Frank Buonanotte’s career has focused on shopping centers and stores, as founder and chairman-emeritus of The Shopping Center Group, a retail real estate advisory company, and founder of Party City of Atlanta. When his children went to college and Buonanotte decided to sell his home of 20 years in Dunwoody, he wanted to move closer to Buckhead’s shops and restaurants.
Buonanotte, 55, chatted about his penthouse condo in The Barclay.
Q: How did you approach your search?
A: I literally looked at every building on the Peachtree corridor, from Midtown to Brookhaven. I looked for two months. There was certainly no shortage of opportunities.
Q: How was The Barclay’s location appealing?
A: There’s no other building, at least from my research, that had the acreage and the wooded property. The Barclay is surrounded by trees. The pool is on the ground level with beautiful landscaped grounds.
Q: What kind of view did your penthouse offer?
A: When I look out on the skyline from my unit, I’m looking across treetops. I grew up in New York, and that’s unique in Atlanta. It’s truly a Central Park view. My unit wraps three sides of the building. From my south balcony, I have a panoramic view of the Buckhead skyline and can see all the way to Midtown and downtown. From my western balcony, I have the most spectacular sunsets. My north view has everything from Vinings to Cumberland/Galleria area, Kennesaw Mountain, and the King and Queen buildings (in the Perimeter area).
Q: Did you make any changes after moving in?
A: Probably the most important thing that I did was I opened up two walls. That allowed me to enjoy the views from more rooms. The second-biggest renovation that I did is that I really enjoy cooking. While the kitchen was large and recently updated, I made it more of a gourmet kitchen. I put in all professional appliances and upgraded the kitchen considerably.
Q: What were important features for you, when it came to downsizing?
A: I went from 7,000 square feet to 3,200 square feet inside and almost 1,400 outside. The Barclay has pretty large storage units for each of the units. That has helped a lot. I have a lot of closet space. The newer units that I saw in other buildings, the closet space was smaller.
Q: How has your lifestyle changed?
A: I believe that it has improved immeasurably. I wanted my life to be more convenient. I have so many more dining choices, so many more shopping choices, so many more entertainment choices in such close proximity. When I travel, I close the door and go. The concierge will water the plants or receive the packages or take care of my mail. Life is so much easier because I’m not dealing with the gardener anymore, the outdoor maintenance. It’s simpler.
At a glance
Frank Buonanotte’s condo has three bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths and about 3,200 square feet of livable space. He purchased it in May 2009.
The Barclay
Address: 3530 Piedmont Road, N.E., Atlanta 30305
County: Fulton
Information: 404-262-2643
Price range: About $175,000-$750,000
Number of units: 113
Square footage range: About 1,170-3,200
Standard features: Balconies, walk-in closets
Amenities: Pool, two workout rooms, party room, tennis court, on-site management team, concierge
Homeowners fees: $589.15 a month, on average ($1,178.30 is average initiation fee)
Schools: Sara Smith Elementary, Sutton Middle, North Atlanta High
More on schools: schools.ajchomefinder.com
Getting there
Take Peachtree Street, then Peachtree Road, north to Piedmont Road. Turn left on Piedmont Road. After about 2 miles, turn left at 3530 Piedmont Road. The Barclay is located directly across from Piedmont Center.
For sale
$169,900: 3530 Piedmont Road, N.E., Unit 9K, Atlanta 30305. A two-bedroom, two-bath condo built in 1983 with a balcony.
$245,900: 3530 Piedmont Road, N.E., Unit 7A, Atlanta 30305. A three-bedroom, two-bath condo built in 1983 with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances in the kitchen.
Recent sales
$152,000: 3530 Piedmont Road, N.E., Unit 1K, Atlanta 30305. A two-bedroom, two-bath condo built in 1983 with two balconies and an updated kitchen.
$165,000: 3530 Piedmont Road, N.E., Unit 9J, Atlanta 30305. A two-bedroom, two-bath condo built in 1983 with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances in the kitchen.
Community information provided by Sandy Abrams with Harry Norman, Realtors and compiled by Delaney Young.
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