Can I get the door, hipster?

Byline: Abby Luby

When was the last time you saw a doorman in a rental building in Williamsburg? Probably never.

But that is changing. What is likely to be the first rental in Williamsburg to have a doorman is scheduled to open in September. In addition to being attended, the new development at 185 South 4th Street is a 49-unit building replete with a gym, storage, laundry room, roof terrace and lounge.

"This is a new development that was slated for condos," said Alex Saltalamacchia, director of leasing of Aptsandlofts.com. "The original ownership changed direction" and went rental, he said.

The building will also have a food drop-off freezer for Fresh Direct deliveries.

Wooing renters to Brooklyn with luxury perks is part of competing with Manhattan, said Saltalamacchia.

"Having a doorman is not necessarily for security; it's an amenity. Fifty percent of the renters we see are coming from Manhattan, and they are accustomed to certain popular amenities. Our typical renter is a high-end business person in their late 20s or early 30s, just out of grad school or in some kind of training job."

Other renters are couples without children, often employed as graphic designers, musicians, fashion designers and Web company employees.

Still, Jeremy Curtin, an agent with Bond New York, said that the high-end luxury rental market in Williamsburg is still a new thing and most renters are still looking for a bargain.

"Manhattan has too many overpriced apartments, and most of my calls for rentals in Williamsburg are still for cheap places," he said.

Kent Avenue between Metropolitan and North 10th Street is an area that will probably see several more high-end rentals, some with doormen, said Curtin.

A doorman will be posted at a 220-unit building at 250 North 10th Street, expected to be up and running in the summer of 2009.

Also sweetening the deal in that building will be a rooftop garden, pool, gym, yoga lounge and game room.

Rentals in the neighborhood get scooped up quickly, according to John Wescott, sales associate for Corcoran in Williamsburg, who said he just handled a rental building at 525 Union Avenue. "This filled up immediately upon opening, and while they don't have a doorman, they do offer a gorgeous rooftop deck and fitness center. I rented a two-bed, two-bath for $3,600 a month."

Prices for one-bedroom rentals at 525 Union Avenue range from $2,400 to $2,800 a month for 550- to 750-square-foot apartments.

Doormen will likely come only to new construction rental developments, said Rob Gonzalez, an agent for Bond New York.

"The pre-war buildings that have been gutted and renovated don't really have the lobby space for a doorman because Williamsburg architecture doesn't allow for it. The small pre-war buildings are built right up to the street and so adding a doorman is almost impossible."

But some older buildings in Williamsburg are also reaching for luxe amenities. Buildings at 186 and 188 South 8th Street were gutted and renovated in 2001 to create apartments that range from 1,000 square feet to more than 3,000 square feet for duplexes and penthouses. The rents range from $3,000 to $7,500 a month.

"There is an optional concierge service that is available for tenants," said Gonzalez. "They operate out of the penthouse office where the building owner works and lives. They can get you tickets to shows and let you know about Brooklyn and Manhattan nightlife."

Developers are seeing a growing market for luxury rentals in Williamsburg, said Michael Moran of Prudential Douglas Elliman, who manages the Bedford Avenue office.

"If you went to Williamsburg right now you would only see five or six different one-bedroom apartments. Developers are realizing that there are not enough rental units on the market and they are saying, 'Hey, there is a market out there, why don't we do it?'"