January 2006
January 31, 2006
House of the Day: Not Much Green for Greene
Another beauty in Bed Stuy today, this one a bit cheaper and a bit further out than yesterday's house. This 4-story, 3-family brownstone has some mad detail, including mahogany paneling, pier mirror and the ceiling mural. The top two floors, both of which are rentals, appear to have been tastefully renovated as well, so this looks to be in move-in condition which is unusual for a house under $800,000 with details. One slight negative: The building's only 18-feet wide, but it looks like one of those houses that pulls it off. Also, props to CityQwest for a very well presented listing. Any takers?
904 Greene Avenue [CityQwest] GMAP P*Shark
215 Hancock Revisited: A 'Stoner's Wet Dream
A Brownstoner reader who now lives in Copenhagen was nice enough to dig out the old photos she had of when she toured 215 Hancock with her engineer last year. "It was hard to capture the grandeur of this house," she writes. "You have to see it to believe it." Indeed. What's truly amazing is that the former owner who bought the house at auction in 2004 for $525,000 had no idea that the interior was anything out of the ordinary.
First Comes Flip, Them Comes Reno [Brownstoner] GMAP
Swimming Pool for New Townhouse Condos in FG
January 28, 2006 -- Fort Greeners already have a fab tennis court. Now buyers at Cumberland Greene, a new four-story townhouse, will get a pool too. Opening near the park, at 237 Cumberland St., the brick building will offer four units, all three-bedrooms ranging from 1,800 square feet to 2,200 square feet for the duplex penthouse. In the back, there'll be a landscaped garden and a waterfall, while a pool and fitness center will be available in the basement. Prices are expected to start at $1.5 million. If Fort Greeners are notoriously protective of their neighborhood, Suzanne Debrango, licensed sales agent at Brooklyn Properties, notes that the developers are two local artists who happen to live right next door to the building. Still, Cumberland Greene is likely to draw the moneyed crowd. The units will be marketed to Manhattan buyers, according to Debrango.
Comment: Could this be the same artist couple that built this Studio-cum-gallery building on Vanderbilt? Supposedly they own a brownstone in Fort Greene...
No Fairy-Tale Ending [NY Post - 3rd Item]
Just Sold in Brooklyn
BOERUM HILL $670,000
154 Bergen St.
Prewar two-bedroom, one-bath co-op in a brownstone, 1,000 square feet, with working fireplace, renovated kitchen with stainless-steel appliances, dishwasher, washer/dryer, oversized windows, renovated bath and parquet floors; building is pet-friendly. Maintenance $424, 50 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $650,000, on market three months. (Broker: Kyeong-Soo Kim, the Corcoran Group)
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS $560,000
215 Adams St.
Renovated two-bedroom, two-bath corner co-op, 1,043 square feet, with chef's kitchen, dishwasher, washer/dryer, parquet floors, window AC and Brooklyn Bridge and skyline views from N/E exposures; Concord Village building is pet-friendly and features 24-hour doorman, fitness center, roof deck, laundry, bike room and storage lockers. Maintenance $1,054.75, 39 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $569,000, on market 154 days. (Broker: Susan Levy, the Corcoran Group)
DITMAS PARK $188,000
570 Westminster Road
One-bedroom, one-bath co-op, 600 square feet, with foyer and renovated eat-in kitchen. Maintenance $450. Asking price $188,000, on market one week. (Broker: Alexandra Reddish, Mary Kay Gallagher Real Estate)
Just Sold! [NY Post]
Change in Carroll Gardens Squeezing Little Guy
In an article lamenting the fact that the owner of a local Carroll Gardens pharmacy recently had to sell out to Eckerds because of the economics of gentrification, The Daily News notes a couple of specific changes on the retail landscape of the increasingly popular nabe:
"They're making it very difficult for the small businesses to stay in business," says the displaced pharmacist. "Everything changes. I guess they call that progress."
Becoming a Link in a Chain [NY Daily News]
Holiday Inn Slips Into The Slope
NewYorkology's got the goods on the new Holiday Inn Express that's expected to be open by April of this year (we'll see about that). The location of the 90-room, 8-story building makes a lot of sense to old-school local blogger Amy Langfield:
Located on a semi-residential street pocked with auto repair shops, it's situated where the "slope" of Park Slope flattens out to meet the "Gowanus" of Gowanus Canal. A mere half block from the R subway line, it's a block and a half uphill to Park Slope's 5th Avenue, where the new shops and restaurants is turning this stretch into Brooklyn's new Smith Street. (CitySearch even has a "hot blocks" page dedicated to the area around 5th and Union.)
What do you think? Is this a win-win for the hotel and the hood?
Holiday Express to Open [NewYorkology] GMAP
More Professionals Moving to the South Slope
You can down-zone all you want but it's hard to stand in the way of good old capitalism. In fact, given this sign on 3rd Avenue and 24th Street, we not even sure the wife will let us go to Lowe's again on our own.
Photo credit: Tom Toomey.
One Womanizer, Four Sales and a Fire
We missed this story when it broke last week--and suspect most people did as it only seems to have received limited attention in the Daily News--but were pleased to be emailed a set of exclusive photos this weekend. It appears that the brownstone at 600 St. Marks Avenue in Crown Heights was torched on January 7th by arsonists, the last step in an elaborate mortgage financing scam that saw the value of the property artificially pumped up over a series of transactions between colluding parties. According to the Daily News, Delbert Baptiste was already indicted last August for inflating the price of the property but the real mastermind is a Mercedes-driving womanizer named Owen Larman who is currently a fugitive in connection with similar scams involving 20 properties and over $12 million. Here's how the Daily News laid out the course of events:
March 24, 2000 — Owen Larman buys 510 Lafayette St. in his own name for $30,000 from Lorenzo Distant, a legitimate owner. April 6, 2000 — Larman sells building to straw buyer Andrea Clark in a paper sale for $245,000. No money changes hands but Larman gets mortgage of $220,500, which he allegedly steals. Profit after costs and expenses is about $170,000.
May 29, 2001 — Straw buyer Clark sells building back to Larman for $363,000 in another paper sale. No money changes hands but Larman allegedly steals a new mortgage of $304,200. Profit after costs and expenses is about $250,000.
August 12, 2003 — Larman files a fake satisfaction of the $304,200 mortgage with the city of New York, so it looks like mortgage is paid off and he owns the property free and clear.
September 5, 2003 — Using a fake appraisal, Larman executes a paper sale of the building to another straw buyer, Sabrina Robinson, for $435,000. No money changes hands. Larman takes out a $391,500 mortgage in Robinson’s name, which he again allegedly steals. Profit after costs and expenses is $323,790.
Larman walks away from the building. Sabrina Robinson is stuck with the mortgage payments.
Total profit for Larman on 510 Lafayette St.: $743,790
Photo Credit: M. Fager GMAP P*Shark
Masters of the Unreal Deal [NY Daily News]
Gentrification Brings Arsonists [NY Daily News]
Playing with Fire [Daily Heights]
Tuesday Linkeroo
Detail, Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew. Photo by Frank Lynch.
Background Checks by Housing Authority [NY Sun]
Monday Article Links [The Real Estate]
Dumbo 1 BR FSBO [Apartment Therapy]
Dumbest Moments in Real Estate [Haute Blog]
CB7 Rejects 5 Projects in South Slope [PS Courier]
Brownstone 3-Pack in Sunset Park [Curbed]
What I Did in W'burg [A Brooklyn Life]
January 30, 2006
House of the Day: Off to Monroe We Go
We like the feel and location of this 4-story brownstone on Monroe between Bedford and Nostrand. Even though it looks like some of the upper floor rooms have lost their details, this parlor floor doors and stairs more than make up for it. (It's a lot easier to find some crown and base moldings to touch up the bedrooms than find original 10-foot doors and frames, that's for sure!) The kitchen alcove is a bummer, but since it's a four-family, you're gonna be tearing out a couple of these kitchens anyway. Close proximity to the A Train at Franklin is also a plus. And the price? $949,000 seems about right though we could see it going for closer to $900,000. Not sure how long this has been on the market, but it looks like a place that should move quickly.
146 Monroe Street [CBHK] GMAP P*Shark
Breaking: Moonstruck House Hitting Market
Just got word that the Brooklyn Heights house where the movie Moonstruck was filmed has hit the market. No pics and limited info on the Corcoran site at this point but both promised shortly. One reader, who fell in love with the kitchen back when she saw the movie, can't wait to get inside. The 4,160-square-foot house, which is located at 19 Cranberry Street, is going on the chopping block for a cool $5 million.
Cranbery Street [Corcoran]
The Moonstruck House [Zax Writ]
Cheap New Construction a Deal? Not a Chance
Not to beat a dead horse, but there were several commenters in Friday's discussion that seemed to feel that the new construction eyesores being slapped up around the borough serve the purpose of providing lower-income people with the benefit of the american dream. Our rebuttal was that these structures actually do the opposite. They are almost without exception poorly constructed and almost without exception extremely ugly. We don't see how these things have a chance of holding their value over time against the traditional housing stock. Take these two comparably priced houses within a few blocks of each other in Bed Stuy, both of which were posted in the last couple of days on Craigslist. Which owner do you think is more likely to have preserved or built equity 20 years from now? Which owner is more likely to get completely wiped out in a downturn? So much for serving the needs of the needy. These developers are taking the money and running from those least able to afford it.
3 Family New Construction [Craigslist] GMAP
4 Family Brownstone [Craigslist] GMAP
Atlantic Yards Environs Booming in Anticipation
The Daily News is reporting that developers have"at least two dozen" condo projects on the drawing board in the area surrounding Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards project. One developer, Eli Karp, alone is building five separate buildings alond the stretch of Pacific Street between Grand and Washington. "I decided, why wait for the arena?" Karp said.
In the same article, we get a much-needed update on sales at The Washington Condos, where Aguayo & Huebener trumpets their success at being able to sell 28 of the 39 units from architectural plans. Even more interesting, the article notes that prices have been raised five times and are now range from $575 to $700 a foot. We also learn that Jerry Minsky sold the three-story brownstone at 181 Prospect Place in 48 hours.
Condos Rise While Ratner Fights [NY Daily News]
Development du Jour: Pacific Blue [Curbed]
Curbed Brooklyn Round-Up
Curbed couldn't get enough of Brooklyn on Friday so we figured we'd get caught up by dedicating an entire post to Curbed links from last week.
1. Toxic sludge is slowing Whole Foods' Gowanus entry
2. Not much new activity at either the J Condo or 85 Jay Street
3. Who's to blame for razing of trees in B'kln Heights?
4. Shaya slashes prices at 85 Adams in Dumbo
5. Another seller follows Fizzbows and creates sexy FSBO website
6. Fire on the Williamsburg waterfront earlier in the week
7. Curbed readership chimes in on Scarano FG debacle
National Magazine Has Finger on Local Pulse
We were interested to learn of a new up-and-coming Brooklyn neighborhood while reading Time Magazine this weekend. What was it again? Park,uh, something? Oh yeah, Park Slope. Ever heard of it?
A decade ago, the 2.4-km stretch of Fifth Avenue that forms the western edge of the Park Slope neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, was the grim preserve of drug dealers, thugs and the demimonde. Not anymore. Thanks to the city's skyrocketing real estate market, some campaigning locals and a few pioneering investors, a once bleak thoroughfare of boarded-up shops and unsavory bodegas has been transformed into one of the hippest shopping and dining destinations in the Big Apple. Today, this section of Fifth Avenue, dubbed "Restaurant Row" by some, is luring visitors and locals alike with top-notch cuisine and cool boutiques.
Park Slope Becoming One of NY's Coolest [Time Magazine]
Sunset Park: Land of the Affordable Brownstone
As has been discussed in this space before, Sunset Park offers an impresssive assortment of housing opportunities, especially for those looking to stay below the million dollar mark. Like many nabes now undergoing renaissance, Sunset Park, which stretches south of Park Slope down to Bay Ridge, has seen a big turnaround. One of the city's most diverse areas, Sunset Park is also expected to get a lift from the waterfront development projects just getting underway that will include ballfields, lawns and bike paths. Those who have already bought in are pleased as punch:
"We got a much bigger space for not much more than we sold our condo for in Park Slope," said Joe Reister, an academic adviser who bought a three-story brownstone on 45th Street with his wife, Shannon Laughlin, a year and a half ago. "We did some work — don't get me wrong," he said. "But the outside looks like something out of Sesame Street."
The only negative the Times article notes is a lack of parking. How about that commute? The Times the article quoted seemed to give an overly optimistic impression by citing only the time on the subway. How do residents find it?
Hunt for Brownstones in Sunset Park [NY Times]
Addendum: Check out the Times article on Living In Sunset Park from 2001 Here. Thanks, Joyce.
Monday Linkage
Mos Def Doorway. Photo by Laura Holder.
