Living in the City! Why You Should . . . and Can Soon!

Editors Note: All the first story retail spaces, in what is now known as the Bernhardt Luxury Lofts, are filled, and all but two apartments are leased. Call Greg Rapp at 704.214.6846 for more info. (5/23/2015) 

Urban homes that are carved out of grand old buildings offer irreplaceable design traits along with a few challenges.

Often, older urban structures contain brilliant architectural characteristics that are part and parcel of a bygone building standard: soaring ceilings, hardwood floors, lots of windows, and rich finish materials generally used in lobbies or elevators. With the benefits of urban life becoming clearer and clearer, it's no wonder that people are showing a strong preference for it.

Americans are leaning towards a pronounced shift in the housing market over the past decade, with a preference for urban living, more demand for walkability, mixed uses, and access to public transit. Couple these trends with abundant recreational opportunities, urban green spaces, and well-designed
residential infrastructure, and the future of cities looks very bright.

Cities are smarter for you

Because higher density and mixed uses promote more casual exercise, larger cities often are healthier. Every 30 minutes per day spent in a car increases the likelihood of obesity by three percent, whereas walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods decrease it by seven percent.  Polls show that the longer your commute, the lower your well-being.  Decentralization, fragmentation and longer commutes can significantly hinder the ability to form community ties, research reveals.

Cities are smarter for the economy 

Cities are economic engines! As population density rises, so do wages and productivity: for every 50-percent swelling in density, productivity grows by 2-4 percent. In most states, just one or two metropolitan areas account for the majority of the state's GDP.  Often, one city alone accounts for the bulk of economic output.  Cities bring opportunities for wealth and for creative inspiration that results from face-to-face
contact with others. The interaction of people living in close quarters fosters the kind of collaborative creativity that has produced some of humanity's best ideas. Cities breed innovation by putting people with diverse views in close proximity, fostering "cauldrons of creativity."

Cities are smarter for the environment 

Urban development is significantly more efficient with resources, because higher density yields lower waste. A recent Berkeley study revealed that the average footprint for households in major urban areas is less than half the national average, while it can be twice the average in suburbs. New York, the largest U.S. city, is also the greenest by far for per-capita consumption. Its carbon emissions are less than a third the national average, and electricity use is 75 percent lower than Dallas. Because walking and public transit are popular, gasoline consumption now approximates U.S. levels from the 1920s. Denser land use also preserves more area for natural development. According to estimates, a single acre of forest absorbs enough carbon and produces enough oxygen to meet the annual needs of 18 people. Reforesting the land of a single Big Box retail site can nullify the environmental footprint of over 300 people.  (Hosey, L., Why Cities Are Smarter, Huffingtonpost.com, Posted: 03/06/2014)

Live in Downtown Salisbury NC

The City of Salisbury, North Carolina, recently adopted Revitalization Incentive Grants for the downtown area, or what is know here as the Municipal Service District (MSD).  The grants encourage development of existing buildings and the creation of residential units in the downtown.  Enter...the historic Bernhardt Hardware Building!

Bernhardt Hardware, oil on canvas, by Robert Toth

The c. 1882 Bernhardt Hardware Store finally closed for business after having been the City of Salisbury's downtown hardware source as far back as 1927.  Developers purchased the Main Street building in 2013 via Realtor® Greg Rapp and, after meeting with architects and designers, began work on the historic structure in earnest mid-2014.


Plans are moving full-speed-ahead to have retail, offices, and a restaurant on the street level...but the really exciting development will be the (6) new loft-style residential spaces on the upper level (drawings courtesy of Stout Studio Architecture).

Apartment #5, the only 1-bedroom space, is already rented!

But there are 5 more available!  Apartment #3 is a 3-bedroom space ($2,000/month), and the remainder are 2-bedroom spaces ($1,200/month).  Call Greg Rapp of Wallace Realty, who is managing the leasing for the residential spaces, at (704) 213-6846 to get a jump on these living spaces!

Our favorite is Apartment #6, which will be a 2-story space with it's own entry from the rear parking lot, and a wonderful mezzanine level overlooking the first floor ($2,000/month)!  This apartment will feature a seamless kitchen/dining/living area on the first floor, which will be open to the soaring height of the second story ceiling, and will include a 1st floor bedroom, office, or guest room, and ground level bath.

Up the staircase to the mezzanine, you'll find the Master Bedroom with full bath and plenty of closet and storage space!  (Note: the photo here is presented as conceptual and may not be an accurate representation of the finished space.)

One of the more desirable qualities of an urban homes like what we are soon to see in the Bernhardt Hardware space is achieved by the long, tall windows that not only define a room, but also increase the sense of space with panoramic views. The sight of cityscapes, skylines, boulevards, fountains, and bustling streets provides an excitement reserved for city living.  (Note: the photo here is presented as conceptual and may not be an accurate representation of the finished space.)

The Bernhardt Hardware Building renovations, at 113 N. Main Street in Salisbury, NC, are slated to be complete by January 2015. If city living in one of these fabulous newly appointed apartments in a historic 1882 building is up your alley...give Greg Rapp a call: (704)213-6846. We are signing leases NOW!

(Note: the photo here is presented as conceptual and may not be an accurate representation of the finished space.)

Greg Rapp 
Wallace Realty Co. 
704 213 6846 Mobile 
704 636 2021 Office 
www.realestatesalisbury.net 

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