House of the Day: 547 9th Street

At the asking price of $1,600,000, this three-story limestone at 547 9th Street in Park Slope is the best deal we’ve seen in a long, long time. The 3,000-square-foot two-family bay-front is located on a park block and dripping in historic details. The Orrichio Anderson listing says that the lower duplex will require a full renovation; since the floors, woodwork and walls all look in good shape, we assume they mean new bathrooms, kitchens, heating, etc. We bet $300,000 would go a long way here for someone with a little creativity and then look what you’ve got. Fantastic.
547 9th Street [NY Times] GMAP P*Shark
Rental of the Day: 126 4th Avenue

When we first posted about the big new rental on 4th Avenue and Baltic a couple of months ago, the general consensus about the building’s design was more or less summed up by one comment: Beaten badly by the Ugly Stick. Again and again. Nevertheless, the development brings the first batch of new-construction rentals to the Boerum Hill-Park Slope-Gowanus border area on 4th (the avenue has, of course, otherwise been flooded with condos builds), and so it’ll be interesting to see how much demand there is for these apartments. Listings have gone up for one- and two-bedroom units in the building at 126 4th Avenue (ready for move-ins by March), and they’re looking to get between $2,400 and $2,500 for the one-bedrooms and around $3,000 for the two-bedroom, 1-baths. Amenities include central air and many of the units have terraces, but tenants have to pay for their own utilities. Rosetta Farrell, the Heights Berkeley Realty agent who’s handling the listings, says the rents are standard for the area, and that she expects the apartments to be snapped up quickly given the dearth of new rentals in the Slope. Considering all the amenities and the fact that it’s a new building, I think they’re very reasonable, says Farrell.
126 4th Avenue (click thru for listings) [Heights Berkeley]
Development Watch: 126 4th Avenue [Brownstoner] GMAP
Interior shots from Heights Berkeley Realty.
BREAKING: Worker Killed at 525 Clinton Avenue

WNBC is reporting that a construction worker died this morning in a fall from a scaffolding at the 13-story work-in-progress at 525 Clinton Avenue in Clinton Hill; a second worker is reportedly injured. The accident occurred at about 10 a.m., after the DOB had issued safety warnings about the high winds. Is anyone nearby with a camera?
Construction Worker Dies After Fall From Scaffolding [WNBC] GMAP P*Shark
Development Watch: 525 Clinton Avenue Check-In [Brownstoner] DOB
Development Watch: 525 Clinton Avenue [Brownstoner]
525 Clinton Avenue Looking Good [Brownstoner]
525 Clinton Gets Its Glass On [Brownstoner]
Tower Rising at 525 Clinton Avenue [Brownstoner]
Photo by Tracy Collins
Just Sold in Brooklyn

WILLIAMSBURG $1,470,000
10 Orient Avenue GMAP
Two-family townhouse, 3,000 square feet, with three-bedroom, one-bath duplex over two-bedroom, two-bath duplex with basement, exposed brick, four decorative fireplaces, tin ceilings, patio and garage. Taxes $2,400. Asking price $1,599,000, on market six months. Brokers: Pamela Fica, DJK Residential and Beth Kenkel, The Corcoran Group.
EAST FLATBUSH $150,000
745 E. 31st Street GMAP
One-bedroom, one-bath co-op, 900 square feet, with nursery and kitchen with dinette and new appliances; building features parking. Maintenance $560. Asking price $157,000, on market four months. Broker: Peter Modica, Fillmore Real Estate.
PROSPECT HEIGHTS $680,000
457 Prospect Place GMAP
Two bedroom, two-bath duplex condo, 1,400 square feet, with renovated eat-in kitchen, renovated bath, washer/dryer and central AC; building features storage and roof deck. Common charges $261, taxes $27. Asking price $725,000, on market 16 weeks. Broker: Trey Borzillieri, The Developers Group.
Just Sold! [NY Post]
Photo of 10 Orient Ave. by Scott Bintner for Property Shark.
Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up