Green-wood Grave Diggers [NY Times]
Gowanus Casket Company as Muse [NY Times]
The Power of Words [NY Times]
B'kln Heights Tree Demo Explained [NY Times]
Residential Sales [NY Times]
Home Shopping Club Rico [NY Post]
Tenant Activist Ripped in 'Burg [NY Daily News]
Port Storm Gets Personal [NY Daily News]
Asthma Infesting Bushwick [NY Daily News]
More Details on Bob Marley Blvd [Jamaica Gleaner]
Review: Bad Service at Palava Hut [NY Press]
Most Expensive Rentals in U.S. [Forbes]
Killing Williamsburg [Gothamist]
Useless Energy [Hunt Grunt]
January 27, 2006
Open House Picks
Park Slope
511 Fourth Street
Corcoran
Sunday 2:30-4:30pm
$2,600,000
GMAP P*Shark
Park Slope
609 6th Street
Brown Harris Stevens
Sunday 12-2pm
$2,395,000
GMAP P*Shark
Park Slope
380 Sixth Avenue
Aguayo & Huebener
Sunday 12-2pm
$1,795,000
GMAP P*Shark
Prospect Lefferts
26 Midwood Street
Brown Harris Stevens
Sunday 12:30-2:30pm
$1,225,000
GMAP P*Shark
Windsor Terrace
194 Ocean Parkway
Sommers Real Estate
Sunday 12-2pm
$1,200,000
GMAP P*Shark
Williamsburg
362 Union Avenue
Sotheby's Int'l
Sunday 1-3pm
$975,000
GMAP P*Shark
First Comes Flip, Then Comes Reno on Hancock
Speaking of Bed Stuy, here's a semi-recent sale that was brought to our attention. This 22-footer at 215 Hancock recently traded hands at the end of last summer for $899,000. We hear that the seller was a broker who flipped it for a tidy profit of about $375,000 in less than a year's time. We also hear that the interior of the five-story brownstone had suffered a great deal of water damage but that many of the woodwork survived. It looks like a beautiful building to us--we hope the new owner can restore it to its former glory. GMAP P*Shark
New Condos For Lexington Avenue?
Across the street from the lot that Massey Knakal is selling (earlier post) is this new construction. We think the address is 118 Lexington but are not 100% sure. It's hard to tell what it will end up looking like but it is notable at this point for its scale, which is certainly a little more ambitious than the new buildings in the area that we focused on yesterday. GMAP P*Shark
Vacant Lots Today, Eyesores Tomorrow?
When we were tootling around Bed Stuy last weekend we were keeping an eye out for vacant lots that could be the future sites of architectural travesties. The sheer number of vacant lots are perhaps the neighborhood's greatest vulnerability going forward. We offer up a few of them here, in various points in the development lifecycle.
1089 Fulton GMAP
1185 Fulton GMAP
794 Lafayette GMAP
117 Lexington GMAP
Mayor's Speech Highlights Yards, Waterfront
In yesterday's State of the City speech, Mayor Bloomberg had a few things to say about Brooklyn. In addition to specifically naming Bushwick and Bed Stuy as the focus of a new anti-poverty initiative, he also mentioned a couple of the biggest development projects in the borough:
In Brooklyn, construction workers will put shovels in the ground at Atlantic Yards, the most exciting housing, commercial, and sports development in Brooklyn’s history...We’ll fully open a new cruise ship terminal in Red Hook, which will become home to the Queen Mary II and 600 new jobs. Also, along the Brooklyn waterfront, the Port Authority will turn over Piers 1 through 5 – and the City will contribute Pier 6 – to the Brooklyn Bridge Development Corporation – something the community has been dreaming about for 20 years!
State of the City Transcript [Gotham Gazette]
Friday Links
End of the Gowanus. Photo by John Baloney.
Some Property Tax Bills Slashed [NY Times]
Preserving Colonial Walls [NY Times]
NY Has Biggest Income Gap [NY Post]
Preserving Poe's Bronx Cottage [NY Daily News]
Greenpoint Screwed on Oil Clean-Up [NY Daily News]
Brooklyn Pier Battle Esacalates [NY Sun]
Road Named After Bob Marley [RJR News]
Scarano Throws Down the Gauntlet [Set Speed]
Search for Perfect Hot Chocolate [A Brooklyn Life]
Passing a Park Slope Co-op Board [Daily Slope]
January 26, 2006
House of the Day: Cramming in Crown Heights
Need some input from the Crown Heights readers on this one. Cute from the outside (though the fire escape has gotta go!), we're worried about how chopped up this must be on the inside to squeeze in five units. Chances are whoever buys this will turn it into a one- or two-family which means you could remove the offending fire escape and make the most of the original details mentioned in the listing verbiage. You might want to have a chat with the neighbors about those window canopies while you're at it!
Crown Heights House [Prudential Douglas Elliman]
Set Speed Condo Report: Manhattan Park Condos
This week we step outside our comfort zone a bit and take a look at a McCarren Park development called the Manhattan Park Condos which are being marketed by aptsandlofts.com. Located at 297 Driggs Avenue, this project looks to have 14 units (two to a floor), two of which are in contract. From the website, they look to be 1 and 2 bedrooms with outdoor spaces in most units. There's not many financial details on the cost of the units other than the asking prices, which in our opinion is high. One bedrooms are asking $579,000 and up while two-bedroom units are anywhere from $715,000 to a whopping $995,000. From the floorplans, the one bedrooms look to be no more than 650 square feet and the two bedrooms no more than 800 square feet. Given our estimates, this suggests that prices are running at almost $900 per square foot.
Amenities include the usual stainless steel appliance suite, the 'floating' bathroom sink. Most units have glass curtains and the elevators open out onto the units. The condo is located within a good 8 block walk to the crowded L train at Bedford and a 2 block walk to the G train at Nassau. As anyone who goes to thedevelopersgroup.com website can see, there are numerous new condominium projects that have already sprouted up and are in the pipeline. This increased supply does not bode well for Manhattan Park's high prices. In addition, the finger building next to Planet Thai off of Bedford and the huge 'Edge' project on Kent will add another few hundred units to the market.
Manhattan Park Condos [Aptsandlofts.com] GMAP
Listings [Manhattan Park Condos]
Every Thursday, ltjbukem, whose own blog Set Speed scrutinizes the progress and quality of new developments in the area we know as Brownstone Brooklyn, pens a guest post about goings-on in the condo market with an emphasis on new projects.
DuMont Spin-Off Still Has Yummy Burgers
Except for the occasional visit to Diner, we haven't been out to eat in Williamsburg since we decamped from the nabe last August. We've been hearing good things about DuMont Burger, off-shoot of the 4-year old DuMont on Union Avenue, but, as we said, we don't get out much these days. Digging beneath the snarky comments about Williamsburg (a journalistic cliche in itself by this point), we learn that, despite some design flaws, DuMont Burger does in fact serve up an "admittedly delectable looking burger."
Review: Dumont Burger [L Magazine] GMAP
Residential Sales in Brooklyn
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS $276,000
85 Livingston Street
630-sq.-ft. alcove studio in a postwar building; dining area, eat-in kitchen; maintenance $747, 40% tax-deductible; listed at $265,000 (multiple bids), 3 weeks on market (broker: Nancy McKiernan Realty)
PARK SLOPE $539,000
1209 Eighth Avenue
2-bedroom, 1-bath, 700-sq.-ft. co-op in a prewar building; dining room, living room with fireplace, renovated bath; common roof deck in building; maintenance $650, no tax deduction; listed at $539,000, 3 weeks on market (broker: Betancourt & Associates)
Residential Sales [NY Times]
Historic Beauty Makes It All the More Painful
Part of what makes the new developments around Tompkins Park so sad is the existence of many beautiful older buildings like the First Corinthian Baptist Church at 670 Lafayette and the gutted five-story brownstone next door at 672 Lafayette.
Lost Opportunities: More Butchering of the Hood
In our rant about 1067 Fulton yesterday, we mentioned how we had hoped the building would have been able to raise the bar a bit for new developments further east. In this post, we'll look at little further east--into the center of Bedford Stuyvesant--to show how quickly and on what a scale the neighborhood's architectural future is being squandered. In particular, we'll look at the area surrounding Tompkins Park, which we would think would hold great potential (despite the existence of communist-era-looking projects).
260 Tompkins GMAP
352 Lexington GMAP 53 Van Buren GMAP
697 and 699 Lafayette GMAP
Celebrating Vinyl and Aluminum in Greenpoint
The enthusiasts over at the Bridge and Tunnel Club recently posted a great photo essay on the aluminum and vinyl siding that is one of the distinctive aesthetic touches of Greenpoint. Viewed in abstraction, the materials have a certain charm.
Aluminum and Vinyl Siding [B&T Club]
Commish: Fort Greene Next for Downzoning
Freebie subway reader Metro had an interesting interview with City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden this morning. The most notable nugget for us was her statement that Fort Greene will be the next neighborhood to be down-zoned. "We’re entering discussions with the community this week," she said. Maybe the phallus won't get built after all.
Redeveloping New York City [Metro]
Home Resales Hit Lowest Point in 21 Months
January 25, 2006 (Bloomberg) -- Sales of previously owned U.S. homes fell more than forecast last month to the lowest level since March 2004, evidence of the end of a five-year housing boom that will slow the economy. Purchases declined 5.7 percent to a 6.6 million annual rate from November's 7 million, the National Association of Realtors said today in Washington. Sales, which have been slowing from the record monthly pace reached in June, still finished 2005 at an all-time high of 7.072 million.
While economists forecast a gradual decline in sales, December's slump raises the risk the slowdown could accelerate and become an even bigger drag on the economy this year. The drop puts Federal Reserve policy makers on notice that more interest rate increases may not be necessary, according to Christopher Low. "Higher rates at this point risk turning the gentle decline of the second half of 2005 into a housing rout in 2006," said Low, chief economist at FTN Financial in New York. Recent housing reports "make the most compelling argument for the Fed to stop raising the overnight rate."
Home Resales Fall [Bllomberg]
Thursday Linkage
Global Warming Day, Beard Street. Photo by Calla Lillie.
Bank to Monitor Slumlord Customers [NY Times]
Lighting for Dark Corners? [NY Times]
Uneasy After That Bagel [Unbeige]
Patty & Chris' Stripping Down [Apartment Therapy]
Supercheap Eats in Greenpoint [NYCnosh]
Skating in Prospect Park [Blue Sage]
Atlantic Yards Forum Tonight [Daily Gotham]
January 25, 2006
House of the Day: Cranberry Has The Sauce
Unless we're missing something (which is entirely possible!), $3.2 million seems like a solid price for a very charming Italianate brownstone only a block from the promenade in prime Brooklyn Heights. And while the floors and cabinets in the newly renovated ground-floor kitchen ain't exactly our thing, the house looks otherwise beautifully done. The more we stare at the pictures and think about the price, the more we wonder whether the house might be on the narrow side, but with no address (argghh!) we can't do the legwork to find out. Hopefully someone in the hood can give us the straight dope.
Addendum: We just came across the same listing on Corcoran so it looks like a co-broke, folks. Worth checking the Corcoran site for additional pictures.
Cranberry Street Townhouse [Brown Harris Stevens] GMAP
Cranberry Brick Townhouse [Corcoran]
No Luck on Luquer: New Condos Too Pricey
Over at 423 Smith, they're bemoaning being priced out of a location that they thought was in reach:
Mostly disappointed with the buildings going up in the neighborhood, I thought the condos going up on Luquer Street (between Smith and Court) to be acceptable and could see myself living there. And then I saw the prices! $1,095,000.00 for a 1 bedroom, 2 bath? Holy Jeebus! Granted, that’s the most expensive unit and you can get a 2 bedroom, 1 bath for $650,000.00 - but even that still seems ridiculous to me for this end of Carroll Gardens. Don’t get me wrong, I love all of Carroll Gardens and would gladly move from my Union Street apartment to Luquer (closer to work!) but I think I’d rather spend my 1 mil on a brownstone.
We agree with the sentiment, but unfortunately $1 million ain't gonna go too far in the Carroll Gardens brownstone market either.
191 Luquer Street [Corcoran] GMAP
Luquer, Filthy Lucre [423 Smith]
Superfine Super-Successful in Booming Dumbo
Superfine's been in Dumbo for 14 years, which makes it something of an artifact in the fast-changing nabe. But don't think that the bar is anti-gentrification--the money's just too good, according to bartender Keith Moss. "It's a little scary," he says. "Superfine's going with the flow, of course. I mean, it's great for everybody, everybody's making more money." But success has its price, right? Yup. Back to Keith:
But at the same time, it's been sad to see DUMBO losing its bohemian style. It's still here, but you can see that it's starting to get lost in the shuffle. I've been making more martinis and cosmos. We have a lot of people hanging out in suits sitting in our bar. That was never our thing.
Superfine is located at 126 Front Street between Jay and Pear in Dumbo. Telephone: 718-243-9005.
Behind the Bar [Village Voice] GMAP
Handouts from NY State for Preservation
Walking down Washington Avenue recently, we were interested to see the sign in front of the Brown Memorial Baptist Church trumpeting the role played by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund in restoring the church's roof and facade. The congregation purchased the 40,000-square-foot church at 484 Washington (aka 52 Gates) in 1974 for a whopping $2 a square foot. Built in 1930, the exterior church appears to still need a great deal of work. Haven't seen the inside.
Applications for EPA Grants [NY State News] GMAP
1067 Fulton Street: The Plague Spreads
We wanted to give this development at the corner of Classon and Fulton the benefit of the doubt. Really we did. Given the location, it seemed like a real opportunity to be a beacon of hope on this stretch of Fulton and set a positive tone for new development further east. Unfortunately, our hopes could not have been more misplaced. What an abomination! We understand how reasonable people could disagree about the merits of a building like this, but we can't imagine anyone being able to find anything nice to say about this monstrosity. The design decisions on the facade, and the ground-level entry area in particular, are a disgrace. Developers like this are a menace to the future of Brooklyn--destroying the borough, one lot at a time, with short-sighted eyesores that, ironically, may even be leaving profit on the table. Interestingly, continuing a proud Brooklyn tradition, the developers of this site were cited by the DOB for working without a permit last March. We wonder what other corners may have been cut? Who are these guys anyway? Do they have other projects on their resume? GMAP
Update on 1067 Fulton [Brownstoner]
New Build at Classon and Fulton [Brownstoner]
PLEASE EMAIL THE DEVELOPERS OF THIS BUILDING AT INFO@NEWSTARTLLC.COM TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY ARE MISJUDGING THE MARKET AND RUINING A NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE PROCESS.
