In the beginning, Jarrah Al-Buainain wasn’t interested in renovating. When his work as a lawyer brought him to New York from Berkeley, Calif., in 2019, he just wanted to enjoy all that the city had to offer. “I wanted something that was more or less turnkey, and just done,” said Mr. Al-Buainain, 35. At the same time, he added, “I didn’t want a glass box or a very modern building — I wanted character.”Finding those two qualities in the same place turned out to be more difficult than he anticipated. So when he visited a two-bedroom co-op in an 1839 building in the West Village, his desire for character won out.

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Persons: Jarrah, Buainain wasn’t, “, ” Locations: New York, Berkeley, Calif, West