residents of the Mies units in LP will tell you that they are living in a work of art. This piece, from the Detroit-Berlin connection series recently on WDET, gives a hint at what it's like to live a Mies courthouse, There are only 20 of them here, and nowhere else in the world.

http://wdet.org/shows/detroit-berlin...-van-der-rohe/

P.S: biggest difference between a co-op and a condo: if you want to move into a coop, the board, made up of your hopefully future neighbors, votes on whether you can be a resident.

You would find a way to inflame my courthouse dreams. I guess the only thing I want is the sound isolation. I would miss the tree house vibe of the second floor. Wouldn't know what to do with a courtyard--though I have some ideas...