The Answer to What's Happening at 342 Smith
The last post of the day yesterday on Curbed included a reader question about what was happening on the corner of Smith and 1st Place. In the comments, one reader provided a link to the site of Hannah Senesh, a progressive Jewish day school that is building a new facility on the site designed by Horowitz Architects. The school has its own little reno blog going with some sweet action photos of the demolition. What do people think of the design and how it will fit into the landscape? GMAP M*LOCAL
342 Smith Update [Hannah Sennesh]
Rumbling and Bumblings [Curbed]
Another Sign of a Slowdown
January 23, 2006--Signs of a housing slowdown intensified as home construction fell sharply last month, and a deep-discount deal offered by a major home builder in one of its pricier markets suggested the industry may be feeling some anxiety...The Commerce Department reported yesterday that U.S. housing starts fell 8.9% in December to an annual rate of 1.933 million units from November's 2.121 million units. The drop may have been at least partly weather-related. However, applications for building permits also fell, declining 4.4% to 2.068 million units from 2.163 million in November. Building permits, which don't fluctuate with the weather, are considered a dependable indicator of future construction activity. Last month's decline in home construction was led by a 12.3% plunge in starts for single-family homes, which fell to an annual rate of 1.577 million. "As we have been talking about for some time, the market is slowing," said Nicolas Retsinas, director of Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. "Slowing is not the same as reversing course," he added, "It's still a pretty big number."
Drop in Housing Starts Underlines Slowdown [WSJ]
Wednesday Linkster
Terminal, Redhook. Photo by Alexis Robie.
As Manhattan Booms, Other Boros Down [NY Times]
Two-Alarm Fire in Park Slope [NY Post]
Joan Maynard, Brooklyn Champion, Dies [NY Post]
Big Party for Marty [NY Daily News]
Cocoa Crisis Boiling Over [NY Daily News]
Blog If You Love Real Estate [Fortune]
Most Overvalued Markets [Fortune]
Best Time to Sell Your Home [Forbes]
No Magic Number to Retire [MarketWatch]
Champion of Weeksville [NewYorkology]
Mortgage Ignorance Rampant [Bankrate]
Openings and Closings [OTBKB]
January 24, 2006
House of the Day: Mint But Missing Something
This new listing in Fort Greene from Brooklyn Properties has been nagging at us since we saw it online yesterday. Given how much carping we do about the importance of historic details, you'd think we'd be digging this place. But we're not. Is it the light fixtures? They're a bummer but can easily be changed. The landscaping? We could do without the amoeba-shaped design but that's not it either. What's really bugging us, we realize, are the floors. The combination of what appear to be new floors and what appears to be a very glossy finish clashes, in our opinion, with the true character of the house. We love our creaky old floors that we pieced back together with salvaged wood--they have an effect upon the feel of the house that can't be gotten with new wood. We've spoken to a handful of brownstone owners over the past year who tell us the biggest regret of their renovation was using new flooring. Anyway, all these things are fixable--even the floors--and the details (moldings, plasterwork, fireplaces, etc.) are in great shape so it's really not that big a big deal, but it just feels like the house lost something in the process of getting its "mint" renovation. And for $1.85 million in Fort Greene, character is one thing we'd be unwilling to do without.
Mint 2-Family [Brooklyn Properties]
Bridge Units Could Go For At Least $800 PSF
Does anyone know anything about the brick spaces that are built out underneath the base of the Brooklyn Bridge?
Supermodels in Fort Greene? Bien Sur
Can Fort Greene get any more chic? In this month's Vogue, the fashion bible features a full-page photo of model Alec Wek in front of the townhouse she's in the process of renovating. No mention of exact location, but we learn that Wek enjoys trolling for vintage furniture (she scored a pair of 1940's dentist stools on Atlantic Avenue recently) and one of her neighbors is another fashion icon, Bridget Hall. Who knew? The article also includes a reflection on Brooklyn's role in the New York universe:
In a way, the distance between Manhattan and outer-borough Brooklyn is the perfect metaphor for Wek’s attitude toward the fashion world: She knows the place well, loves working there, but takes it on her own terms and is happy to retreat back to her own real life at the end of the day.
Front Page Forum: Dressing Up For Sale
In discussing the shabby appearance of 1370 Pacific Street for its open house last weekend, a reader posted this question:
Is it better to gussy up a house for a showing or let everyone see it warts and all? All of the crap is going to come out in an inspection, hopefully. Isn't it more honest to just let it be? I hate viewings where the owner slaps some paint on the wall, and covers the holes in the floor with a rug and a plant. I really hate when high priced brokers have the owner do things like strip painted woodwork in a half assed sloppy way so they can jack up the price. You're only going to have to redo it anyway, why pay for it twice? I only ask that your home is clean when I come see it, it doesn't have to be out of the pages of House and Garden. I can do my own decorating. Any thoughts?
Our thoughts? A whole industry now exists around making over properties for sale. It must be adding some value.
Open House Picks Comments [Brownstoner]
Meier Gets Out His Shovel on Eastern Parkway
We're a little late on the draw, but Blogger Transfer is very excited that the excavation has begun over at 1 Eastern Parkway (isn't the address 17 Eastern Parkway or1 Prospect Park?), which he proclaims The site of Brooklyn. Last we heard, the Richard Meier tower overlooking Grand Army Plaza was slated to top out at 30 stories but there seemed to be some confusion about that fact. Transfer reminds us that prices are expected to start at $1,000 a foot which sounds like a lay-up to us at this point. This'll be by far the best modern apartment building in the borough.
Most Erotic Building Site [Transfer]
Tower Bigger Than Expected [Brownstoner]
Killing Bushwick, One Day at a Time
We stumbled across a great flickr pool this weekend called Killing Williamsburg. One contributor, who goes by Crystal Cakes, has been tracking the erection of a five-story condo development from the perch of her kitchen window in Bushwick. Here we've lifted Days 9 and 44, and as you can see construction is proceeding apace. Notable moments have included the loss of a favorite pear tree. What's the address, Crystal? We'll be keeping a close watch on this one!
Condo Construction, Days 37 and 44 [Flickr: Killing Williamsburg]
Silver Phallus To Tower Over Fort Greene
And you thought the Greene House condominium was tall? Get a load of what Scarano & Associates is plotting for the corner of South Portland and Fulton in Fort Greene: A 190-foot, 80,000-square-foot mixed use tower with medical offices, parking, retail and, of course, apartments from which residents will be able to wave to their friends in Bruce Ratner's high-rises. In praise of its own design, the firm's website offers this architecture-speak:
Most residential or office towers are static objects in the city's skyline, marked by typical floors and repetition. The design concept for this unique project, presents the residential building from a different perspective: it is developed in way to provide the tower with movement and keep the structural forces evident.
Thank God we live in an historic district.
South Portland Tower [Scarano Architectss] GMAP
Tuesday Linkerati
Outside the Brooklyn Museum. Photo by Jake Dobkin.
Rent_Cheat Couple Gets Jail [NY Post]
Bounce This Suite [NY Daily News-2nd Item]
B'kln Black History Champ Dies [NY Daily News]
Bloomberg on NY Real Estate [Reuters]
New Crop of Ebay Finds [Apartment Therapy]
Bloomberg Shrieks 'Sell!' [Curbed]
Chase Comes to Carroll Street [423 Smith]
Bubble in Bubble Blogs? [Long/Short Capital]
Bad News Round-Up [Walk Through]
January 23, 2006
House of the Day: Far Out Greenpoint Limestone
Here's a nice looking 2-family limestone in the outer reaches of Greenpoint. And when we say outer, we mean outer. Apollo Street is on the eastern edge of the polish/hipster nabe a couple of blocks from the BQE. The location, combined with the lack of interior photos on the site (though that may be explained by the fact that there is no selling broker), makes us a little skeptical about the $799,000 asking price for what is really just a two-story house, attractive exterior notwithstanding. What can people tell us about this immediate area and transportation alternatives? There was an open house a couple of weekends ago. Anyone go?
Apollo Street House [Pepe Real Estate] GMAP
Drooling, a Borough Away, Over 23 Park Avenue
On our way back from the doctor last week, we stopped to take in this beautiful Italianate mansion at 23 Park Avenue (aka 101 East 35th Street). We also managed to scribble down what's engraved on the plaque on the side of the building which provides a little background on the 25,000-square-foot building:
This McKim,Mead and White residence, completed c. 1891, was commissioned by James Hampden Robb (1846-1911), former cotton broker, New York State Assemblyman and Senator (1882-85), and Commissioner of the Parks Department (1887-90). Designed in the Italian Renaissance style by Stanford White, the facade features Roman brick and terra-cotta ornament ona brownstone base. In 1923, the interior was modified to accommodate the Advertising Club of New York, which occupied the site until 1977. It is now a cooperative residence.
Further research suggests that there are 15 co-op apartments though we were unable to find any information about recent sales prices.
23 Park Avenue Profile [City Realty] GMAP P*Shark
Fashion and Health Tips in the Burg
Seems like a strange time of year to be pushing this argument (then again, with this weather we've been having...), but, hey, it's hard to refute the cold hard logic of this placard. Then again, full-length and tight-fitting clothing should do an equally good job of protecting your skin from cancer, no?
Hassids vs. Hipsters [The Next Stop Will Be]
Just Sold in Brooklyn
CLINTON HILL $415,000
360 Clinton Ave.
Renovated prewar two-bedroom, one-bath co-op, 900 square feet, with new kitchen with granite countertops, entry foyer with built-ins and eastern exposure; building is pet-friendly and features part-time doorman, elevator and courtyard. Maintenance $559, 35 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $415,000, on market five days. (Broker: Rodolfo Lucchese, the Corcoran Group)
BERGEN BEACH $395,000
2018 E. 72nd St.
Semidetached three-bedroom, one-bath duplex, 1,036 square feet, with formal dining room, eat-in kitchen, semifinished basement and new roof. Asking price $449,000, on market 31/2 months. (Broker: Tracey Real Estate)
MARINE PARK $475,000
2055 Kimball St.
Three-bedroom, one-bath duplex, 1,084 square feet, with formal dining room, eat-in kitchen, den, semi-finished basement and backyard. Asking price $509,000, on market four months. (Broker: Tracey Real Estate)
SHEEPSHEAD BAY $740,000
2701 Voorhies Ave.
Semidetached two-family house, 2,416 square feet, with three-bedroom, one-bath unit over two-
bedroom, one-bath unit with finished basement; property features backyard and new roof, plumbing and windows. Asking price $759,000, on market 67 days. (Broker: Tracey Real Estate)
Just Sold! [NY Post]
Hardware Kingpin's Red Hook Spread
Let's just say Rhett Butler bought into Red Hook before the Brooklyn real estate explosion. As a result, the owner of arguably the highest-end major architectural hardware company, E.R. Butler, has got room to spare in the 1887 foundry he purchased eight years ago. (His loft in the building has 30 15-by-20-foot bays!) And if he could have his way, it sounds like he would have it completely bare. But since compromise is the cornerstone of marriage, he has learned to live with the couches and clutter of his dog-trainer wife.
"Forget about all the really important things you're supposed to worry about when you marry someone," Ms. Arden said. "I just couldn't imagine how Rhett was going to be able to deal with the fact that I really don't care about design."
Maybe he will achieve de-cluttered nirvana if he ever gets around to building the metal and glass house on the roof of the building.
Yin Moves In With Yang [NY Times]
Atlantic Yards: No TRO, Demo's a Go
January 20, 2006, NY Daily News--A Manhattan judge yesterday refused to grant a temporary restraining order barring developer Bruce Ratner from tearing down six buildings to make way for the controversial Atlantic Yards complex. However, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Carol Edmead ordered the two sides back for a hearing Feb. 14 - about a week before Ratner officials said demolition would begin. The decision came a day after neighborhood groups sued Ratner and the Empire State Development Corp., which approved the demolition. Ratner officials charge the buildings are unsafe, but opponents are demanding an independent evaluation. They also charge a lawyer who used to represent Ratner now represents the Empire State Development Corp., and signed off on the demolition.
Judge Won't Stop Ratner Demo [NY Daily News]
Showdown on Front St: Walentas vs. Boymelgreen
The grudge match that's playing out between longtime Dumbo partriarch David Walentas and relative newcomer Shaya Boymelgreen would be almost farcical if it hadn't already turned several people's lives upside down. As most of you probably read yesterday, Boymelgreen put up a seven-story condo building at 57 Front Street in 2004, believing that the property had an easement over the adjacent lot, which would have protected the light and views of his lot line windows. Long-story short, it turns out no easement exists and now Walentas wants to trade the easement for the right to buy the property at 45 Front Street that he has long coveted but that Boymelgreen has locked up in contract. The best part of the story? Walentas is threatening to put up a steel sculpture designed with the express purpose of blocking all Boymelgreen's windows. Excuse us, David? "It's steel columns in front of the windows with plates strategically placed where the windows are, just as a little negotiation." That's what we thought you said. It'll be interesting to see if there's such hardball tactics will taint Walentas' self-promoted image as mayor of Dumbo. Considering Boymelgreen doesn't exactly have a huge fan base, maybe not.
