Given this new Chinatown condo-conversion development's unusual name, it's not all that surprising to learn that the Grand Machinery Exchange at 209 Hester Street was indeed a machinery warehouse until 2006. Which is not to say that the stately pre-war building at 209 Hester Street isn't full of surprises; despite looking very much at home on its historic Chinatown block, 209 Hester Street's circa-1914 brick-and-cast-iron façade conceals 14 luxurious and very contemporary new condominiums for sale. Call them new pre-war condominiums if you wish, but the apartments for sale at Grand Machinery Exchange are undoubtedly among the most promising new condominium listings in Chinatown, a neighborhood with few new condominiums, let alone luxury pre-war condominium conversions, to its credit. While Grand Machinery Exchange's location is pure Chinatown, 209 Hester Street is just steps from the heart of the perma-bustling neighborhood, and also just a short walk from the subway hub at Canal Street. The apartments for sale at Grand Machinery Exchange are reminiscent of Soho. With an art gallery owner as one of the developers, it should come as no surprise that special attention was paid to aesthetic detail in the loft-style apartments that now fill Grand Machinery Exchange's re-imagined industrial space. Exposed, six-inch-thick yellow pine beams support the soaring ceilings which start at 10 feet and range much higher and add an uncommonly rustic and welcoming feel to what are otherwise state-of-the-art Manhattan condominiums. Red oak floors run throughout every apartment at the Grand Machinery Exchange and are shown to great advantage by oversized windows. The gourmet kitchens were designed by esteemed design firm Valcucine and feature top-of-the-line appliances, while the spacious baths feature limestone and glass accents. Amenities are minimal at Grand Machinery Exchange, which is nothing new for Manhattan pre-war condominium conversions; the virtual doorman is, in fact, about as close to a luxury condo amenity as Grand Machinery Exchange gets. And while the location is itself something of an amenity,--it's at the heart of one of Manhattan's liveliest and fastest-growing neighborhoods, after all--living at the Grand Machinery Exchange is all about, well, living at Grand Machinery Exchange. With spacious, gracious living spaces that are uniquely customizable even by loft apartment standards, the apartments for sale at Grand Machinery Exchange offer an opportunity to carve out a home of one's own in the heart of Chinatown.