55 Berry Street

55 Berry Street rises six floors on the Northside of Williamsburg, a block back from the East River. The building dates to 1900 and holds forty five units, and it wears its age structurally rather than decoratively: the beams and columns that carry the floors are still exposed inside the apartments, painted white and left to read as what they are. It trades today as Berry Street Lofts.

The apartment runs 1,168 square feet across two bedrooms and one bath, and the plan is organised the way lofts are, as one long volume with the rooms arranged along it. The great room opens under the beams to oversized windows with northern exposure, so the light is even rather than direct and holds all day.

The whole of one wall is shelving, floor to ceiling, filled with books and hung with framed work between the runs, with a wooden rolling ladder leaning against it to reach the top shelves. It is the detail that separates this from every other renovated loft on the market: not a styling gesture but a working library, built to the height of the room.

The kitchen sits in the run of the loft rather than behind a wall, matte black cabinetry against a white island with seating, stainless appliances and a single industrial pendant over the counter. The second bedroom is closed by full height sliding panels rather than fixed partitions, so the plan can be opened back into one room or shut into two depending on the day.

The bath is finished as a long double vanity with a walk in shower and a double entry. The primary bedroom holds a walk in closet. Laundry is in the unit, and heating and cooling are central.

The building carries a part time doorman and a video intercom, a gym, a bike room and private storage included with the unit. Shared outdoor space runs to a common roof deck, a terrace and a barbecue area. Pets are considered case by case. The unit is offered on a twelve month lease with no fee.