Library Court slightly resembles a nicely appointed beach side hotel. The building is rectangular in shape and has an interior courtyard with a zen-like theme. It’s actually a nice oasis in the city that makes you feel as if you’re not really in Downtown. The color scheme for the exterior furniture and some of the exterior walls in the elevator area are shades of Red, Blue and Yellow that are primary in the most absolute form. Somehow “zen” and “crayola primaries” don’t work well in the same sentence. More subdued colors may have been a better choice.
Most units are exterior facing with the exception of the 06, 08, 10 & 12 numbered units. All of those face the interior courtyard which is never my preferred choice, however those units on the top 2 floors do get a good amount of natural light during the day.
The open house was self touring and they started us off on the odd numbered side of the building where the view is of an obtrusive, massive office structure that looked as if it were vacant. The units numbered 14, 15 & 16 were definitely the primo spots with fantastic views of the Standard and the Jonathon Club. 15 & 16 have walls of windows for an even more spectacular effect. 01, 02, 03 & 04 have decent views as well, mainly of another office building however this one is at least located across 6th street so it doesn’t feel as imposing as the opposite side of the building.
Now onto the interiors: layout, design, etc. Most units were in the 600-700+ sq ft. range with a few at 900 and at least one at 1100+. Likewise there were a few in the 500+ range however the bedrooms in those units were tiny! There was one 2 bedroom unit that I felt would have worked nicer as a one bedroom (14). My favorites were 15 & 16 (obviously) and 03; all of which are near the 700 sq. ft. size with marked difference in pricing if you are on the primo view side and choose a unit higher in the building. Note to those who are interested: all 15 & 16 numbered units are sold already with the exception of 215 which after Saturdays’ sales event may not be the case. The units have some sort of hardwood flooring except for the bedrooms which are carpeted. The bathrooms are oddly large and a few of us speculated that perhaps it was a requirement they be so spacious for wheelchair access. The cabinetry in the kitchen area wasn’t anything the write home about however I did like the overall clean feel of the kitchens. The only downer…the dreaded electric stove of which I apparently have some serious deep seeded issues with. Just call me a child of the 70’s.
Overall I think I’m on the fence about this building. Having close friends who recently have taken up residence in the Molino Street Lofts and being one who prefers an older, rawer structure I find these units a little too apartment-ish. Then again, for what they are bringing to the neighborhood – a nicely appointed building which seems to be priced fairly in this market & lots of new ground floor dining (Wolfgang Puck, Juice It Up, Subway, Loose Leaf and a Japanese Restaurant – I left my notes at home) – they seem to have succeeded.
The Daily Grill opened up a year ago in the neighborhood and became an instant hit with the Downtown work force and we all know what The Standard has done towards creating a nightlife “scene” on this particular portion of 6th Street. With The Gas Company Lofts a block away and another adaptive reuse project underway on the same block as the Library Court, this little section of Downtown has the potential to be a nice connecting point between South Park and the Historic Core.
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