Rivals Rumble in Dumbo [NY Times] GMAP
Flipper's Delight at 57 Front [Set Speed]
57 Front Never Closes [Curbed]
Monday Linkster
Puzzle Piece, Park Slope. Photo by Corporate Tunnel.
When Disaster Strikes [NY Times]
A Reknowned Architect's Home [NY Times]
A Tee Grows in Brooklyn [NY Times]
Keeping Your House in the Family [NY Times]
Subway Hits Another Wall [NY Times]
Uncle Paulie's in Greenpoint [NY Times]
Yearning for a Bleacher in FG [NY Times]
Park Slope Dream Home [NY Post]
Baby Boom in Borough Park [NY Post]
Buying An Historic Property [Business Week]
Continued Signs of a Slowdown [Set Speed]
Anniversary of Snow Plow Death [b61 productions]
January 20, 2006
Open House Picks
Park Slope
404 Bergen Street
Nancy McK: Saturday 1-3
BHS: Sunday 11:30-2pm
$1,495,000
GMAP P*Shark
Boerum Hill
494 Warren Street
Corcoran
Sunday 12:30-2pm
$1,290,000
GMAP P*Shark
Windsor Terrace
88 Prospect Park SW
Warren Lewis
Sunday 1-3pm
$885,000
MAPQ P*Shark
South Slope
297 22nd Street
Townsley & Gay
Sunday 1-3pm
$699,000
GMAP P*Shark
Crown Heights
1370 Pacific Street
Mr. Clarke
Sunday 1-2pm
$599,000
GMAP P*Shark
Carriage House Week: 413-417 Vanderbilt Avenue
413-417 Vanderbilt Avenue (top) is the garage and chauffeur's residence designed by R.I. Markwith in 191, at the same time that he designed the mansion at 416 Clinton Avenue (bottom). The Colonial Revival style brick structure has two auto entrances with wooden doors, above which is a soldier-brick lintel. A cornice has recently been removed. The building terminates in a slate-colored gambrel roof. In the center is a shed dormer with three six-over-six windows. A single dormered window and vehicular entrance may be seen at the rear of the building, which is now used by the Teen Challenge Alumni. GMAP P*Shark
Now You Can Post to the Forum All By Yourself
Just a quick note to let you know that we've reinstated the self-posting function in the Forum--no more waiting around for us to do it. The instructions are in the left hand column of the Forum page. Enjoy.
Small Salvaged Wooden Mantle For Sale
When we stopped by Eddie's salvage shop last Saturday, we spotted this pretty wood mantle in the corner. Turns out it came out of a small woodframe house in Bushwick and for $650 it can be yours. Located at Grand and Greene, Eddie's is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12 to 6 pm.
NY Press Gets All Brooklyn On Us
We're not going to get a chance to wade through all the neighborhood essays in NY Press special Brooklyn issue until this weekend so we've got no witty outtakes to share as of yet. If you like your Brooklyn stories laced with a heavy dose of irony, darkness and self-deprecation, though, we're sure you won't be disappointed. And at the low, low price of free, what've you got to lose! (Just make sure you get a copy before the dog-walkers use 'em all up.)
The Brooklyn Issue [NY Press]
Another Small Developer Cutting Corners
We swung by to take a look at the progress on the corner of Grand and Greene this weekend and then stopped in next door to chat with local salvage kingpin Eddie. What we learned was this: Three Saturday's ago Eddie had to call the fire department because the developer had, surprise, surprise, conducted the initial foundation excavation without the supervision of an engineer and, and a result, the handful of non-licensed workers on site had "compromised" the wall of his building by digging too far under it. So the fire department showed up and issued a Cease Work order and now supposedly things are being done by the book. We hope so. Work has resumed but our confidence level in what the finished product will look like is pretty low.
More Development in Eastern Clinton Hill [Brownstoner]
As Remodeling Slows, Contractors Get Nicer
You may actuallly be able to get a contractor to return your call and show up on time if recent trends continue, the Wall Street Journal reports. Some areas, like the Midwest and parts of the Northeast, are experiencing a slowdown in remodeling as rising rates and a moderating real estate market give homeowners pause. The $150 billion industry is far from hurting to be sure: In hot spots like Northern California, all the slowdown means is a reduction in waiting time to start a project from about five months to three months. How about here in Brooklyn? How have readers been finding contractors' availability and attitudes lately?
Contractors Cut Prices [Wall Street Journal]
Friday Linkage
Brooklyn Heights Stoop. Photo by Katie Claypoole.
Cocoa Ship Stranded in Red Hook [NY Times]
Trying to See a Landmark [NY Times]
Troubled Bed Stuy Welfare Office [NY Times]
Union's Waterfront Woes [NY Daily News]
Rebuttal from Park Slope Artist [NY Daily News]
Robert Moses Still Felt in B'kln [NY Sun]
1892 New York Handbook [Callalillie]
RE Advertising on Trees [Daily Heights]
What I Love About Brooklyn [A Brooklyn Life]
Red Hook Map with Pics [Gothamist]
Overheard in Fort Greene [Overheard in New York]
January 19, 2006
House of the Day: Five Stories on Lefferts Place
A reader flagged this classic brownstone for us--and with good reason. The five-story house has wonderful details on the inside as well as out. We're loving the mansard roof and original iron fence that encloses what looks to be a fairly large front yard with set-back stoop. Despite being outside of the Clinton Hill Historic District, this block is extremely well maintained, particularly on the northern side of the street. Given that four-story houses in the area tend to go for between $1.35 million and $1.45 million, this feels very solidly priced to us. (Full disclosure: We own a very similar 5-story house only a couple of blocks away.)
Lefferts Place [Corcoran] GMAP
Set Speed Condo Report: One Montgomery Place
A few months ago, Brownstoner readers raised the issue of what was going on at 1 Montgomery Place in Park Slope, a block from Prospect Park. A few commenters noted that the building would be renovated into triplex condos marketed by Corcoran. A browse of Corcoran's new listings today showed that there are 4 units on sale for substantial asking prices, ranging from $1.165 million for a 1,454-square-foot two-bedroom to $2.1 million for a 2,624-square-foot three-bedroom. The carrying costs on these units are also quite large, with 3 of the units having at least $1400 a month in maintenance and real estate taxes.
These units are being sold at about $800 per square foot (psf), which is a sweet-spot for this prime Park Slope project. There have been plenty of condo projects in the South Slope and Center Slope which have been asking in the $700s psf, so this project seems to be fairly-priced for today. One close comparable to these Montgomery Place units is the Park Place Condos on Flatbush and Park Place being marketed by Corcoran. Those units are asking also in the $700's psf. The better location and better appliances in the Montgomery Pl units warrant the higher prices.
All the units come with a Bosch range, microwave and dishwasher and a Subzero fridge with Maytag washer/dryer to boot. Some units boast 11 foot ceilings with crown moldings, mahogany doors and woodwoork and herringbone parquet floors. Judging from the amenities, these units seem geared to an older demographic. Note the tan and chocolate marble floors and polished brass fixtures. The location of these condos--one block from Prospect Park--is undeniable. The architects are BKSK Architects who have been involved in quite a few luxury projects in Tribeca.
Montgomery Place [Corcoran] GMAP
Homepage [BKSK Architects]
The Fate of One Montgomery [Brownstoner]
Every Thursday, ltjbukem, whose own blog Set Speed scrutinizes the progress and quality of new developments in the area we know as Brownstone Brooklyn, pens a guest post about goings-on in the condo market with an emphasis on new projects.
Carriage House Week: 409-411 Vanderbilt Avenue
409-411 Vanderbilt Avenue (above) is an elaborate Queen Anne style carriage house and coachman's residence designed in 1882 by Parfitt Brothers for Cornelius Hoagland to match his mansion at 410 Clinton Avenue (right). The fanciful, two-story building prominently displays Flemish gables on both the front and rear elevations. This motif echoes that on the south side of the related mansion. On Vanderbilt Avenue the gable is articulated by a round-arched vehicular entrance, now partially enclosed, a pedestrian entrance, two segmental-arched story windows, and a multi-paned ocular window. The recessed section to the south also has a carriage entrance as well as arched windows. It is crowned by a gambrel roof with raised eyebrow dormers. Corner brick chimneys rise above the roofline of this charming building, which now houses the Brooklyn Vetinary Hospital. GMAP P*Shark
Wall of Windows Mystifies on Hall Street
We always get a kick out of this house at 111 Hall Street when we drive by. Located between Myrtle and Park, the idiosyncratic woodframe looks like the owners found a bunch of old church windows and slapped them up one weekend. We love it and are dying to know the story behind the house's design. Can anyone help us out?GMAP P*Shark
Plumbing Tips: Maintaining Your Boiler
As a licensed plumber, I field calls from homeowners daily this time of year with requests for service calls which could easily have been avoided. What follows are a few tips for the residential steam heating systems typically found in brownstones.
Water Level. Keep the water in your boiler at a safe level. Automatic water feeders are an excellent convenience and safety feature but they are no substitute for a weekly visit to the cellar during the heating season. When the boiler is cold, the water level is best kept in the top third portion of the glass tube. Know how to fill it manually and take notice of how often the boiler needs fresh water. In most cases, a well-functioning steam boiler should not need water added more than once every 4-6 weeks.
Flushing. Flush the boiler ONLY if you have a "float-type" low water cut off. Our parents spent what probably amounted to years of their lives "flushing the boiler" every winter. That process was misnamed as pulling up on that handle and releasing that horrible brown water was only a maintenance procedure that applied to the proper function of the cut-off itself. It didn't benefit the boiler at all. Know what type of low water cut off is installed on your boiler and follow the maintenance procedures that apply to it specifically.
General Inspection. In winter time, be sure to check the overall condition of your boiler and heating system. A common sense approach works best. Is there any evidence of a water, gas or oil leak? Is there rust or corrosion found on any part of the boiler piping or the boiler itself? Keep a close eye on those areas as they may be vulnerable to breakdown. They may also indicate a larger problem in progress or forming.
John Cataneo is Master Plumber Licensed by The City of New York. He is reachable at 718.980-0909 or through his company's website at GatewayPlumbing.com.
Starchitects Can Be a Positive Influence
Architect Jonathan Cohn, aka blogger Brooklyn Views, weighs in on why he thinks that the participation of a starchitect in the Atlantic Yards project is likely to enhance the quality of the end-product:
It does help that Gehry is on the job. He will be more able to push for influencing the program and it’s disposition on the site than anyone else could in that role. From the public’s perspective there is a real advantage to having a star architect working on a project; a renowned architect has more clout to influence the program. Well-known architects can pick and choose commissions, and if a client proposes a direction that is not of interest, they can always decline to participate. Lesser known architects work at the behest of the client, knowing that satisfied clients will give them more work. A star architect plays to a different audience: his place in history. It behooves him to do the right thing, or to not do it at all.
The Role of the Architect [Brooklyn Views]
The Battle for Red Hook's Future
The fight for Red Hook's future is on: Will it remain an industrial center, as it has been for recent decades, or will it follow the trend of other Brooklyn hotbeds like Williamsburg and become a more residential community? According to the Times, this struggle is personified by two local figures, Greg O'Connell and John McGettrick. O'Connell, a big property owner and former cop, favors expanding blue-collar business; McGettrick, a private investigator whose father slung cargo on the docks, is pro housing. Even Dan Doctoroff describes Red Hook as the city's "single most complex land-use issue." The struggle is particularly evident in the fight over 160 Imlay Street, which has been mired in legal battles over plans to convert it into condominiums. Personally, we like the idea of organic, mixed-use growth that preserves the historic character of the neighborhood. No new high-rises please!
For WHom Will the Foghorn Blow? [NY Times]
Photo: 160 Imlay [Cornershots]
State Officials Green-Light Brooklyn Bridge Park
Plans for an 85-acre park running for 1.3 miles along the Brooklyn waterfront between Atlantic Avenue and the Manhattan Bridge got the thumbs-up from New York State yesterday, which, along with the City, will chip in $150 million for the project. As planned, the park include space for 1,240 units of luxury housing and 225 hotel rooms, in addition to significant retail, restaurant, and office space, revenue from which is expected to cover the park's projected $15.2 million annual operating cost. While still promising to go to court over the issue, opponents of the private development component are become less optimistic: "It is a luxury housing development with a small amount of publicly accessible land attached," Roy Sloane, vice president of the Cobble Hill Association. "But it appears that that debate is over." Construction on the park is expected to start next year.
Albany Approves Waterfront Park [NY Times]
Park It Here [NY Post]
Park On Fast Track [Brownstoner]
Compromise, Not Idealism, for Park [Brownstoner]
Thursday Links
Sixth Avenue and 3rd Street, Park Slope. Photo by Dual Pupil.
Local Groups Sue to Stop Project [NY Times]
Smarter Homes [NY Times]
Residential Sales [NY Times]
The Dirt on Restaurants [NY Post]
A Born-Again Theater [NY Daily News]
Armstrong Home Gets Nod [NY Daily News]
B'kln Libraries Lack Hours, Funds [NY Daily News]
Spike's Joint [NY Press]
Brooklyn's Sex Champs [NY Press]
Brooklyn For Living, Not Dying [NY Newsday]
Bad News Landlord [Serious Danger via Gothamist]
New Veg Restaurant in FG [Set Speed]
Corcoran Broker Can't Spell [Park Sloper]
January 18, 2006
HOTD: Brooklyn Heights Conversion Candidate
Moving along from small-ticket to big-ticket, take a look at this corner listing from the Developers Group. Weighing in at 4,800 square feet, it's a lot of building for the $3.595 million price tag given the Brooklyn Heights address. The reason is obvious: It's been chopped up into five apartments with substandard (at least for this nabe) finishes and fixtures with nary an original detail in sight. The good news is that it will be delivered vacant so that someone with the cash and the patience could probably create a pretty sweet single-family home with the bonus of a double garage and yard space to boot.
