The Aston, a 16-story condo building set to rise on Queens Boulevard is being described as "The Great Gatsby comes to Queens again in a modern version," by its architect, Anthony Morali, and the similarities do abound. For one thing, Gatsby lived in a huge mansion and threw lavish parties, and The Aston will be a large (16 stories!) building in which people will also live, and it will have a "really nice roof garden" for parties. Also, both Gatsby (Long Island) and The Aston (Forest Hills) were/will be located in Queens. In addition, they will both come to represent the emptiness that accompanies the reckless pursuit of wealth and the failure of the American Dream (maybe, who knows).
All joking aside, what Morali actually meant is that the building will incorporate sharp angles and setbacks borrowed from Art Deco, which was the prevailing architectural style of the 1920s. (And there will be a CVS on the ground floor, just like in Jay Gatsby's house.) The building's 100 units — mostly one- and two-bedrooms between 800 and 1,200 square feet — will be priced from $600,000 to $750,000. It is scheduled to be completed in June of 2014.
· Luxury Art Deco Condo Rises in Forest Hills [DNAinfo]
· Anthony Morali coverage [Curbed]
Loading comments...