Early Controversy Over Favela
Corner of South 5th and Wythe, Williamsburg
Eater‘s roving photographer, Will Femia, snapped this photo of the future home of a Brazilian restaurant called Favela, and The Gurgling Cod already has a beef with the restaurant’s name: “Call me crazy, but I don’t think you could get away with a soul food (or Polish) restaurant called ‘Ghetto.’” Is something getting lost in translation here?
Opening on February 14: Amy Ruth’s
372-374 Fulton Street (Fulton Mall), Downtown Brooklyn
“Amorous couples will dine on sauteed chicken liver and braised chitlens on Valentine’s Day at the new Amy Ruth’s on Fulton Mall — but if they need booze to get in a romantic mood, they’ll have to go somewhere else. That’s because the well-known Harlem soul food restaurant won’t have its liquor license when it opens its new location in the old Gage & Tollner site on Feb. 14.” [The Brooklyn Paper]
Closed: Second Street Cafe
189 7th Avenue (at Second Street), Park Slope
“The women who work at Met Food said the rent was too high. Another local shopkeeper said that they weren’t making any money. Maybe the renovation did them in. A neighbor saw the tall, white haired owner crying… So sudden. So strange. The block between 2nd and 3rd Street on Seventh Avenue has had three closings in two months (Tempo Presto, Seventh Avenue Books, Second Street Cafe). Park Slope Books will be out in March.” [OTBKB]
After the jump: Trader Joe’s progress report, a beer bar for Park Slope, a “jewel box” for Prospect Heights, brick oven pizza for Clinton Hill, and Harvey Wallbanger arrives in Williamsburg… (more…)
Foreclosures of the Week: Bed-Stuy on the Block
In keeping with reports that ID Bedford-Stuyvesant as having some of the highest foreclosure rates in the city, most of the houses Property Shark showcases in its foreclosure listings are in the Stuy. The 2,040-square-foot house at 463 Lafayette last sold in ’06 for $710,000 and has a relatively small lien of $198,744. The house at 489 Madison Street, by contrast, last sold for $800,000 in ’05, and it has a much larger lien of $672,268. Auctions for both are scheduled to take place this Thursday at 3 p.m. in Room 274 Of Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street.
463 Lafayette Avenue [Property Shark] GMAP
489 Madison Street [Property Shark] GMAP
Anyone Want a Brownstoner Sweatshirt?
Last week on a whim we popped into Neighborhoodies at 26 Jay Street in Dumbo and ordered a blue American Apparel sweatshirt with “Brownstoner” hand-sewn on the front. It was done in 24 hours and we’ve barely taken it off since. It wasn’t exactly cheap, so we figured we’d give any interested readers a chance to get a group discount. Check out the selection of Classic Lite colors and sizes and then drop us an email at brownstoner@brownstoner.com with your preference. (Note: Like most American Apparel items, these sweatshirts are cut on the slim side.) We’ll aggregate all the orders and pass along to Neighborhoodies, who will handle all the billing and delivery. Depending on the response, each sweatshirt should end up costing somewhere in the $40 to $45 range.
Condo Conversion for 283 Washington Avenue
The five-story brownstone at 283 Washington Avenue in Clinton Hill, which last changed hands for $1,670,000 in 2005, will soon be reborn as the Cherry Tree Condos, according to a sign in the house’s front yard. A peek at DOB filings suggests it will consist of five units. Brooklyn Properties will have the listing, but there’s nothing on its website yet. Anyone know anything else? GMAP P*Shark DOB
Brooklyn Bridge Park: It’s a Go!
Brooklyn Bridge Park Construction Begins [NY Sun]
Amidst Lingering Controversy, BBP Construction to Begin [Brownstoner]
Brooklyn Bridge Park Meeting: The Morning After [Brownstoner]
Impact of BQE Reno on Brooklyn Bridge Park Unclear [Brownstoner]
BBP rendering from BrooklynBridgePark.org.
Brooklyn Apartments No Bargain Compared to Manhattan
While it’s not exactly breaking news that rents in Park Slope and Williamsburg are very high, did you know that median rents in the two neighborhoods are steeper than they are in Hell’s Kitchen and the Lower East Side? The Observer has an article this morning about how rents in A-list Brooklyn neighborhoods continue to rise while prices in the Manhattan rental market begin to dip—taken together, the trends suggest that Brooklyn’s days of being an affordable alternative to Manhattan are long gone (as if anyone needed a newspaper to tell them that!). According to listings on StreetEasy, the median monthly rent in Park Slope is $3,050, while Williamsburg’s median is $2,900. Both numbers are higher than the median rent on the Lower East Side ($2,700). In addition, rents in prime Brooklyn neighborhoods have gone up at a startling pace over the past couple of years: The median rent for Park Slope in ’05 was a comparatively affordable $1,090. Conclusion, per the article: “Queens, anyone?”
Park Slope Living at Manhattan Rents! [NY Observer]
Photo by DEDE_LE
Wednesday Events
Freegan Bike Workshop
Every Wednesday and Saturday, 123 Community Space offers workshops that teach how to build bicycles from found bike parts. An open interest meeting precedes the Wednesday workshops. Wednesday, 5:00 p.m. interest meeting. 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. workshop. 123 Tompkins Avenue (between Myrtle and Willoughby).
Golden Gloves
Golden Gloves returns to Dumbo for the first time since 1991. Refreshments may be purchased at the RICE concessions. Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. doors; 7:00 p.m. first bout. $25 general admission; $15 for USABoxing Amateurs (license required). St. Ann’s Warehouse, 38 Water Street.
Have an event you think we should list? Send it along to events@brownstoner.com.
Wednesday Links