108 Joralemon Street [Developers Group] GMAP
Carriage House Week: 403-405 Vanderbilt Avenue
403-405 Vanderbilt Avenue (left) is a massive Romanesque Revival carriage house built circa 1890 for the owner of the house that stood at 404 Clinton Avenue (right) prior to the present building. The beautifully maintained Flemish bond brick building has a central segmental-arched entrance with original double dorrs hung on ornate iron hinges. A rectangular window and pedestrian entrance flank the carriage entrance and all are capped by splayed brick lintels with limestone keystones. Three windows light the coachman's residence on the second floor. A small corbeled cornice supports the building's most unusual feature, a parapet pierced by ziggurat-like openings. An ornate Beaux-Arts style fence of later date runs in front of the building. (Ed: The word ziggurat refers to a temple tower of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians which typically had the form of a terraced pyramid of successively receding stories.) GMAP P*Shark
Foragers: Fancy Food Market for Dumbo-ites
January 23, 2006, NY Magazine -- No matter what Brooklyn real-estate agents say, a neighborhood doesn’t officially happen until it gets its own top-notch fancy-food emporium: What was South Williamsburg, after all, before Marlow & Sons, Park Slope before Blue Apron, or Cobble Hill before Tuller Premium Foods? Now, with Foragers Market, a spacious new shop run by Anna Castellani, the owner of the Dumbo General Store, and her three artist partners, Dumbo has a food fetishist’s paradise to call its own. You’ll find everything from June Taylor jams to Benedetto Cavalieri pastas on the artfully stocked shelves, and there are eye-catching departments for meat and poultry, charcuterie, seafood, and prepared foods. Not to mention 150 cheeses. 56 Adams St., at Front St., Dumbo, Brooklyn; 718-801-8400.
Openings & Buzz [NY Magazine]
Gearing Up for More Waterfront Towers in the Burg
Three buildings that used to be owned by the Royal Wine Company on the Williamsburg waterfront are slated to be demolished to make way for two high-rise apartment towers--if the developer can convince city agencies and local groups that it's serious on the issues of affordable housing and environmental protocol. According to the Brooklyn Eagle, plans call for north and south towers of 18 stories (185 feet in height) and 24 stories (245 feet), respectively. These buildings would contain 450 apartments (with two to four bedrooms each), 26,413 square feet of neighborhood stores, 225 parking spaces, and a half-acre shore public walkway. The developer has declared the intention to earmark 90 of the units for households with incomes of 80 percent of the area's median. CB 1 plans to review developer Rector Hylan Corporation's proposal at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 435 Graham Ave. The board is expected to make its recommendation at its next general meeting, on Feb. 7 at the Swinging 60s Center, 211 Ainslie Street.
Wine Out, Apartments In [Brooklyn Eagle] GMAP
Mary Kay Gets Bookish in Berendt's Brownstone
A recent post on Joyce Cohen's new blog, Hunt Grunt, drew our attention to the New Yorker's latest Talk of the Town piece that continues its fascination with both Brooklyn and brownstones. The article documents the visit of Victorian Flatbush's Queen Bee Mary Kay Gallagher and her book club to the recently renovated brownstone of author John Berendt. While the purpose of the evening was to discuss Berendt's recent book, The City of Falling Angels (which we devoured over the holidays), like most social events, people's attention inevitably shifted to a state of jealous voyeurism as they ended the evening with a tour of the well-appointed home.
Mr. Berendt's Party [New Yorker]
The Place Is a Mess [Hunt Grunt]
Home Depot Right At Home In Bed Stuy
Today's article about the Home Depot that opened in Bed Stuy last year creates the impression that business is booming. "It's excitement all day long," said Ricky Campbell, the manager of the store. Personally, we're thrilled the store opened--no more shlepps over to Sunset Park (except to restock the propane for the grill), but we were surprised at the description of how busy the store is. Frankly, we've always been struck at how un-crowded the store has been when we've been there. The article makes a lot of how the store is conveniently located smack in the middle of the brownstone renovation renaissance, citing owners from nearby Hancock Street as well as Crown Heights and Prospect Heights (home to one guy who estimated dropping $20K on supplies for his reno so far). Local leaders grouse that Home Depot failed to hire some of their referrals--but the store claims to hire 70 to 80 percent of its employees from the neighborhoods where the stores are located. In addition, some local paint and hardware stores report having suffered since the bib-box arrival. Net-net, we've gotta believe the store has had, and will continue to have, a positive impact on the surrounding area.
Big-Box Store in Tough Area [NY Times]
Lawsuit to Save Six Bldgs from Ratner Wrecking
January 18, 2006, NY Post -- Foes of an NBA arena in Brooklyn are filing a lawsuit today in state Supreme Court, The Post has learned. The suit, filed by a half-dozen community groups, seeks to block Bruce Ratner, the new owner of the New Jersey Nets, from demolishing six buildings in the footprint of his planned $3.5 billion arena and complex of commercial and residential skyscrapers. Ratner, claims the buildings are in danger of collapsing; opponents call that an intimidation tactic against the holdouts. The lawsuit requests an independent analysis of his engineering report on the buildings.
Lawsuit Says Nuts to Nets [NY Post]
Wednesday Linkster
Surgeon's House, Navy Yard. Photo by Alexis Robie.
Home Remodeling Boom Cools [Wall Street Journal]
Construction Worker Crushed [NY Post]
Realty Is Slow Growing [NY Post]
Hearth Warming Mortgages [Bankrate]
Ratner Kills Parking Spaces [Brooklyn Papers]
Over-the-Top Luxury in Modwood [Brooklyn Eagle]
Red Hook Bait and Tackle Bar [Village Voice]
Balancing Parking and Housing [Starts and Fits]
Criminalization of Homelessness [Planetizen]
Paint My Apartment [Laura Holder]
Best Restaurants [L Magazine]
The New Real City [Tropolism]
Roach Fest [Miss Representation]
Nothing To Do in B'kln [The Samurai]
January 17, 2006
House of the Day: Cheapest Brownstone Around
The alarm system at Brownstoner HQ is wired to go off whenever a brownstone under $500,000 hits the market, so the lights started flashing when this little guy hit the market this week. Tiny? Yes. Out there? For sure. Yet there's still something intriguing about this prop. As built, the house is only about 1,600 square feet, but there's some extra FAR that would enable a 1,300 square foot addition. We nosed around Property Shark and couldn't deduce the exact address so hopefully someone can help us out. The description implies that the interior has some historic details left but, as everyone knows, we are very suspicious of listings in this day and age which don't include a representative sample of photos. Although the place needs a new front door, the original iron fence and railings appear to be intact.
Gems Are Still Out There [Halsead] GMAP
Carriage House Week: 381 Vanderbilt Avenue
This week we continue our "borrowing" from the LPC Clinton Hill Historic District report by focusing on a particularly interesting stretch of carriage houses on Vanderbilt Avenue. All of the houses were built for corresponding mansions on Clinton Avenue which we've also included. All the written descriptions below are verbatim from the LPC report which, it's important to keep in mind, was written in 1981.
381 Vanderbilt Avenue (front and rear photos) is a Colonial Revival Style garage and residence that was probably designed in 1909 by Herts & Tallent as a companion to the neo-Federal style Julius Liebman house at 384 Clinton Avenue that we discussed last week. One of the finest examples of this building type in the historic district, this garage is constructed of brick laid in English bond with deeply recessed mortar joints. To vehicular entrances with original wooden double doors pierce the ground floor on Vanderbilt Avenue. A gambrel roof with a large shed dormer rises above. This dormer has four windows with decorative diamond sash. The side facades of the gambrel are articulated by paired windows. The front facade of the carriage house continues to the north as a wall and gate post that screen a side yard. GMAP P*Shark
Lots of New Posts on The Forum This Weekend
We're not sure what to attribute it to--the cold weather maybe?--but we received an unusually high volume of questions for the Forum this weekend. Among the usual inquiries about windows, radiators and zoning laws are someone looking to find a brownstone rental for their parents and another person looking to unload an old cast iron tub. Check it out.
Fence Height, Zoning Laws and Strange Noises [Forum]
Transit Museum: Dig Those Wooden Subway Cars
We took one of the little Brownstoners to the Transit Museum in downtown Brooklyn last weekend for a birthday party. Our favorite part? This hundred-year-old wood subway car with woven seats. It was for above-ground use only but certainly was a lot nicer to look at than what we've got today.
Transit Museum [MTA]
New! Straight From The Architect's Mouth
The program for this Park Slope brownstone’s kitchen came from a common lament: everyone likes an open kitchen, but no one wants guests looking at their dirty dishes. This family has young boys, so for supervision alone, they needed a wide opening between the kitchen and dining room, but since the kitchen is squeezed into the little single-window room, we couldn’t sacrifice an inch of counter space. Our solution was to extend the base cabinets halfway into our new double-wide door opening. We based our design for the ribbed-glass and walnut double doors on doors found elsewhere in the house. When closed, the doors look original, but one of them slides into a pocket and the other hinges ninety degrees to allow them to open fully in the tight space. This unorthodox configuration also lets you bolt the slider closed for more formal occasions (that’s why the glass stops above counter height.), while servers come and go through the hinged door. The ribbed glass lets light through but keeps the kitchen private. At dinner parties, the kitchen glows like a lantern.
DELSON or SHERMAN architects pc is a licensed architecture firm with a broad range of experience in residential, commercial, and institutional design. Based in Brooklyn, they have built projects around the country, combining clean, understated design with careful space planning.
Park Slope Brownstone [Delson Sherman]
Want to have your project featured? Just drop us an email.
Down-Zoning Movement Gaining in Carroll Gardens
The down-zoning movement is gaining momentum in Carroll Gardens, reports Brooklyn Papers, where many residents want to see a 50-foot height restriction imposed on the Brownstone neighborhood. The highest-profile offender? The six-story 11 Second Place which we discussed back in October. Our view then was that we didn't like the height but thought that otherwise the building looked nicer than most new developments in Brooklyn these days. Another development, 151 Carroll Street, is rising to a height of 58-feet on a site that used to house a one-story parking garage. “No one wants to freeze growth, but when you are dealing with a neighborhood that is largely two- or three-story buildings, you need some kind of height cap to preserve integrity,” says Simeon Bankoff of the Historic Districts Council. Some people obviously like the new digs on Second Place: The first five condos at 11 Second Place reportedly sold on their first day on the market; the last few sold quickly this fall.
It's Gettin' Ugly [Brooklyn Papers]
Carroll Gardens Down-Zoning? [The Real Estate]
Flatter Yield Curve, Longer-Term Fixed Rate Lock
January 16, 2005, Wall Street Journal -- In recent years, many borrowers have embraced adjustable-rate mortgages as a way to lower their monthly payments. They also have flocked to exotic loan products, such as mortgages with 1% teaser rates, so they could buy a more expensive home or tap their equity without boosting their monthly payments. But last year's top loan choice might not be the right one for 2006. One big reason: The gap between short-term and long-term rates has narrowed. This flatter yield curve means that borrowers aren't saving as much as they once did by taking on the interest-rate risk that comes with an adjustable-rate mortgage, or ARM. At the same time, mortgages of all types have gotten more expensive. "The bloom is off the ARM market," says Doug Duncan, chief economist of the Mortgage Bankers Association, a trade group in Washington. More borrowers are now taking out fixed-rate loans, he says, or ARMs with longer fixed periods.
Home Rundown [Wall Street Journal]
Tuesday Linkage
Heyward Street. Photo by Don Wiss.
On-Time Records of NYC Trains [NY Times]
Race and Real Estate [The Walk-Through]
A Co-Op of Their Own [NY Daily News]
Knowing Your Home's Value [NY Newsday]
Best Sandwich in Brooklyn [Chowhound]
Kitchen Scavenger [Apartment Therapy]
Soft Opening for Abilene [A Brooklyn Life]
Hootie Couture [OTBKB]
January 16, 2006
One Man's Crusade for Streetcars in Brooklyn
At one point in the early part of the last century, there were 1,800 trolleys traversing 300 miles of track in Brooklyn. Now a 60-year-old Midwood man's effort to bring back the trolleys is starting to look more and more like a real possibility. "If you look at the literature, trolleys fit a lot of bills," he says. Plus, they are pollution free and traffic calming, he notes. In addition, "they lend a nostalgic ambience to the neighborhood." The most likely routes? Borough Hall to Dumbo, Brooklyn Bridge Park from Fulton Ferry to Atlantic Avenue, and Coney Island. Are readers in favor of this?
A Desire Named Streetcar [NY Times]
B'kln Developers Predicting Big Year for Borough
January 16, 2006, NY Post -- It’s going to be a brave new year of development in Brooklyn, surpassing even the surge of projects in 2005, business leaders and lawmakers have pledged. Between cruise ships and skyscrapers, basketball arenas and gourmet groceries, Brooklyn’s swiftly rising profile is set to go sky high in 2006. Developers expect to break ground on the largest projects in the borough’s history this year, as ribbons will be cut on other monumental developments and still others will get the green light for future construction. “It’s the supernova borough,” said Councilman David Yassky, whose Downtown-Brooklyn Heights district will host much of the development.
Some of the projects mentioned include...
