Update: The date of our daltxrealestate.com Staff Meeting has been changed to June 30 because we didn’t want to compete with D Magazine’s annual Best Realtor bash, which takes place tonight. See you on the 30th of June; your invitation is in the mail!
Believe it or not, sometimes Candysdirt.com leaves its mansion-filled, penthouse-scented world of million-dollar down-payments. I recently visited the open-since-March The Jordan high-rise apartments in Uptown. On June 30, The Jordan and daltxrealestate.com will co-host a Staff Meeting Open House to showcase a new standard in high-rise apartment living.
With 212 units, the 23-story Jordan is located at 2355 Thomas, sandwiched between the Hotel Zaza, Federal Reserve, Sambuca, and Morton’s (or Pei Wei if you’re me). It’s obviously a location you’ll not starve in, but don’t blame me if you have Butch Cassidy dreams overlooking the Federal Reserve!
According to recently published data, Dallas County has 416,813 renter households which comprise 48 percent of total households. I won’t delve here into the myriad of explanations for the current national trend towards renting versus purchasing. But with a near 50/50 split here in Dallas, buildings like the deluxe Jordan that may have been condominiums in years past, have their place in today’s household patterns.
A better-than-hotel experience
Driving up The Jordan’s driveway is like approaching a hotel. A glass wall allows visitors to gaze into a lobby they’ll soon be entering for real. The ceilings are mighty high and filled with oodles of common social areas for residents decked out in comfortable furniture and snazzy lighting. In back of the offices and concierge stand (yes, a concierge) there’s a three-tapped bar for regular happy hour events. Being a lighting junkie, I can say there’s eye-candy all over, everywhere. The Jordan is pet friendly with its own bark park.
The first time you exit an elevator you notice something strange. The second the doors open, the lights snap on. It’s something I’ve seen in Europe but this was a first in the US. You see, The Jordan likes to save energy, so there are motion sensors everywhere in the hallways. When there’s no one in a hallway, the lights shut off. And there’s the unspoken benefit that if you get chucked out by your roommate, you’ll likely get an OK night’s sleep in the (eventually) darkened hallway.
The seventh floor has even more resident social space, with a bar and kitchen, tons of seating, and media area. All wrapped in floor-to-ceiling glass facing downtown.
There’s also a pool and jumbo gym. And what a pool. Stellar views of the architectural streetscape of Uptown – The Ritz, Crescent Court, etc. What’s also cool are the shallow areas that you can plop a chaise into and hover above the cool water or if you’re me, splash the bum of a snoozing friend.
The residences
The Jordan has one and two-bedded units available. There are five different one-bedroom configurations that range from 735 to 864 square feet and $1,925-2,509 per month. Pictured above is the A5, which I like best. Granted, it’s also the largest, but I like the kitchen layout and added storage on the right wall. I also like the tucked-in desk space at the top of the floor plan. It makes good use of space that could have been a plastic ficus graveyard. One design feature that may be controversial is the washer/dryer location inside the bedroom closet. Personally, it’s fine with me and would save me a laundry basket to haul around. Think of it as the farm-to-table version of laundry.
Two Bedrooms
The two-bedroom units range from 1,211 to 1,442 square feet, and again I seem to like the largest of the five floor plans. What draws me here is the balcony space. I do like me some balcony! The two-bedroom units also gain a separate laundry area. After all, you can’t have your roommate scurrying into your closet at the crack of dawn to wash their lucky knickers. Also, the architects here got the second bathroom configuration right (unlike another). And for those requiring roommates, headboards to not back up to each other. Two bedroom prices range from $3,630-$4,685 per month.
Both one- and two-bedroom units offer two choices of color scheme. Think of them as “boy” and “girl” as one offers lighter flooring and more grey than the other more brown-toned.
With all the drawers, kitchen cabinetry passes muster with me. Plenty of cabinets for storage and plenty of counter space. Lighting under cabinet and pendant. Also this is a good picture to highlight the overall ceilings with hidden indirect lighting surrounding the perimeter of the room.
The Jordan is designed for today’s open-concept living to remove walls and bring the outside in with large windows. I really like that central light, but it’s only in the model (shucks).
Nice closet, eh? It’s Container Store and fully adjustable. Need more doohickeys and thingamajigs? They’ll give you a discount coupon to order more.
This’ll give you an idea of the bathroom finish out, but one thing is likely missing. In most main bathrooms there’s a wet room with a shower and bathtub. What we see here is a dual shower with both a rain head and a wall-mounted body spray. But look at the right side of the picture … see the knob? You turn on the shower without having to step into it and be cold-sprayed before it heats up. That’s some thinking!
Penthouses
There will be four penthouses each with a different floor plan. I was unable to tour them because they’re still under construction, but at least one will be finished and available to tour during the event. They are also two-bedroom units ranging from 1,986 to 2,262 square feet and $12,055-$13,335 per month. For once, my favorite isn’t the largest one! The penthouses have two different color schemes, but again, both are neutral with one being lighter than the other.
My reasons for liking this unit should be no surprise. It’s a corner for the most light (although they’re all corners) and it has an end-to-end balcony. I also like the main living/kitchen/dining area and especially the kitchen cooktop facing out into the room. The master has a great closet although being a shower person, I wish it were larger and the bathtub was gone.
Before the invitations go out, I’ll whet your visual appetite for the June 30th event and leave you with this …
Remember: Do you have an HOA story to tell? A little high-rise history? Realtors, want to feature a listing in need of renovation or one that’s complete with flying colors? How about hosting a Candy’s Dirt Staff Meeting? Shoot Jon an email. Marriage proposals accepted (they’re legal)! [email protected]