Like their handbags and glad rags, New Yorkers like their real estate brand-name. The latest fad in developments and conversions, illustriously named buildings attempt to attract the next generation of name conscious buyers with evocative appellations, the New York Times reports.
Naturally, the oldest and grandest buildings in New York are identified by address only: the likes of 740 Park and 834 Fifth don’t need sobriquets to advertise their gilded distinction. But for the slew of new luxury buildings popping up around the city, however, a clever or at least affected name helps a new edifice gain credence and recognition.
“It’s Branding 101,” said Allen P. Adamson, a managing director of Landor, a corporate identity consultant. “A name tells a story, and a good name can tell a very strong story.
From Superior Ink to the Laureate (which technically is just Laureate, article free in all its grandiose wonder), a building’s name means a lot these days. Aside from the obvious conceit, baptizing a building has more practical consequences.
The digital age is putting additional demands on those involved in naming buildings. “You have to think about the URL,” said Mr. Kliegerman of Halstead. “You need to think about whether the name can be shortened for a Web or e-mail address.
“What happens when you Google the projected name?” he continued. “You want to make sure it’s sufficiently unique that it’s going to be optimized in a search. Fifteen years ago you wouldn’t have had to think of that.”
The tradition of naming buildings is by no means new, however. The El Dorado, for example, has been a titled symbol of money and power for decades (its reputation only slightly dampened by the recent presence of Alec Baldwin).
But in New York’s real estate market today, all new buildings are being christened to give them a little extra flavor. Will you go with the olde English pretension (the Brompton) or the in-the-know Manhattan-centric affectation (MiMa)?