Boom Year in Brooklyn [NY Post]
Monday Linkage
Brooklyn Fix 2. Photo by Cinema Cowgirl.
Bowing Out in Bay Ridge [NY Times]
Bensonhurst on His Mind [NY Times]
Protecting Condos Against Liability [NY Times]
Residential Sales [NY Times]
Last Run for Money Train [NY Post]
Oversized Building Slammed in Queens [NY Daily News]
Greenway Plan Jump-Started [NY Daily News]
New British Prefab House [Treehugger]
Drink for Free at the YMCA [City Specific]
Dutch Mustard, Inside and Out [Curbed]
RE Blogging Tips [Technology Evangelist]
The Uphill Slope [Rainy Day]
Prospect Heights T-Shirts [Daily Heights]
Restaurant Gia Remodeling [Set Speed]
Financing Officers' Row Project [Calla Lillie]
Shop SCAD [Design Sponge]
We have the day off today so posting will be light. Very light.
January 13, 2006
Open House Picks
Park Slope
86 Garfield Place
Warren Lewis
Sunday 2-4pm
$1,675,000
GMAP
Prospect Heights
394 Park Place
Aguayo & Huebener
Sunday 1-3pm
$1,575,000
GMAP
Windsor Terrace
112 Windsor Place
Betancourt
Sunday 1-3pm
$1,049,000
GMAP
Bay Ridge
86 72nd Street
Brown Harris Stevens
Sunday 12-1pm
$899,000
GMAP
Bay Ridge
656 76th Street
Basile Realty
Sunday 1-3pm
$798,000
GMAP
Crown Heights
1443 Dean Street
Corcoran
Sunday 1:30-2:30pm
$749,000
GMAP
More Development in Eastern Clinton Hill
Clearing and digging work started at this vacant lot on the corner of Grand and Greene in Clinton Hill a couple of weeks ago. We've yet to hear any specifics about what's going up or who's doing it. Anyone got the 411?
Kids' Events This Martin Luther King Weekend
TRIBUTE TO MARTIN LUTHER KING
Monday, 1:30 and 3 p.m., music and a singalong, and at 2:30 p.m., a documentary, at the Brooklyn Children's Museum, 145 Brooklyn Avenue, at St. Marks Avenue, Crown Heights, (718) 735-4400. Admission: $4.
LIFE ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Told with stories and quilt-making, Saturday through Monday, 1 to 4 p.m., at Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park, near Flatbush Avenue and Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, (718) 789-2822. Free.
Children's Events [NY Times]
Cobble Hill Documentary Rolling
The casting call we posted for the Cobble Hill documentary unearthed at least one denizen willing to bare her soul on camera. This picture captures local artist LJ Lindhurst being filmed in her studio at 423 Smith Street. We can't wait to check out the finished product at the Inman Stories website.
LJ Lindhurst, Supahstar! [423 Smith]
A Chance to Be in Pictures [Brownstoner]
Residential Sales in Brooklyn
BOERUM HILL $887,000
210 Hoyt Street
2-family, 3-story attached town house; 1 bedroom, 1 bath, home office in each upstairs residential unit, 850 sq. ft. of commercial space in first-floor vacant storefront; full basement, rear garden; taxes $2,185; listed at $925,000, 3 weeks on market (broker: Corcoran Group)
WILLIAMSBURG $1,165,000
425 Metropolitan Avenue
3-family, 3-story, 105-year-old woodframe house; 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, dining room, hardwood floors, original moldings and detail in each unit; finished basement, rear garden; 20-by-78-ft. lot; taxes $2,126; listed at $1.25 million, 8 weeks on market (broker: Kline Realty)
From the print edition of yesterday's New York Times.
Park Place Condos? Not For You, Old Chap
Blogger Englishman in New York berates himself for even considering the idea of buying into Park Slope's newest development, the 8-story Park Place Condominium at 145 Park Place:
You’ll probably think us naive for even entertaining the notion that we could have afforded the tiniest corner of this building. But I think that we did. That was until we saw that prices start at $715,500 for a 1,000 sq ft, one bed apartment. We left very soon afterwards.
Of particular interest is the price list EMIY swiped from the sales office this weekend and scanned onto his blog. Looks to us like prices range from about $700 to $900 per square foot.
A Hasty Exit [Englishman In New York]
New Dimension In Living [Park Place Brooklyn] GMAP
Illegal Demo on Bergen Street Destroys Old Stable
At around 8 a.m. on December 29, less than three weeks afte receiving a stop-work order for illegal demolition, another crane showed up at the former carriage house at 528 Bergen Street to finish the job despite the lack of a permit. After the activity was called in by a resident at 534 Bergen, DEP and DOB showed up and stopped work again. According to Property Shark, the model citizen who owns, and illegally demolished, 528 Bergen is Carl Merola of 388 Little Clove Road in Staten Island. What a guy.
Building Falls in Brooklyn [Brooklyn Downtown Star] GMAP
Remains of Revolution Turn Up in Red Hook
While digging a grave for his recently departed pet iguana in the backyard of his Coffey Street apartment building, 35-year-old Matt LaDuca came across a three-pound cannon shot that is believed to date back to the Revolutionary War. "I know you can go to Gettysburg and dig up musketballs, because over there they're a dime a dozen," said LaDuca, 35. "But in Red Hook? I don't know." Local historian John Burkard bets the cannon shot was used to fend off British troops during the Battle of Brooklyn in August 1776, noting that Fort Defiance was not far from where LaDuca now resides.
Red Hook Blast from the Past [NY Daily News] GMAP
Friday Links
D Train. Photo by Kamau Mucoki.
Agassi Gets Into Real Estate [NY Times]
Mortgage Rates Fell in Latest Week [Wall Street Journal]
Making Old New Again [Cambridge Reno]
Modern Green Prefab Homes [Treehugger]
Sources: Radiator Covers [Apartment Therapy]
Ultra Modern Elevator Apartments [Transfer]
Open Mic [Park Slope Poetry Project]
Restaurant Review: Dokebi [Free Williamsburg]
Where We Want to Live in 2006 [Forbes]
Blues Gig Comes to Brooklyn [About.com]
Judge: Rethink B'kln Evictions [1010 Wins]
January 12, 2006
House of the Day: Vinegar Hill Four Family
Despite the proximity to the Farragut Houses, we have a soft spot for the small number of brick townhouses that populate the historic district of Vinegar Hill and always keep an eye out for ones hitting the market. Corcoran's got a recent listing for a 4-story 1829 house at 73 Gold Street, just a few lots over from another recent HOTD. We're initially a little suspicious of the lack of interior photos and the emphasis given to scenic neighborhood shots. Plus, if the interior were in good shape, we'd imagine the price would be quite a bit higher, so maybe it's a good fixer-upper opportunity. But what do we know. The curious can take a look this Sunday and next from 12 to 2 at the open house.
73 Gold Street [Corcoran] GMAP
Set Speed Condo Report: Boerum Heights
A new condominium complex is being built less than two blocks from the Atlantic Yards project. The building faces out onto Flatbush Avenue if you have a unit facing northeast or the back of Atlantic Avenue if you're facing southeast. Located at 556 State Street, this is only houses away from the 560 State Street project that was being sold in the past year. The street contains a mix of brownstones and some post-war apartments. The sales center is located at 563 Atlantic Avenue. Boasting a large number of units, the apartments are a mix of 2 BR/1 BA, 2 BR/2 BA, and larger 3 bedroom and 4 bedroom units. Prices range from $660K for 975 square feet 2 bedroom, 1 bath units to $973K for 1,387 square feet 3 bedroom, 2 bath units. The largest unit, at 1,487 square feet costs $1.1MM. Common charges range from $175 to $325 and RE taxes from $49 to $91 a month, which is relatively affordable.
The residences feature the usual granite countertops, stainless steel GE Profile appliances, 9-foot ceilings, deeded parking and storage units. This general area has a large supply of condominiums and I'm not sure whether there is demand for condos at this price point. (After all, you can get a 3 bedroom, 2 bath for $1.11MM at J Condo in Dumbo.) Current traffic flows are not favorable. The imminent Atlantic Yards project also does not bode well for those who do not like traffic close to where they live.
The broker and marketer for this project is Boerum Heights Realty Associates, a little-known outfit based at 6833 Shore Road in Brooklyn. Boasting a slick website, it is easy to navigate between info on the surrounding neighborhood, the amenities in the building to floor plans and pricing. Incidentally, the site has nary a mention of the possibility of the Atlantic Yards. A Google search revealed that the design of the building is by Bricolage Designs and consists of 72 units.
Floor Plans [Boerum Heights] GMAP
Every Thursday, ltjbukem, whose own blog Set Speed scrutinizes the progress and quality of new developments in the area we know as Brownstone Brooklyn, pens a guest post about goings-on in the condo market with an emphasis on new projects.
What's Up With The New Building on Myrtle?
A reader sent us this photo of this new building on Myrtle Avenue at Adelphi. We didn't know anything about it but share his curiosity. As far as we're concerned, the design works fine for a commercial avenue like Myrtle though we're not wild about the break in the rooflines. Nothing to get our knickers in a twist about anyway. Anyone got the goods? Who built it? What's it being used for? GMAP
Lefferts Manor's Got Its Own Newsletter
The December issue of the Lefferts Manor Echo, a newsletter written and published by residents, is now available in pdf format on the new Lefferts Manor Association Website. This issue Echo touches on development, quality of life and public safety issues. Brownstoner regular Bob Marvin contributed four stories (and one scenic photo). By the way, did you know that former Governor Hugh Carey lived in Lefferts when he was a teenager? If there are other community newsletters out there, we'd love to hear about 'em.
Echo Newsletter-December [LeffertsManor.org]
About Us [LeffertsManor.org]
BPL Struggling to Raise Cash for New Building
The Brooklyn Public Library is having trouble raising the dough it needs to embark upon its ambitious Enrique Norten-designed Visual and Performing Arts Library. According to Brooklyn Papers, the library come up with only $18 million of the projected $85 million needed to see the project through. As a result, don't expect to see any of the shimmering glass walls anytime soon. More like four or five years, warns Executive Director Ginnie Cooper. The need for cash has also led to a repositioning of the ground floor space towards more commercial purposes.
Lots of Glass, Not Enough Cash [Brooklyn Papers] GMAP
Mortgages-In-Law Rock a Righteous Renovation
We got a kick out of reading the "Mortgage-In-Laws" piece in the House & Home section today. Aside from the creative approach to affording a brownstone, the interior design of this Carroll Street house blew us away. This kitchen may be the best adaptation of an original parlor floor we've ever seen. And the rest of the Park Slope house has a wonderful mix of the traditional and the modern with just the right amount of whimsy thrown into the mix. As the article implies, the $500,000 reno budget probably understates the cost because of all the free input and discounted materials the couples were able to get. Still, what a great job.
Mortgage-In-Laws [NY Times]
Evangelizing for Real Estate Blogs
Since Lockhart was in the audience, he beat us to the punch on posting about our participation on the blogging panel (which also included Alexis from Curbed and Jake from Gothamist) at the Inman Real Estate conference yesterday. The message to the brokers in the audience: Get on the bus! As for the wig-and-mask get-up? Many of you know who we are but we couldn't risk having our photo show up somewhere our boss would see it. Plus, when you're the last presenter of the day, a little showmanship helps keep the audience from nodding off.
Brownstoner Revealed! (Sort Of) [Curbed]
Thursday Linkster
24 Hrs. Photo by Hugh Crawford.
Residential Sales [NY Times]
Midwinter Dreams of Summer [NY Times]
Concert for Kids at Southpaw [NY Daily News]
New Landmark for SI [NewYorkology via The Real Estate]
Brooklyn Israel Film Festival [Jew School]
UK House Prices Stabilizing [Financial Times]
Ratner Taking Out the Trash [Downtown Star]
RE Purchases Rebound [Inman News]
More and More Unsold Homes [Business Week]
January 11, 2006
House of the Day: Lefferts Manor FSBO
Three different readers sent us the link to the Lefferts Manor limestone being sold sans broker. While the owners may not have the web design skills and marketing savvy of the Fizzbows, we still like their independent and enterprising spirit. Will buyers like the $930,000 price tag? We'll see. Here's what one of the tipsters had to say: "This house is in a pristine row of limestones in the historically landmarked district in single family only Lefferts Manor. It seems like a good price for the area (there are homes sold for over $1 million now)." Curious? You can check out the open house this Sunday from 1 to 3 pm. Address: 156 Maple Street between Bedford and Rogers.
Limestone for Sale [156 Maple Street] GMAP
880 Bergen Street: Not a Small Building
This photo of 880 Bergen street, lifted from the Wired NY Brooklyn forum, is a couple of month's old so given how far along it looks we assume it must be just about done. Does anyone know if it is being marketed yet? By whom? Man is it big!
880 Bergen Street [Wired NY] GMAP
Frank Bruni Digging Park Slope's Al di La
In spite of the "smugness" of his Brooklyn friends, the NY Times restaurant critic rallies to finally visit Park Slope Italian stalwart Al di La. And guess what? Franky likes it!
I hereby grant it, and I sing the praises of Al di Là, sung so many times before, because it deserves the music. Because there are food lovers from outside Brooklyn who have never been, and Al di Là is worth a trip. Because occasional chatter that it has grown tired and sloppy after more than seven years of extraordinary popularity needs to be corrected. It hasn't.
