Showtime begins at Elden apartments

Location: Maryborough Hill, Douglas

THERE are several levels of style and ’want’ at the niche Elden apartment scheme — the desirability level increases as you go up the five floors to the knock-out level penthouse, which is now for sale. In fact, three show units are all coming to market next week — loosely described as good, better and best in class.

Despite the frenzy building of the boom, there were very few top quality apartment schemes built out in Cork City — Opera Lane, the Elysian and Elden are probably the top trio in town, and Elden’s even a bit outside town, hidden in leafy Maryborough Hill, on Douglas’s hilly fringes.

Developed by O’Flynn Construction (who also did the Elysian, which is filling up steadily with up-market rentals) Elden was launched in late 2008, as the property crash was in full-flight. Since, apartments have been — generally — the biggest losers and will be the last of the urban homes to recover momentum.

Selling now, and with viewings staring next week, is Ann O’Mahony of Sherry FitzGerald, and it’s not really sales spiel to say that Elden is almost in a category of its own: it will have an on-going appeal to traders-down who like the convenience of apartment living, but would be nervous of pure city living. Notions of Cork urbanism that built up in the boom are back in their box; it’s ’town’ again, not Manhattan.

Designed in a low-key, sort of Dublin 4 contemporary style by Hogan Associates Architects, there are 75 units here in all, in a stepped-down over-basement parking block in five linked cores, each with its own lift. So, at most each lift serves just two units per floor — and one crowning glory penthouse unit topmost.

Each apartment has a dual aspect, and the views to the north, towards the estuary and back towards the city get better the higher up you get above the tree line (Eldon’s five acre site was originally owned by the one private house, demolished to make way for these apartments, and 28 houses.)

Not surprisingly, sales didn’t engage at the time back in 2008, and most of Elden’s apartments have been renting away steadily, so now Sherry FitzGerald have decided to re-engage with the market by selling the three show-units.

This trio — two two-beds at 990 and 1,150 sq ft plus the whopping, double-sized 2,029 sq ft penthouse — were decked out to wow a market that had grow accustomed to luxury, so there’s nothing wanting and quality’s assured. If there’s a touch or two of bling or bluster, it’s in the accessories - and they can be readily dispensed with.

All the essentials here will stand the test of time, and fashion, such as double aspect for loads of light, fireplaces with gas inserts, multi-room audio, very good fully-tiled neutral bathrooms with Duravit ware, video intercoms and alarms, and granite or solid wood worktops, and solid hardwood floors; the oak parquet in the three-bedroomed penthouse is handsome, indeed. Complete with Poggenpohl kitchens and banks of Miele appliances, the penthouse splits its sleeping and living areas side by side for a division as natural as upstairs/downstairs, all on the top roof level, and each has access to the north and south full-with terrace.

Sceptical about apartment living? This show(off) unit, and to a lesser degree the other two show apartments, have the power to change most buyers’ minds: if only all Irish apartments were built and finished like this we could have called ourselves Europeans, at last.

Ah, and the prices? €295,000 and €320,000 for the two-beds, and €695,000 for the penthouse, with everything included, down to crystal glasses, forks and steak knives. Just hang your (designer) clothes up in the built-ins.

VERDICT: It’s showtime, once more. Viewings start Saturday, Nov 2, 1-3pm — prepare to be impressed.