Cobble Hill. Photo by xymox.
FBI Launches Probe Into Subprime Industry [WSJ]
Bay Ridge Vets Battle Health Dept. [NY Daily News]
Circuit City Coming to the Junction [Brooklyn Eagle]
Councilman Wants NYC to Secede [NY Sun]
HDC Responds to AIA Proposal [HDCN]
Cyclist Deaths at 8-Year High [Streetsblog]
A Legal Tool for Tenants [Gotham Gazette]
Rats Rattle Marty [NY Post]
Tuesday Blogwrap
475 Kent. Photo by jteore.
Brooklyn DA’s Office Throws Out Mourners’ Arrests [Gothamist]
340 Court vs. Prague Bldg: Separated at Birth? [GL]
What Happened to Second Street? [OTBKB]
Take the Hot Karl Challenge [Curbed]
Revisiting Autour du Monde [CH Blog]
Today on the Renovation Blogs and Forum
There’s one new post on the Renovation Blogs:
Happy Accidents and Other Progress [Windsor Terrace Reno]
Here are some of the topics posted on the Forum today:
Getting a Handle on Building Code
Getting In Early on a Co-op Conversion?
Need an Inspector with HVAC Expertise
Is One Spindle Per Stair Tread Up to Code?
Landscape Gardener Recommendations for Townhouse?
Need a Permit to Make a New Bathroom?
Streetlevel: Brick Oven Pizza for Wallabout
The block of Washington Avenue between Flushing and Park (one of our favorites in the area) will take another step forward with the opening this spring of a brick over pizza restaurant at 37 Washington Avenue. Actually, it’s more of a re-opening, as the same duo that’s operated the slightly more down-market Brooklyn’s Best Pizzeria for the past 14 years is behind the new joint. Clinton Hill Blog reports that the new incarnation will be called Il Porto and will be operating a sidewalk cafe in the warmer months; according to CHB, an April opening is targeted.
Brick Oven Pizza Coming to Wallabout [Clinton Hill Blog] GMAP
House of the Day: 275 Adelphi Street
Since 181 Washington Park sold last year for more than $3 million, that’s become the magic number for any homeowner in the area fantasizing about cashing out. Take 275 Adelphi Street, a five-story brownstone just three blocks away. Purchased in 2003 for $1,300,000, the three-family house has had a high-end renovation in the mean-time and is back on the market now for $2,995,000. There are no real nits to pick here. Time to just sit back and let the market do its work.
275 Adelphi Street [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
At Rally, News of Carroll Gardens Downzoning Progress
About 50 people (and one well-dressed canine) showed at Borough Hall this morning to support the drive to downzone Carroll Gardens. Council Member Bill de Blasio organized the rally, and he had some big news to share: The Department of City Planning has officially committed to studying a downzoning of the neighborhood. The news comes hot on the heels of Planning’s announcement that it would initiate a a zoning text amendment to impose height limitations on 1st through 4th Place. De Blasio is also pushing for the city to impose building height limitations of 50 feet while the downzoning is studied. We want to limit heights until a legal downzoning goes through, de Blasio said at the rally. Representatives of Assemblywoman Nydia Velazquez and Assemblywoman Joan Millman also spoke in support of the downzoning, as did Gary Reilly of the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association. What attracts people to the neighborhood is its low scale, said Reilly. We want to prevent Carroll Gardens from becoming the next Williamsburg, with developers throwing up buildings willy-nilly. De Blasio noted that downzonings typically take a year to a year and a half to push through, and time is of the essence in terms of downzoning Carroll Gardens since the clock is ticking on the current administration’s term.
Prelude to a Downzone in Carroll Gardens? [Brownstoner]
Update on Carroll Gardens Development Issues [Brownstoner]
Condos of the Day: Price Pressure at The Beacon
Most of the units at The Beacon in Dumbo appear to have been sold by now. The last seven apartments, however, are presenting a challenge to marketers. (Corcoran has six of the units, Elliman one.) Five of the seven have already had price reductions, including, most recently, Apartment 20B, a 947-square-foot space that was just cut from $890,000 to $825,000. Given the high floor and the relatively low price per square foot for the area, we could see this moving at the new price. On a side note, we noticed when perusing the past sales that one investor (a Boerum Hill liquor store owner, as far as we can tell) was responsible for buying eight of the units. Interesting.
85 Adams Street Listings [Street Easy] GMAP P*Shark
Photo by Atomic LLC
Development Watch: 31 Kosciusko Street
Despite being just down the block from 192 Spencer, this new 12-story building at 31 Kosciusko Street has managed to fly under our radar for the past several months. We don’t know much about it (neither the architect nor the owner rang a bell) other than that it’s slated to contain 23 units over a gross area of 27,000 square feet. Details anyone? GMAP P*Shark DOB
Checking In With Magic’s Green Street Condos
After some noise complaints and worries about damage to a neighboring building, Magic Johnson’s 130-unit condo development at 100 Green Street in Greenpoint appears to be in high gear. A reader who lives nearby wrote in to report that the west side of the building is just about topped out (it’s going to be six stories). We’re curious to see what the market’s going to be like for a luxury development in this corner of North Brooklyn when it’s ready to go, presumably later this spring or summer. Waddya think?
Magic Johnson Planning Greenpoint Project [NY Post] GMAP P*Shark
Magic’s Greenpoint Bldg Gets Foul, Refuses to Go to Bench? [Curbed]
The Latest (g)Rumblings at 110 Green Street [NY Shitty]
May 21, 2012 | 02:16 PM