Go Ahead, Brooklyn: Be Smug [NY Times] GMAP
Architecture 101: 378 Clinton Avenue
Ever since we arrived in Clinton Hill, we've been curious about this former mansion at 378 Clinton Avenue. The former residence of Julius Liebman (whose family started the brewery that would later become known as Rheingold), the 1909 neo-Federal house is currently owned by a group called Teen Challenge. According to LPC's report on the Clinton Hill Historic District, in 1925 the house was sold to Raymond Ingersoll who was borough president from 1934 until his death in 1940. The house was designed by the nationally-prominent firm of Herts & Tallant. Here's what the LPC has to say about the architecture (though you may need an architectural dictionary to follow along):
The symmetrical house with gambrel roof is constructed of brick laid in English bond. The front facade is perfectly balanced and beautifully massed. The ground floor is articulated by three round brick arches with ornate impost blocks and keystones. Set within each arch are terra cotta Corinthian columns that support arches ornamented in the style of a Doric frieze...The fenestration of the second floor consists of three rectangular multi-paned windows with shutters and two tiny slit windows. A handsome cornice with a brick frieze runs above the second floor. The gambrel roof with stepped copings and paired end chimneys has slate shingles and three shed dormers -- a double dormer flanked by single dormers -- all with window sash with interlaced muntins.
Gehry and Ratner At Odds Over Scope & Design
An interesting behind-the-scene relationship between Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner and his publicity-soaked architect Frank Gehry is gradually coming to light. In comments made last Fall at a Columbia University lecture, Gehry revealed some differences of opinion over the project's scope and design.
But as people in Brooklyn expect the borough to be all "brownstones and tree-lined streets," Gehry's project has met with opposition from the community. "You can't do that with a project of this size," he said, adding that he had asked the developer, Bruce Ratner, to scale back the project several times. Meanwhile, he hasn't convinced Ratner to do something else: bring in other architects to design parts of the project, to ensure a variety of styles. "He wanted to be able to deal with one person, so he refused," Gehry said.
Comment: Not even starchitects always get their way.
Frank Gehry: Architecture as Service [Columbia News]
NYC Still a Tough Place to Buy Your First Home
The Wall Street Journal is out with another update of its Starter Home Index. Not surprisingly, the Upper East Side tops the list at $735,000 followed by lovely San Bruno, California at $655,000.
Starter Home Index [Wall Street Journal]
Wednesday Linkster
Smith and 9th. Photo by Travis Ruse.
Gray Market in Sunset Park [NY Times]
How Cabbie Scored $40 Mil Townhouse [NY Post]
CI Boardwalk in January [NY Daily News]
Mortgage Apps Up 9.9% Last Week [Bloomberg]
A Trip to the J Condo [53 Boerum via Curbed]
Luna Lounge to Williamsburg [Curbed]
Photography Exhibit at Brooklyn Museum [Kottke]
Nuevo Latin Brunch in FG [A Brooklyn Life]
Pseudo Resolution: Finish Apartment [Listen Missy]
They Grow Up So Fast [Daddy Types]
January 10, 2006
House of the Day: Troy Avenue Teaser
This 3-family limestone on Troy Avenue in Crown Heights caught our eye because of its distinctive porch and unusual 4-window width that appears to mirror the neighboring house. Ardor doesn't offer up any more pictures nor does it specify the address, so we're groping a bit here, but the double-garage certainly doesn't hurt either. Can anyone shed any light on what the interior is like or how the rest of the block is? How 'bout an address?
Crown Heights Limestone [Ardor NY] GMAP
$2,000 a Foot in Gravesend? You Betcha
A new development called The Venetian going up on Avenue P in Gravesend is a rather not-so-subtle reminder that not everyone covets the brownstone aesthetic. The fellow who brought it to our attention claims that apartments at the over-the-top residence are selling for between $700 and $1,500 a foot. Our tipster also notes that Sitt Asset Management, the company that is behind the Venetian, also has assembled another two sites nearby, one on Avenue U, and the other on Ocean Parkway and R. The Ocean Parkway project reportedly will be even more luxe, with per square foot estimates in the $1,300 to $2,000 range. In what is sure to elicit accusations of narrowmindedness and provincialism (heck, given some recent threads someone will probably find a way to call us sexist or racist), we'll go out on a limb and say that we didn't know that there were that many folks in Gravesend packing this kind of buying power. Different strokes for different folks.
The Venetian [431 Avenue P] GMAP
Introduction [Venetian Plaza]
Forgotten NY Ponders the Atlantic Yards
With all the emotion and politics wrapped up in the Atlantic Yards debate, it was refreshing to read Forgotten NY's take on the project's implications. While many of us were still recovering from Christmas, FNY chronicled the buildings that are likely to be demolished or seriously overshadowed by the project, including the Hot Bird building on Vanderbilt. At the end of the report, FNY weighs in on Ratner's proposal:
Looks like as presently designed it's way too out-of-proportion to the low-rise brownstone area and is better suited for someplace like the Meadowlands and some of the Dean Street buildings Ratner wants to raze are too good to lose; nothing like them will ever be built again. Clearly, though, something has to be done about Pacific Street, which is a mess.
My fantasy: Clean up the area by the yards, lose the old warehouses if you must and build brownstone buildings that resemble the century-old ones already there. And, make them available to lower and middle income persons; not just "affordable" in Bloomberg's sense ($500K per unit), but truly affordable. Subsidize, which for me isn't a dirty word. Like I said, my fantasy.
What We're Losing: Razing for Ratnerville Begins [Forgotten NY]
Fire Devastates Brownstone on Second Place
We're still getting caught up from being off the grid for almost two weeks. We checked in with 423smith.com to see what's been happening in Carroll Gardens and were sad to learn of a pretty severe fire that gutted an entire brownstone on Second Place off Clinton. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
Fire on 2nd Place [423 Smith] GMAP
What Makes a Landmark a Landmark?
We're not exactly sure how this relates to last year's debate over landmarking 184 Kent Avenue, but it seemed like an interesting jumping-off point for discussion. In yesterday's article in the Times, Herbert Muschamp writes the following in specific reference to 2 Columbus Circle:
A building does not have to be an important work of architecture to become a first-rate landmark. Landmarks are not created by architects. They are fashioned by those who encounter them after they are built. The essential feature of a landmark is not its design, but the place it holds in a city's memory. Compared to the place it occupies in social history, a landmark's artistic qualities are incidental.
So does considering 184 Kent's social history increase the case for it being landmarked?
The Secret History of 2 Columbus Circle [NY Times]
Park Slope Brownstones: Next Stop Infinity
We're not really buying the assertion in this week's New York Magazine that Park Slope brownstone prices increased 90 percent year-over-year last year. The stat comes from Corcoran's year-end report (who's gonna hook us up?) and, as the article points out, isn't necessarily a broad sample. Plus, the $3.35 million average could be skewed by a handful of "outlier" sales at the top end of the spectrum. Nonetheless, it's the kind of soundbite that's likely to perpetuate itself throughout the press and blogosphere.
An Uphill Slope [NY Magazine]
Reader Reactions [Gothamist]
Mysterious Capsizing of Freighter at Pier 7
Don't be surprised if your tap tastes faintly like coffee chocolate this week. Over the weekend, a freighter docked off Pier 7 in Brooklyn tipped over, depositing 10 containers--at least two of which were filled with raw cocoa beans--in the East River. The 800,000 pounds of beans, bound for a factory in Chicago, were being stored at the Brooklyn Marine Terminal and most likely had come from Ivory Coast. The incident is under investigation. In the meantime, beware of over-caffeinated worms and snails.
There's Cocoa in the River [NY Times] GMAP
Tuesday Linkage
Jewelry Store. Photo by Eliot Shepard.
Record Price for NY Townhouse [NY Times]
Review: Auster's Brooklyn Follies [NY Times]
Graffiti Artist Indicted [NY Post]
Bay Ridge Pizzeria Tosses Last Pie [NY Daily News]
NBA or Just NBA? [Dope on the Slope]
A History of Fort Greene [Brooklyn Rail]
Barge at Brooklyn Pier Sinks [1010 Wins]
Should You Buy or Rent? [Bankrate]
January 9, 2006
A Chance for Cobble Hillers To Be In Pictures
Film maker Chris Chambers is shooting a short documentary about Cobble Hill for a website called www.inmanstories.com. The documentary is part of a series of pieces focusing on neighborhoods in transition. He's looking for residents/locals to interview to get a sense of the texture and flavor of the neighborhood. This would consist of an informal interview at a person's home and a visit with him/her to a favorite local spot. The shoot will take place in Cobble Hill on Wednesday, January 11th. Interested? Contact Chris Chambers at chchamb@yahoo.com or by phone at 323.828.1367.
House of the Day: Price Drop in PLG
We don't usually have the patience to sift through the morass of noise on Craigslist (plus, the site is blocked by the firewall at work), so we like it when readers draw stand-out listings to our attention. Such as this nugget in Prospect Lefferts Gardens. Judging from the pics, this house is pure gold. Out tipster has been watching this place sit on the market for the past three months at $789,000. It's now down to $750,000. The drawbacks include the need for a new roof and a fair bit of street noise, but for these details at this price, we think that's a trade we could live with. Opposing views?
Gorgeous PLG Brownstone [Craigslist] GMAP
Extreme Home Makeover at 53 Underhill
His curiosity piqued by the mysterious framing and tarp at 53 Underhill, Set Speed asked his readers what the heck was going on at the twos-story structure. The not-surprising answer provided by a neighbor: Gut reno by a new owner. Ah, the circle of life.
Renovation at 53 Underhill [Set Speed] GMAP
Seventh Avenue Chow: What's Your Take?
APPLEWOOD
Homey, easygoing and urbanely rustic, Applewood manages to evoke the country smack dab in the middle of the city. Chalk up that feat to its quiet, tree-lined street, the green wood bench on its raised front stoop, the broad fireplace in the middle of one of its dining room's yellow walls, and the seasonal, locally grown produce that works its way into dish after dish.
(718) 768-2044; 501 11th Street (Seventh Avenue); $$.
BAR MINNOW
Bar Minnow's brick walls and tin ceiling give the place the feel of a venerable tavern, inviting customers to sidle up to the stretch of marble bar. The owners, Aaron and Vicki Bashy, who are also the chef and the pastry chef, offer sandwiches, salads and bar food, often based on meats and fish they smoke at their parent restaurant, Minnow, two doors down.
(718) 832-5500; 444 Ninth Street (Seventh Avenue); $$.
BLACK PEARL
This is a new spot for seafood prepared by Frederico Duarte, who worked at Dos Caminos and Da Silvano. The menu includes lobster risotto, king crab legs, tuna burgers and thin focaccia pizzas.
(718) 857-2004; 833 Union Street (Seventh Avenue); $$.
CAFE STEINHOF
With its wraparound windows and neon sign, Cafe Steinhof is just about New York's homiest Austrian outpost. The cooking is simple, and nothing costs more than $13. There are bacon-studded sauerkraut and thin-crumbed, acceptably chewy pork Wiener schnitzel blanketing cold, cubed parsley potatoes, and marinated cucumbers.
(718) 369-7776; 422 Seventh Avenue (14th Street), $.
MIRACLE GRILL
The popular Southwestern restaurant on 415 Bleecker Street in the West Village opened this branch last year. True to its name, the menu features grilled items including sirloin burgers, chicken and pork chops as well as a selection of quesadillas and catfish tacos.
(718) 369-4541; 222 Seventh Avenue (Third Street); $.
SETTE ENOTECA E CUCINA
This new, sophisticated Italian place doesn't let its ambitions trump the relaxed atmosphere or distract it from trying to win diners' hearts in direct, unpretentious ways. The chef, Amanda Freitag, formerly of 'Cesca, has a way of taking familiar dishes and administering subtle tweaks, like tuna, rolled in ground fennel seeds before being seared and topped with olives and preserved lemons.
(718) 499-7767; 207 Seventh Avenue (Third Street); $$.
Seventh Avenue Chow [NY Times]
Diner's Journal: Applewood [NY Times]
Black Pearl Cometh? [Eater]
Pilsener and Schnitzel [NY Times]
Just Sold in Brooklyn
FORT GREENE $439,000
101 Lafayette Avenue
Prewar one-bedroom, one-bath co-op, 800 square feet, with formal entry foyer, windowed eat-in kitchen, dining alcove, original details, beamed ceilings, herringbone floors, renovated bath, oversized casement windows and N/S/W exposures with partial park and city views; Griffin building is pet-friendly and features full-time doorman, elevator, storage and restored Art Deco lobby. Maintenance $745, 40 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $439,000, on market 21/2 months. (Broker: Rodolfo Lucchese, the Corcoran Group)
BOERUM HILL $1,525,000
447 Pacific Street
Two-family, four-story prewar brick townhouse on a 20-by-90 foot lot; property features two-bedroom, one-bath lower-floor unit with original moldings, pocket doors and fireplace and a two-bedroom, one-bath upper-duplex unit with cathedral ceilings, skylight, den, fireplace and wood-burning stove. Taxes $3,564, Asking price $1,700,000, on market two months. (Broker: Sue Wolfe, Nancy McKiernan Realty)
PARK SLOPE $2,150,000
442 15th Street
Four-story, eight-family brick-and-limestone building, 10,304 square feet, with two four-bedroom, 11/2-bath units on first floor, two three-bedroom, one-bath units on fourth floor and four two-bedroom, one-bath units on second and third floors; building sold as is, and some units require renovation. Property is on a 28-foot-by-100 foot lot and features legal converted basement, 500-square-foot backyard is half a block from Prospect Park. Maintenance and taxes, $17,373. Asking price $2,150,000, on market 110 days. (Broker: Tom Le, the Corcoran Group)
CARROLL GARDENS $853,000
499 Clinton Street
Prewar two-bedroom, two-bath duplex co-op, 1,230 square feet, with dining area, open kitchen, rec room, working fireplace, washer/dryer, through-the-wall AC, E/W exposures and garden. Maintenance $702, 50 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $845,000, on market 26 days. (Brokers: Elizabeth Rueckerl-Betteil, Larry Zarr and Christina Prostano, the Corcoran Group)
FORT GREENE $633,000
9 South Oxford Street
Prewar two-bedroom, 1 1/2-bath floor-through co-op in a brownstone, 950 square feet, with combination living/dining room, windowed kitchen with Corian countertops and Bosch dishwasher, oversized windows with thermal treatment, hardwood floors, window AC and E/W exposures; building features washer/dryer and storage. Maintenance $500. Asking price $629,000, on market 32 days. (Broker: Rodolfo Lucchese, the Corcoran Group)
Just Sold! [NY Post - 1/7]
Just Sold! [NY Post-12/31]
The Upper East Side Is Good for Something
Christopher Gray serves of some Brownstone-y goodness in his regular Sunday column this week. The topic? The twelve unique Queen Anne rowhouses on the south side of 95th Street between Park and Lexington--a favorite stretch of ours. The brick, sandstone and terra cotta houses were designed by C. Abbott French & Company for the developers John P. C. Walsh and William J. Walsh. The variety of the houses is due to the a la carte approach of the developers, which gave buyers the ability to pick from a wide range of colors, materials and architectural details. We were interested to learn that cartoonist Abe Hirshfeld bought number 122 in 1948 and his widow still lives there today. Good stuff.
