'House' Keeper

Anyone curious about Anson House condominiums' residential pedigree needs to look no further than the covered main entrance.

The complex, you see, has a doorman, dressed in a dark tailored suit, who ushers in owners and guests.

Like the fabled greeters of tony New York condo high-rises, Anson House's rotating core of doormen are available for directions, lugging groceries, or just to say, "Good day." One doorman or another is stationed at the glass double doors 7 a.m.- 9 p.m. daily. Still, the doorman is not a necessity to get in the building. Owners can enter any time they want with an electronic key that also opens their individual unit and adjacent storage room.

Jet setters, active retirees and wealthy second home owners are expected purchasers of the complex's 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom dwellings. The 31 condos are 1,700 to 4,000 square feet in size. Prices start at $1 million, escalating to $4.5 million for the fourth floor penthouse suites.

There are fetching views of Charleston Harbor, the Ravenel Bridge, neighboring parks, Union Pier and distant church steeples. Each unit in the eye-grabbing brick building at Concord and Laurens streets exudes luxury and opulence.

Yet Anson House has a practical side, too.

"It's sort of that intangible lifestyle," says John Zervos, owner of Wharfside Associates LLC developer and, along with fellow broker Laurie Thornhill, listing agent on the property for Places Real Estate.

"There are people here to help with the mundane aspects of life, to make it easy," Zervos says. He conceived Anson House in 2004 and has been overseeing the complex with a development team that includes local contractor TCC of Charleston and Sandy Logan, Steve Diesing and fellow architects and designers with LS3P. "I think this is what we are trying to sell," he says.

The emphasis on service and convenience seems to have paid off. All but 11 of the condos are sold or are under contract. At least seven dwellings will be occupied by the end of the month.

Here is some of what buyers will be getting:

An elevator leads directly to each condo. Meanwhile, parking is in a ground level garage on site that permits at least one space per condo owner.

Units are festooned with wide plank, cherry hardwood floors; pocket doors; high-end stainless kitchen appliances; gas fireplaces; large bedrooms with gigantic walk in closets that wrap around or split for 'his' and 'hers' sides, air-jetted tubs and separate showers in master baths; wide porches; and French balconies. Penthouse suites include outdoor chimneys and kitchens with rotisserie cookers and terraces.

Conveniences include dimmer lights throughout the units, laundry rooms, and "rubbish" nooks with shutes that takes trash downstairs.

One of several available extras is a high-tech sound system (all units come with cable and wireless online hookups) where a user can "dock" their MP3 player and pipe the music throughout the condo.

Zervos says he chose not to include amenities at Anson House such as clubhouse or pool because the complex's midtown location is so close to entertainment. It's a long block south of the South Carolina Aquarium and walking, biking or short driving distance from downtown Charleston's restaurants, historic sites and nightlife.

"Since we are selling more of a home than a condo, we put all the features (in them)," he says.

To get to Anson House condominiums, take East Bay Street, turning right heading north (or left heading south) on Calhoun Street. Take Calhoun to Concord Street and bear right. Anson House is on the left, nearly to the corner with Laurens Street.

Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or jparker@postandcourier.com

Neighborhood:

Anson House condominiums

Location: Charleston County

Phone: (843) 723-9458, (843) 270-7633

Hours: Daily, 1-4 p.m.; by appointment

Web site:

www.ansonhouse.com