Palmaire

Palmaire Condominiums developed by Helix, a partnership of Ryan Spiekerman and Adam Feldman which also developed Christensen Court (aka The George Lofts), is a wonderful example of 1960's mid-century modern architecture with all new and modern systems and interior finishes. Truly worth checking out.

The guys started with an old apartment building that had originally been built by the owner of one of the largest plumbing businesses in the Valley. The contractor built 18 condos. There's a two story upside down "L" shaped building with sixteen single story one, two and three bedroom condos and then there are two free standing, ground floor, single story houses (actually condos but look and feel like single family detached structures) with two bedrooms and two bathrooms each. The two detached structures were originally built for the contractor's mother and mother-in-law. The two detached condominiums and three other condos have small private backyards.

As far as we can tell, the structure is SOLID, which is what one would expect from construction done forty years ago on behalf of a successful contractor who understood the construction process and quality etc...

I was personally able to see "inside" the floor of the second floor units at Palmaire. Meaning I was able to see with my own eyes that the second floor is made up of approximately 2 inches of concrete with a 4 inch air gap and another 2 inches of concrete below that. I can't imagine how someone below you could hear a sound from a second floor condo unless that person REALLY wanted to be heard. I mean these floors are solid. The walls are solid concrete, the roof appears to be very well built and has a brand new (1 1/2 year old) surface, the developer told us that the electrical system from the main power lines in is all new (i.e. the wires, the main electrical panel, the transformers, the sub panels, the outlets etc...), the old A/C system was ripped out and brand new 13 SEER heat pumps were installed with all new ductwork, new condensation lines, new electrical conduit, new cooling lines etc..., the windows are brand new, modern, low-e glass, the interior and exterior doors are brand new, the plumbing was all checked and repaired as needed, the sheet rock is mostly new, the popcorn ceilings were scraped, and you have to see the concrete block of the condominiums themselves.

The original block walls at Palmaire had layer after layer of paint on them. The developers hired a company to blast all the paint off. The blasting company used corn husks instead of sand which makes for a more manageable effect. Instead of having super smooth (and boring) concrete walls the aggregate (granite pebbles) in the concrete are actually exposed a little making for a rougher and much more interesting look and feel. You gotta see it. I like it so much that I'm going to do the same thing to a small four plex apartment building I own (how's that for putting my money where my mouth is? :-)

Now for the interiors. Standard finishes include smooth textured stucco walls, vertical grain bamboo floors, four inch contemporary baseboard, stainless finish appliances, European style cabinets, butcher block counter tops, contemporary European style bathrooms, frosted glass front doors, and much more. Upgrade options are relatively inexpensive and offer a lot of flexibility.

All this and Palmaire Condominiums are located on a quiet cul-de-sac across from a small park and an easy walk to Five and Diner, Chipotle Grill, Pacific Fish Company, Blockbuster, Einstein's, Starbucks, and an easy bike ride from Rokerij, Richardsons, Texaz Grill, Trader Joes, Miracle Mile Deli, and so many other restaurants and bars in and around the Biltmore Fashion Park and Esplanade.