urbanSTL

bsharmastl wrote:I would not have bought a loft without a secured parking spot either. I don't know who called the Developer short sighted. The general view was that there should be a good mixture of res and comm.



I truly believe that Downtown is coming up magnificently and that buildings like the Meridian and Bogen will become earmarks of good development. That said, these buildings should try to maximize the exposure they can get outside of being "just another" loft building. These are two of the most visible sights of STL loft district.

Thanks for the compliment and it's not too late for you to buy in

U will be surprised



I looked at the Meridian, Bogen and Ventana when I was hunting(one year back). Unfortunately, ALL the lofts that I wanted (the configurations) were gone almost as soon as the Meridian hit the market. I was looking for something VERY specific, which is why I limited myself to these.



Meridian was out cause the lofts I would have loved to have were all gone. The top floor were out of range.



Bogen was awesome, but I thought they were charging way too much, as compared to the Meridian (or market comparison as such).



I found the perfect fit in the Ventana, where I have unit I configuration (balcony, almost top floor with FULL view of North city and awesome windows).



I actually recommended the Meridian to a friend of mine (came from out of town and was looking to lease a loft) and he is in negotiation.



Best of luck. This is one nice building.



Once again, let's have a constructive view of this and downtown as a whole. I am sure there are plenty of people who visit this forum. If you google for St. Louis lofts, the UrbalSTL site is amongst the top queries. Getting turned off from this forum because of some negativity will not resolve anything.

I was the one who called the loss of retail space short sighted, maybe not by the developer perhaps by city zoning. During the big downtown building boom of the 80's most new construction was designed with very little outside retail space. Office buildings were constructed more like fortresses and this drained life from the sidewalks. I only want to point out that those who decry the lack of retail or entertainment activity along our major streets should perhaps look to the property developers as one cause. Don't take it personally, I envy your purchase of a home in the Meridian, but I also desire to see more street life in our central business district.

I agree that it probably is for the best to have civil discourse regarding these matters. Many agree that for downtown to continue on its road to success, a symbiotic and balanced relationship between residental and retail is necessary. I think we all want downtown to be a success and just want to stress that the needs of residents must be balanced with those of retail. Glad you think highly of the building as well. First beer is on me if I see you guys out.

southcitygent wrote:I was the one who called the loss of retail space short sighted, maybe not by the developer perhaps by city zoning. During the big downtown building boom of the 80's most new construction was designed with very little outside retail space. Office buildings were constructed more like fortresses and this drained life from the sidewalks. I only want to point out that those who decry the lack of retail or entertainment activity along our major streets should perhaps look to the property developers as one cause. Don't take it personally, I envy your purchase of a home in the Meridian, but I also desire to see more street life in our central business district.

bsharmastl, did you look at Ely?

I would have, but for the size of the windows in that building.



Let me elaborate. I and my girlfriend looked at Ely from the outside and LOVED the building. A closer look however confirmed that the building did not utilize much in terms of window space (something that the Meridian and Ventana do). Big beautiful windows of the Ventana clinched it. That was the main reason for me to limit myself to the 3 I mentioned and my final descision.



BTW, I am sure it has been mentioned somewhere in this forum. What is the plan for the roof of the Meridian?

bsharmastl wrote:BTW, I am sure it has been mentioned somewhere in this forum. What is the plan for the roof of the Meridian?

A parking garage to make room for 8000 sq. ft. retail.

No seriously..... is there going to be a rooftop pool, health center, club house?



I am feeling too lazy to go back thru the pages and find it.

bsharmastl wrote:



No seriously..... is there going to be a rooftop pool, health center, club house?



I am feeling too lazy to go back thru the pages and find it.

All of those things can needlessly rasie condo dues for people who don't use them. This building's model was keeping dues down. I think that none of those things are there, and that is precisely how their buyers wanted it, keep the dues low. There's a place for everyone's preferences DT.



Also, rooftop pools in the loft district have become nothing more than marketing devices to help developers sell units by advertising "rooftop pool" early on, only so later they can announce it's 2ft deep.... Most of them are 3ft deep or less "splash pools", basically all show and no go.

