The Plan: 1515 Surf Brings More Beachside Luxury to New York City

If you’re a resident at 1515 Surf in Coney Island, Brooklyn, home is where the beach is.

The 16- and 26-story project is a beach lover’s paradise. It’s on Surf Avenue directly across from the famed Boardwalk and offers views of the Brooklyn Cyclones’ baseball stadium, Nathan’s Famous hot dog stand, Staten Island and Manhattan, thanks to the large windows in each unit.

And the apartments directly facing the Boardwalk could be perfect summer hangouts as tenants and their guests can watch all the beachfront activity — including the fireworks shows — from the comfort of their living rooms or private terraces.

“When we start a new project, we try to build something that’s contextual, we try to bring the outside in,” said Anthony Tortora, senior vice president of development at LCOR, the developer behind the project. “We brought the boardwalk inside and you can see this synthetic boardwalk that winds up the building and takes you to all of our various amenity spaces.”

The building is preparing to enjoy its first summer at 100 percent complete after move-ins began in the fall.  It has 463 one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments with rents starting at $3,125 per month. About 30 percent of the units are set aside as affordable housing.

This will also be the first summer residents will be able to use all of the amenities. And by Memorial Day 2025, the rooftop pool will be filled and ready for swimmers.

Nothing beats a hot dog and a good swim on a hot summer day, but if residents don’t want to walk across the street to Nathan’s, they can utilize the outdoor garden and grilling area.

1515 Surf also features a game room with old-school arcade games, a basketball half-court, a media lounge for movie nights, coworking spaces, a gym and yoga studio, and the Ocean Lounge, a meeting or event space with a curved, wavelike design.

LCOR and the architect/interior designer Studio V wanted to incorporate the Brooklyn art scene, which is known for the wildly talented members of its community, into the fabric of the building.

“We have a custom art program in the building. We commissioned a photographer to go out and photograph Coney Island, and you’ll see those photographs featured throughout the building,” Tortora said. “We also have a number of installations by local artists like graffiti artist Snoeman, Corey Paige and Timothy Goodman.” 

Beyond the art, views and amenities, what makes 1515 Surf stand apart is the developer’s commitment to preserving the environment. To date, the building is the largest residential project powered by geothermal energy. The system, which was developed in partnership with energy solutions company Ecosave, is estimated to reduce the building’s carbon emissions by over 60 percent.

“What the geothermal system allows us to do is basically eliminate the burning of fossil fuels throughout the building,” Tortora said. “Geothermal was by far the most efficient [system] and future-proofed us out for the foreseeable future. So, while it’s about 3 percent more expensive, we avoid potentially costly regulation issues and we’re projecting we’ll be saving on utility expenses by about 35 percent.”

Amanda Schiavo can be reached at aschiavo@commercialobserver.com.