A raw state penthouse is listed for $2.99 million with graffiti on its walls in Brooklyn

The triplex penthouse condo located at 160 Imlay St. in Red Hook, Brooklyn is listed for $2.99 million in its original state, with the spray-painted tags still visible on its walls. Dubbed the Red Hook Lofts, other units in the project have been renovated and painted, while the sales team at Living New York chose to show this unit, PH-C3, as-is, in the hope that a buyer will appreciate the graffiti and leave it on display. Living New York’s marketing director, Camille Murphy, said that leaving the graffiti intact would allow buyers to “make that choice for themselves.”

The graffiti, which includes a large purple “R” and an illegible word, is mostly located on the third level of the 4,127-square-foot home, with two small scribbles on the first floor. Living New York agent Kelly Rogers thinks that a buyer might leave the graffiti exposed for the aesthetic, especially since one of the tags is located above an area where an architect might build a staircase.

The six-story, 70-unit condo building was built in 1910 as the country’s first reinforced steel and concrete building and was once owned by the New York Dock Co. No. 160 remained vacant for several years before being developed for residential use in 2014, during which time graffiti artists frequented the building. Today, the condo boasts upscale amenities, including a 24-hour attended lobby, a gym with private showers and saunas, and a top-floor residents’ lounge with 20-foot floor-to-ceiling windows.

The graffiti-tagged penthouse, with a private elevator and ceiling heights of 12 to 16 feet, has two outdoor spaces: a 1,800-square-foot terrace on the first floor and a 1,270-square-foot private roof deck. The sales agents are unsure of what the triplex will be worth once it’s renovated, as there is nothing else quite like it. However, other units in the building that lack the same potential are listed for more than $2 million.

While some people appreciate the unique aesthetic of the graffiti, others do not. New York City graffiti veteran John Matos, who co-owns the streetwear shop Wallworks Two in The Bronx, said that while the hand-styles and paint quality indicate that the pieces were done in the last 10 to 15 years, they don’t add monetary value. He added that if he were the buyer, he would cover them up. “They’re just tags,” Matos said. “I don’t think they were done with the intent of being seen.”