One Manhattan Square Shows off 45K Square-Foot Private Garden with Tree House

Photo: Roger Bultot

Crime might be spiking at one of Extell’s properties on the Lower East Side waterfront, but its luxury tower, One Manhattan Square, continues to bask in amenities.

Specifically, its new garden area, which is touted as the largest private outdoor garden space in the city. At 45,000 square-feet, the West 8-designed yard features a furnished adult treehouse, Japanese-inspired tea pavilion, outdoor kitchens, fire pits, and a playground.

All within earshot of the FDR Drive.

What’s happening here is a microcosm of the class divide – luxury and lower-income standing side by side. Indeed, the amenity is only available to residents of the 815-foot skyscraping eyesore, and not the “affordable” sibling in the same complex. While monied tenants hang in the treehouse on stilts, neighbors at 227 Cherry contend with lack of security and overall crime.

Photo: Roger Bultot

Sure, this garden area at One Manhattan Square is worth noting, but so too is the publicized struggles with residential occupancy. Remember that sales in this building were so sluggish that Extell offered rent-to-own schemes, 20-percent price cuts, and free common charges for ten years.