By Jennifer Merin

I never thought I'd like living in a luxury building. In fact, I kind of disliked the idea of new buildings. I felt it wasn't necessary. But, you know, I've found that it's nice to not have rats and roaches, and to have heat that works and low electricity bills and nice views. It's like living in a hotel sometimes, but that's not always a bad thing. I like it lot more than I thought I would, actually. I think it may have jaded me a bit.

—Sean Gottlieb, 33, tv writer/producer

IN 2003, WHILE living in a West Village walk-up, Sean Gottlieb frequently roller-bladed in Battery Park, where he spotted construction of The Solaire, a 27-story "green" residential tower, located at 20 River Terrace, right on the Hudson River.

"It was a building designed and built specifically to protect the environment—or at least not add to its destruction—and that intrigued me. At the time, I wasn't actively thinking about moving, but when I learned about post-9/11 rent abatements available to renters signing new two-year leases in the Battery Park area, I began investigating possibilities," says Sean. "Then, too, my girlfriend and I were talking about giving up our individual apartments and taking a place together. We finally applied for an apartment in The Solaire on the last day the rent abatement offer was valid, at the end of May. Application was an easy process, and we took occupancy of our one-bedroom apartment in August."

The Solaire is a luxury highrise with exceptional design details and all the amenities. The building has a two-story lobby, state-of-the-art gym open only to residents for a $30 monthly fee, rooftop garden, inhouse parking and solar panels that supply power. Apartments, referred to as "residences," feature slate floors, marble countertops, floor-to-ceiling windows with great views, washer/dryers, high-speed internet, multiple phone lines, filtered water, designer low-consumption lighting fixtures and more.

Rents are high.

"We'd like to have lived on the river- view side of the building, but one-bedrooms were about $3500 a month. Our apartment is $2800 a month. We're on the 15th floor, and have very nice city views. But they're building five additional towers that, within the next four months, will block our view, which we knew when we took the place," says Sean.

"We could commit to the $2800 rent because of the abatement of $500 per month, and we got the first two months free. That means we're actually paying $2100 per month for the duration of our two-year lease. It's a great deal. We will have saved $12,000 in two years. We could not have afforded to live in this building otherwise. On the other hand, I wonder whether the building developers—who received post-9/11 tax abatements as incentive to complete construction—might not have had to charge lower rents if the rent abatement option hadn't been made available."

The way the rent-abatement deal works is that Sean pays the $2800 monthly rent, then receives a $500 check from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which takes the money out of its post-9/11 funding for the revitalization of downtown.

The problem is, Sean's deal ends in June, 2005, when his lease is up.

"The abatement ends for us, and for many other downtown renters in situations similar to ours. It's not likely The Solaire will offer to lower rents, because the building's completely full and there's a waiting list to get in. But the five new buildings under construction may flood the rental market with apartments, and that may lower rents. It just isn't clear how the situation will evolve, or what we'll decide to do," says Sean.

"Frankly, I'm assuming we'll have to move, and I'm researching possibilities on the internet. I like our neighborhood, especially the park and proximity to the river, but we may not be able to afford to stay. Returning to the West Village is an option, so's Brooklyn. We might buy a place. We have several months to decide. Meanwhile, we're biding our time and enjoying every minute of our opportunity to experience living in a luxury building at a price we've been able to afford." o