|
Sam doesn’t appreciate the diet he’s been put on. He mews protest, but the vet has said he’s too fat.
It’s ironic, really: a physically fat cat, living in a metaphorically “fat cat” condo. In fact, it’s a building full of fat cats. Sam’s neighbors include NASCAR stars, Bobcats, Panthers and banking bigwigs.
They all have at least one thing in common (besides big bank accounts): an appreciation for gracious Uptown living. The Ratcliffe condos opened in 2003 and have since become a beacon of luxe living in Charlotte.
Prominent local architect John Fryday designed these condos, all a little differently, all with great attention to detail. It’s a shame you won’t really pay attention to any of those details, because there’s one feature of this condo that Fryday himself had nothing to do with, yet it steals the show every time, hands down. And it’s only fair the record show: Fryday did a remarkable job of showcasing this jaw-dropping feature. I’ll get to that feature in a minute, but let’s start at the front door.
Right off the bat, you notice that Fat Cat Sam’s condo is an homage to masterpieces. When you walk in the front door, there’s a built-in display case to the left, softly lit from above, ready to showcase your favorite sculpture, painting, or picture. There’s inlaid marble detailing in the foyer floor. The impressive foyer opens into a more impressive, top-of-the-line kitchen. While you’re creating a culinary masterpiece, guests can gaze upon paint or clay or bronze or literary masterpieces; the massive kitchen island has another built-in display case with glass shelves and more soft lighting.
If you love to cook, this kitchen is for you. If you don’t love to cook, this kitchen is also for you because the appliances, layout, and customization could not be any more inspiring.
From the custom cabinets to the full granite countertops to the 42” Subzero refrigerator-freezer with ice dispenser, to the Dacor convection oven, built-in microwave, and warming drawer, this space has every modern convenience you could think of – and some you probably didn’t think of.
There’s not one prep sink, but two. There’s a bar area with a second fridge—this one’s a Sub-Zero. There’s a built-in wine cooler. (The owner jokes with me that if someone buys the place, she’ll leave the cooler fully stocked, a little housewarming gift from the current owners to the next.)
There are under-cabinet lights and accent lights. I sneak a quick peek into the butler’s pantry and see where Sam keeps some of his cat gear: some food, a soft blanket. There’s more than enough room for his stuff--and the human occupants’ stuff—in the house.
Fun fact: when this condo was designed, Sam’s owners paid an additional $25K in kitchen change orders alone.
It’s a shame you won’t even notice all the top-of-the-line kitchen appliances.
It’s also a shame you won’t really pay much attention to the marble floors in both of the full bathrooms, or the marble countertops, or the heated bathroom floors, or the steam shower. It’s a shame you won’t devote more than a passing glance to the tray ceiling in the master bathroom or the whirlpool or the custom framed wall-to-wall mirrors, or the his and hers walk-in closets.
The master bedroom is simple, elegant, and well-appointed. It’s not massive, but spacious enough for several pieces of big furniture. It’s also soft: from the carpeting, to the paint choice, to the décor. It makes you want to kick off your shoes and curl up for a cat-nap, which is probably what Sam does every day.
That show-stealing feature is also showcased in this room, but first the rest of the home.
Where there’s not marble, Brazilian cherry hardwood covers the floor, upstairs and down. There’s a two-story ceiling in the family room and formal dining room, as well as a working gas fireplace. Everything from the light fixtures to the ceiling fans is upscale and architectural in design.
Sam picks up the pace and leads the way up a short flight of stairs that brings us to the second floor. We step into an open loft space, which in this home has been turned into a custom media center and office. Just off this area is the second bedroom--Sam’s bedroom, I’m told. It’s also well appointed, with a beautiful full bath: marble, heated floors, the works.
There’s also access to a second terrace up here. This is where the family does their grilling and outdoor dining. There are teak chaise lounges with hunter green cushions. It looks like a mini day spa, right in the middle of Uptown Charlotte.
There’s also a fully-loaded centralized audio/video system with speakers and touchpad controls in the master bedroom, master bathroom, master shower, kitchen, living room, loft, upstairs terrace and downstairs balcony.
And in an age where you can never be too safe, it should be noted the security here is pretty tight. You can’t even access the elevator to get into the building without a security code. Wachovia security guards routinely patrol the lobby, making sure only residents and their visitors are making their way inside.
Which brings me to this condo’s pièce de resistance. Every luxury home has one. And here, in this penthouse condo in the Ratcliffe, it’s a nearly 360-degree view of a bustling, beautiful, and ever-changing Charlotte city view.
It is not something words can really describe nor do any justice to. For all there is to look at and touch and experience inside the condo, it’s what you see just outside the condo that sells this place. Allen Tate Realtor Nancie Woods says, “You don’t realize how special this view is until you can really see it.”
In a sluggish real estate market, she’s been working overtime to sell this condo – a “full-court press” she tells me, with every marketing trick she’s got up her sleeve. She even came up with a sales slogan for the place: “Million dollar views every evening. Center City convenience everyday.”
I think she’s selling the place short: there are also million-dollar views during the day. I didn’t mention this about the custom kitchen - it could be dangerous, because you won’t pay a lick of attention to anything you’re cutting, boiling, or peeling when you can stare right out the floor-to ceiling glass window that makes up the back wall of the condo.
The view overshadows pretty much every amazing element of this home: you won’t pay much attention to that delicious meal when you eat in the formal dining room, which looks right out over the city. The fireplace in the family room is lovely, but it’s the dazzling city skyline that will hypnotize you on cold winter nights, not the flames. The master bedroom is amazing, but who can close the curtains and get some shuteye with such an exhilarating perspective? It’s the kind of view that makes you want to get up, take on the day, and accomplish something, not sleep in for an extra 15 minutes.
The owner seems to agree. She said she spends most of her time in one of the condo’s two outside spaces. We step outside onto the first floor balcony and don’t speak for a couple of minutes while I soak it all in for the first time, and she soaks it all in for the millionth time. She and her husband spent an entire day out here once, watching a construction crew a few blocks away set up an impossibly tall crane. I ask her if it’s loud, and she says no. “We’ll miss watching the construction. It’s enthralling.”
You’re guaranteed to start your day out here with the morning paper and a cup of coffee, watching the famous pink building glow in the early sun. You’ll probably end your day out here, too, as the hustle and bustle of the business day slows down, the sun sets, and the nighttime city lights put on a show of their own.
Even Sam the cat can appreciate the nearly 360-degree view of the constantly changing Charlotte skyline. Back upstairs he strolls out onto the upstairs terrace to enjoy some mid morning sun. For all the fat cats that live in this building, the owner tells me there is still an amazing sense of privacy here. She can’t recall a time when she’s seen or heard neighbors out on their terraces.
From the upper terrace, you can see the Bank of America tower to the north; turn to catch the shops and restaurants in historic South End. Toward the east you can watch construction crews move earth as they make way for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. In the west, you can enjoy your football tailgate, and everyone else’s, too, with a bird’s-eye view of Bank of America stadium.
If for some crazy reason you want a break from the Queen City view, the owners anted up $20,000 for electric sunshades. To be fair, you can still see through them; they just cut down on some of the sunlight. The owner says that on a clear summer day, the sunlight can be too much sometimes. Can you imagine a home where the worst thing about it can be too much sunlight?
After all, sunlight is preferred for catnapping. And in this “fat-cat” condo, fat cat Sam might not get all the food he wants, but he certainly gets all the sunlight he needs.
~ Morgan Fogarty |
