urbanSTL

innov8ion wrote:

publiceye wrote:Above 4 or so, you won't hear normal street noise if your windows are closed. If your windows are open, you'll hear noise up through 8 or 9. If you are a light sleeper, make sure your bedroom is in the center of the loft.

Pretty true. I'm on the 6th floor at the Meridian with a window facing Tucker and do hear ambulances from time to time. Of course, ambulances aren't normal street noise.

Sound is very interesting how it travels. I've been on floors 6 and 7 in Printer's Lofts, (the spaces on the back side that overlook Wash. Ave and that CPI parking lot). On a quiet night, you could actually hear people down in that parking lot having normal conversation.



And I have been on the top floor on the Locust side and with windows open you can still hear a lot of street noise. If you are in an area like Dorsa where you kind of have this cavern of tall buildings separated by Wash. Ave. I bet it will be loud, especially down on the third floor. But that's the charm of living in the city.

I hear that Good Works has signed on to occupy the entire first floor of Bankers.

When we bought our bedroom furniture there, they told us the same thing...they were first looking at the Bogen, but it wasnt going to be done in the timeframe they wanted, so they are going into Bankers and hope to open this Spring.



THis is a great piuckup, we live in a loft downtown and bought our bedroom furniture there, I know several other loft dwellers who ahve done the same, so this is a case of a business moving into an established client base.

To those in Bankers: How's the hot water?



The Pyramid people have consistently told me that their buildings "always have hot water." I originally took that to mean that the hot water would never run out, due to an on-demand water heating system (the likes of which have become popular lately).



However, looking at the Dorsa and Bankers websites, the buildings have a central looped hot water system - meaning (I think) that hot water constantly circulates through the pipes from the water heater to the units and back, when the hot water is not in use. This keeps the water IN THE PIPES hot all the time, so that there is no "waiting" for water to get hot when you first turn on a spicket. I think this means that the hot water still comes from a water heater, which can certainly run out of hot water. So in this sense, there's IMMEDIATELY hot water, but there's not ALWAYS hot water.



So has this been an issue? Does the hot water run out at peak usage times? Or is it designed well enough that there's enough hot water to go around?



Thanks.

JimJim15 wrote:To those in Bankers: How's the hot water?



The Pyramid people have consistently told me that their buildings "always have hot water." I originally took that to mean that the hot water would never run out, due to an on-demand water heating system (the likes of which have become popular lately).



However, looking at the Dorsa and Bankers websites, the buildings have a central looped hot water system - meaning (I think) that hot water constantly circulates through the pipes from the water heater to the units and back, when the hot water is not in use. This keeps the water IN THE PIPES hot all the time, so that there is no "waiting" for water to get hot when you first turn on a spicket. I think this means that the hot water still comes from a water heater, which can certainly run out of hot water. So in this sense, there's IMMEDIATELY hot water, but there's not ALWAYS hot water.



So has this been an issue? Does the hot water run out at peak usage times? Or is it designed well enough that there's enough hot water to go around?



Thanks.

I've lived at the Bankers Lofts since the end of June 2006 and have never run out of hot water and I sometimes take pretty long showers. The water takes maybe 10-15 seconds to heat up if I haven't used the bathroom sink hot water prior to showering, but that's not bad in a building this size. I don't think you have anything to worry about. Good luck!

Good Works will occupy 7,800 sf in the Bankers Lofts, according to the Business Journal.

DeBaliviere wrote:Good Works will occupy 7,800 sf in the Bankers Lofts, according to the Business Journal.

Yep. They'll occupy all the first floor space. The original plan was that three different businesses would go in there, but Good Works wanted all of it.

Downtown STL Fan wrote:

DeBaliviere wrote:Good Works will occupy 7,800 sf in the Bankers Lofts, according to the Business Journal.

Yep. They'll occupy all the first floor space. The original plan was that three different businesses would go in there, but Good Works wanted all of it.

Sarcasm Switch: On



A furniture store? Good idea. That worked out so well on 10th street, I'm sure it will work out much better across the street from the convention center. The increased amount of foot traffic will result in many more dressers being sold than if it were somewhere else downtown. I can't tell you how many times I wish there were a furniture store nearby so I didn't have to get in my car every time I wanted to buy a nightstand. Of course the high end furniture store that is at the corner of 10th and Washington will still be a shorter walk than the walk to Bankers for me. Or there is the high end furniture store next to Copia. So many high end furniture stores... so little time. All we need now is about 20 or 30 more restaurants that are only open from 11-2 M-F, and we'll be a real neighborhood! People will drive from miles around to buy couches and beds that will go perfectly with the decor in their west county lofts.



Sarcasm Switch: Off



Seriously. That has got to be the worst use of that space I could possibly think of. Now there are at least three furniture stores downtown I'll never set foot in. I've lived here a year, and I've noticed the entire city of St Louis has a serious shortage of book stores... does anyone in this city read? I would think that across from the convention center would be a great place for a book store. Sat night I walked out of Joseph's (great place with super friendly staff by the way), and ran into a bunch of conventioners. They were wandering around wondering why nothing was open downtown. I escorted them to the Dubliner lecturing about the downtown revival along the way... Upon our arrival we had a Guiness... and then all was good. Too bad there wasn't some usefull retail at the edge of the loft district to get the conventioners to stroll down Wash ave instead of drifting towards the Keiner parking garages at night.

Arch City wrote:


I'd prefer 100 Irish pubs anyday over empty storefronts.

100 Irish Pubs? That wouldn't be St Louis, that'd be a little place I call Heaven.



Obviously, I'd rather have another furniture store in there than have it sit empty. I am just disappointed that a space that arguably has some of the best exposure on Washington ave (it's across the street from the convention center for crying out loud) isn't going to have a business in it that capitalizes on that exposure and lures those conventioners out after dark and funnels them down Washinton Ave. I'm tired of seeing the throngs of conventioners walking around wondering what to do at night. We need more things that aren't restaurants and bars. A third furniture store does nothing for our neighborhood after dark.



A new furniture store is still better than the other side of the convention center: the old Dillard's looks atrocious. You would think someone would at least try to replace the windows that are missing.



When I moved downtown, I walked into Ambiente to buy a couch... for about two seconds. That's another cool retail space that I hope that will attract a new business thanks to the increased traffic the syndicate will surely generate ... but for god sakes, we don't need a fourth furniture store!!

While I may not agree with the location I think that THIS KIND of furniture store is a big plus for downtown. Good Works! is much different than the other stores in that the majority of their products are functional and very affordable.



Let's be honest, not everyone can afford super expensive furniture and even if one could who's to say that they want to spend their money on it versus something else?



I have bought a few things from Good Works and have been very pleased with my purchases. Affordable, good quality, nice design. Perfect furniture if you ask me.

I think this a great move for Good Works, plus they have a large selection of "gifty" items (candles, soaps, lotions, vases, etc.) that will more than likely generate some convention foot traffic.

You can see Banker's Lofts original cornice here.







It's a shame that cornice is gone. Lammert Building appears to have had a different cornice as well.

STLCardsBlues1989 wrote:Found this ad. $4500 for the top loft at Bankers Lofts
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/apa/2115365773.html

looks like it has about three windows

Honestly, What were they thinking with that carpet? It's ghastly.

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:

Moorlander wrote:Honestly, What were they thinking with that carpet? It's ghastly.

If you're talking about the "carpet" in the rec room/bar/hallway, it's not carpet.

Oh, looks like carpet to me. What is it?