Urban Elitist wrote:

bsharmastl wrote:



No seriously..... is there going to be a rooftop pool, health center, club house?



I am feeling too lazy to go back thru the pages and find it.

All of those things can needlessly rasie condo dues for people who don't use them. This building's model was keeping dues down. I think that none of those things are there, and that is precisely how their buyers wanted it, keep the dues low. There's a place for everyone's preferences DT.



Also, rooftop pools in the loft district have become nothing more than marketing devices to help developers sell units by advertising "rooftop pool" early on, only so later they can announce it's 2ft deep.... Most of them are 3ft deep or less "splash pools", basically all show and no go.

Precisely, mon frere.

Hey all,



I just moved into the Meridian and discovered this forum. I was just wondering how I could get the yahoo group info as I am interested in being a somewhat involved resident. I also had some noob questions: like how do we go about paying our HOA dues? Should I just expect the bill to show in my mailbox every month or did I miss the part where they gave out pay stubs? Is there going be another meet n' greet in the future? And other minor stuff that I could just ask in the yahoo group if you guys would prefer it. Lemme know if anyone gets the chance, thanks!

Stretch wrote:Hey all,



I just moved into the Meridian and discovered this forum. I was just wondering how I could get the yahoo group info as I am interested in being a somewhat involved resident. I also had some noob questions: like how do we go about paying our HOA dues? Should I just expect the bill to show in my mailbox every month or did I miss the part where they gave out pay stubs? Is there going be another meet n' greet in the future? And other minor stuff that I could just ask in the yahoo group if you guys would prefer it. Lemme know if anyone gets the chance, thanks!

Hey Stretch, welcome to both the Meridian and the forum. I'll private message you the group URL. I can't speak for everyone else, but I've always received the HOA bill under my door. If you aren't receiving yours, you'll want to speak with Hip or Oum at the display unit about it.

I closed today, moving Monday.

I'm SO jealous! Our unit's not finished yet, but we're supposed to have our final walkthrough this week, so it should be much longer...



Are they working on the lightwell yet? I haven't been there in almost 2 weeks, but I know that Paric's trying to wrap it up and move on so it should be done soon.

Haven't the developers provided you with the necessary information? You'll want to get with them regarding this.

aimster wrote:If anybody has an email address for Elaine at Civitas, please PM me. I need to schedule our move and I can't find her card.



Thanks!



Amy

bsharmastl wrote:



No seriously..... is there going to be a rooftop pool, health center, club house?



I am feeling too lazy to go back thru the pages and find it.

It is my understanding that the roof will belong to the penthouse owners to do with as they wish. Dan just mentioned they were bringing some sort of white rock up to beautify it.

innov8ion wrote:Congrats and have a good move, CS. We'll have to grab a drink sometime after you settle in.



Dave

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:I closed today, moving Monday.

I'm in as of today. This week I'm swamped. Maybe next week or the following. I need to find a "hangout"!

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:

innov8ion wrote:Congrats and have a good move, CS. We'll have to grab a drink sometime after you settle in.



Dave

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:I closed today, moving Monday.

I'm in as of today. This week I'm swamped. Maybe next week or the following. I need to find a "hangout"!

Ahh, I haven't found a hangout per se yet and it's been a few months. Sounds good.

Note to self: Get a pair of slippers. Those concrete floors are cold!

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:Note to self: Get a pair of slippers. Those concrete floors are cold!

Heat rises, you may want to walk on the ceiling instead

innov8ion wrote:

The Central Scrutinizer wrote:Note to self: Get a pair of slippers. Those concrete floors are cold!

Heat rises, you may want to walk on the ceiling instead

I guess it's possible that no one is living below me yet, so maybe their ceiling/my floor isn't warm yet.

That won't help your floor's warmth too much. They likely insulated under the concrete for heat and sound. So, you'll lose heat from the surface of your concrete much faster than it can seep up from below. And it's always going to feel cold to the touch since concrete has a low specific heat relative to water(70% of you physical makup), and since the surface of your concrete is smooth,and there is usually a sizeable temperature difference between the floor and your foot, that only facilitaates easier heat transfer from your foot into the concrete.