How do I know if my views are protected?
This has to be one of the most-asked questions, especially because first-time new condo buyers tend to like new, tall buildings . . . and want to know when they’ll be stuck looking at other new, tall buildings.
One thing you should do is start reading the local papers. The Tribeca Trib, for instance, has great information about upcoming real estate developments.
But in general, you should assume your views aren’t protected unless your broker can prove otherwise. Some of the provable situations would be: 1) you’re on a park (for example, if you’re in 225 Fifth Avenue looking at Madison Square Park, what can they build between you and the Park?); 2) you’re next to a low-rise zoning area (although zoning can change, it is generally assumed that an area zoned low, such as the Forties around Eighth, is going to stay low, or at least you will have years to get out; or 3) there will be building, but you know what its outlines will be (for instance, when I showed in the Marais on 23rd Street, we knew that a Boymelgreen building would be going up in our sightlines, but we knew the height of it, so we could sketch in the air to what degree our buyer’s High Line views would be affected, and to what to degree they’d be safe).