Where Variety Reigns [NY Times] GMAP
A Race Against the Down-Zoning Clock in Flushing
The downside of New York's real estate boom is being felt in Waldheim, an historic estate subdivision in Queens, reports John Freeman Gill in The Times. In a pattern we've seen before, developers are rushing to replace the 100-year-old Victorian free-standing homes with out-of-context multi-family dwellings before the area can be rezoned. Local preservationists, who have failed to get the area declared an historic district in the past, are hoping the City Planning will move swiftly with the rezoning. Other, less architecturally-minded and more bottom-line-oriented owners are against the idea of down-zoning.
Effort to Fend Off Bulldozers in Queens [NY Times] GMAP
The Rape of Flushing [Forgotten NY]
Reading the Real Estate Tea Leaves
Man, has real estate been the place to be for the last five years! Even real estate mutual funds managed to kick a whole lot of ass, turning in a 5-year annualized performance of 18.56 percent versus only 4.9 percent in the S&P 500. Though naysayers argue the party has to end soon, boosters argue that if the economy can continue to grow without inflating, real estate could continue to be a rewarding sector. Not many people are making the case the the huge returns can continue. As Morgan Stanley's Ted Bigman put it to investors, "We're sorry you missed the best run-up that we had in years, and we strongly discourage you from expecting comparable returns. However, having a meaningful allocation still makes sense."
Beware of Warnings About Real Estate [NY Times]
Monday Links
Gouverneur Kemble Warren, Grand Army Plaza. Photo by Frank Lynch.
A Fireplace Glows in Brooklyn [NY Times]
The Brownstone Whisperer [NY Times]
Counting Graying Heads in Bay Ridge [NY Times]
A Townhouse for a Penthouse [NY Times]
Sundance Fest Goes to Brooklyn [NY Post]
The Year in Brooklyn [NY1]
Bushwick Gentrification Update [Curbed]
Equinox Comes to Brooklyn Heights [Equinox via Curbed]
Best Brooklyn Blog Awards [OTBKB]
Screaming on Vanderbilt [Daily Heights]
January 6, 2006
Talk of the Town
We'll be back to business-as-usual on Monday but in the meantime we'll leave you with this week's New Yorker piece about our one-year anniversary party last fall.
One recent Saturday afternoon, some three hundred and sixty years after Dutch settler chartered the town of Breuckelen representatives of a more recent migration were milling around the back patio of one of the borough’s newer bars. They had come to toast the first birthday of Brownstoner, a blog professing “an unhealthy obsession wit historic Brooklyn brownstones and th neighborhoods and lifestyles they define.” The party was in Red Hook, Brooklyn’s defunct dock district, so there were no brownstones in sight, but the bar’s name (Pioneer Bar-B-Q and the up-and-coming character of th neighborhood (Ikea and Fairway due to arrive soon) fit the spirit of the occasion.
Brownstoner is a virtual back fence for Brooklyn real-estate watchers. In frequent postings, its users vet listings, trade tips on brokers and neighborhoods, and gossip about who saw what at which open house. “That place is a ‘five minute walk to Prospect Park’ only if you’re a giraffe,” Linusvanpelt wrote recently. “Why is the Chester Court listing so relatively affordable?” Clinton hillbilly said. “Was someone murdered there or something?”
Housing Department: Emigres [New Yorker]
What Did We Miss?
So what are the big stories that happened while we were away?
January 5, 2006
Red Hook: Home Grown
The most startling and amazing thing I've come across since moving here is the Red Hook Farm. A community initiative aimed at teaching skills to local youth this nearly three acre farm has been inconceivably wrought from an old asphalt ball court. The farm peddles its harvest at a farmer's market open from roughly June to November and supplies local restaurants like 360 with seasonal fair for its menu. I for one can attest that the greens and vegetables are fabulous.
Red Hook: Artists Everywhere
Since the 70s artists have been drawn to Red Hook, lured by great light, generous space, and cheap rent. They make their presence known in various manifestations.
Red Hook: Answer to the Saltbox
Another type of house typical to the neighborhood: the cedar shingle clapboard or what I like to think of as Red Hook's answer to the Saltbox. Much like City Island in the Bronx, there are places in Red Hook that make you feel as if you're in some strangely urban version of Martha's Vineyard and the sound of distant buoys clanging in the night only compounds that effect.
Red Hook: Fantail Cobblestone
Particularly striking is the fantail cobblestone.
Red Hook: Stately Renovated Brick
One of my favorite buildings in the neighborhood, I'm not sure if it was originally a warehouse or some kind of carriage house, but regardless this stately brick has in my opinion been elegantly renovated with style to spare. Many of the streets in this part of Red Hook known as The Back are still lined with the original cobblestone, as can be seen at the bottom of this shot.
Red Hook: A Few Brick Townhouses
Though many of the original homes are long gone, a few pristine stretches can still be found such as this charming set of brick townhouses on Coffey Street.
Red Hook: Louis Valentino Pier
Louis Valentino Pier is part of what will ultimately become the Brooklyn Greenway. It's a quiet refuge that attracts both old school fisherman and young couples in search of romance. One of my favorite things to do these past Fall and Winter months is to grab a coffee or hot cider and head out to the Pier to watch the sun set over New York Bay. The pier is also home to a public boat launch and come summer one can make good use of it for kayaking or canoeing.
Red Hook: Offshore Wreckage
A neighborhood of constant surprises, you never know what you will stumble upon at any given corner or slip. Seen here are the masts of a long-sunken lightship in the waters just off the old Revere Sugar Factory. Last I heard the NYPD uses the boat for training search and rescue divers.
Red Hook: Flying Dutchman
Much of Red Hook's current fate was set in motion by Robert Moses' inexorable highway crusade. Orphaned from "mainland Brooklyn" by the BQE, Red Hook has suffered in part from its lack of direct train service. In the last ten years a movement has been afoot to return trolleys to the neighborhood streets as many of the original tracks still exist. But city support fell through and all that's left of the effort at current is this flying dutchman slowly moldering behind the Van Brunt Stores. Still it makes for a wistful reminder of days past and futures possible and with the coming of the cruise lines the city and local residents are once again exploring new transportation options for the area.
Red Hook: Denise Moves to the Sticks
I'm a lifelong New Yorker and a Brooklyn resident for 13+ years. My boyfriend and I recently set up house in Red Hook. After living in Park Slope for the more than a decade, I jokingly like to say that coming here is our version of chucking it all and moving to the sticks without actually having to leave Brooklyn. Aside from the light and openness, impossibly elegant warehouses, and haunting industrial ruins that are among Red Hook's prize qualities, one of the most profound draws for us is the strong sense of community--something I saw dwindle in Park Slope as the property values shot up and developers eager to cash in fueled what felt like a crushing development/population boom. I've found in Red Hook the kind of small town vibe I've been missing and like many residents I can attest that once you've discovered its charms you can't imagine living elsewhere.
The startling views from the Beard Street Esplanade are one of the neighborhood's most potent draws. This Civil War era warehouse (pictured) now home to everything from glass blowers to New York Water Taxi to the Blue Man Group's costumers is a remnant of Red Hook's glory days as a bustling maritime center and the cornerstone of its revitalization.
We're Back...Barely
Just emerged from the rainforest to find that comments and permalinks for all 2006 posts weren't working. Not sure what happened but looks like most posts are fixed now. Please take the time to go back and comment on the nabe photoblogs that ran earlier this week--the authors put in a lot of work and would love to hear your feedback.
B
January 4, 2006
Sunset Park: First Avenue Views
I had no idea how beautiful the elusive First Avenue is, I think I'll be photographing here a lot.
Sunset Park: At Sunset
Parking in the sunset in Sunset Park
Sunset Park: Terminal by Night
The exotic Brooklyn Army terminal.
Sunset Park: Rail Yards
Nope it's the Cross Harbor Line.
Sunset Park: Railroad Tracks
The end of the line?
Sunset Park: Dig the Tree
A lovely tree growing in Brooklyn.
Sunset Park: Industrial Building Cleaned Up
Note the new windows.
Hugh Crawford Goes to Sunset Park
The Gowanus is getting a tad gentrified so I went up to the stretch of First Avenue from 39th to 58th street which turns out to be the only stretch of First Avenue that there is , and since it's Sunset Park, I went there for the sunset...Looking north at about 41st street. A construction bridge - hmm, there goes the neighborhood.
January 3, 2006
Vinegar Hill: Unpredictable Pigeons
But in many ways pigeon flocks loom largest over head because you never know what they'll do.
Vinegar Hill: Navy Commandant's House
As lonely as the lone church, the navy commandant's house is tough to get a good look at unless you are inside the gates or on top of the Brooklyn Navy Yard's brick and barb wired wall.
Vinegar Hill: Last Surviving Church
Cast in the shadows of the Farragut Houses, maybe it shouldn't be hard to believe this church is the only one left standing in what was once a thriving Irish residential neighborhood.
Vinegar Hill: Manhole Cover
Overhead or underneath, Con Ed's presence is also felt underfoot.
Vinegar Hill: Cobblestone Streets
A trademark historical characteristic of the neighborhood are the cobble stone streets.
Vinegar Hill: Rowhouses in the Shadows
Even the largest section of landmark protected brick row houses in Vinegar Hill will be covered in the shadows of luxury condos in the near future.
Vinegar Hill: Air Conditioner Blight
Even one of Vinegar Hill's most historic residential blocks is falling victim to the rise of modern townhouse developments with air-conditioners built into their facades.
Vinegar Hill: Warehouses with Pigeons
...to warehouses covered with the ultimate Brooklyn icon, the pigeon.
Vinegar Hill: Icons of Gentrification
...to more modern icons for gentrification like luxury condo developments...
Vinegar Hill: Farragut Houses
...to the Farragut Houses which opened shortly after World War II and were built in the vision of Robert Moses...
Vinegar Hill: Con Ed Transformers
Vinegar Hill's cityscape is cluttered with ominous icons that reflect at once the past, present and future histories of one of Brooklyn's oldest residential neighborhoods. From industrial era icons like Con Ed's smokestacks...
Vinegar Hill: Con Edison Smokestacks
Vinegar Hill's cityscape is cluttered with ominous icons that reflect at once the past, present and future histories of one of Brooklyn's oldest residential neighborhoods. From industrial era icons like Con Ed's smokestacks...
January 2, 2006
Crown Heights: Tropical Sweet Nuts Store
This is where we go for coconuts. I confess I have not tried the spicy pickled fruit seen in the jars.
Crown Heights: More St. Gregory's Church
The collonade a St. Gregory's. GMAP
Crown Heights: St. Gregory's Church
The Bell Tower of St. Gregor'y Church on Brooklyn Ave and St. Johns Place is a neighborhood landmark. The tower is visible from our bathroom window. GMAP
Crown Heights: Group of Slated-Roofed Houses
This group of houses on Prospect near Brower Park share a real slate roof and garages accessed through the arched driveways. GMAP
Crown Heights: Mosaic Entry on Prospect Place
I love looking into entryways to compare mosaics. A big part of the Crown Heights charm is the attention to detail that was paid when large parts of the area were built up.
Crown Heights: View of Eastern Parkway
Our bicycle route to Grand Army Plaza for the farmer's market and recreation in Prospect Park.
Crown Heights: Dean Street Garage
Here's someone who has apparently created a garage on the garden floor of his house on Dean Street between Nostrand and New Yorke Avenues. I can't confirm that it's actually used as a garage. GMAP
Crown Heights: The Cafe 400 Building
We were immediately attracted to this building on Nostrand and Sterling for the brightly colored detail. The second story is occupied by Cafe 400. GMAP
Crown Heights: Brower Park in Snow
Brower Park in Snow: A pleasant place to walk any time of year.
Brower Park Description [NYC.gov] GMAP
More Brower Park Photos [B&T Club]
A Long Look at Hal's Crown Heights
When my wife and I started looking for a house in Brooklyn, we looked in Lefferts Gardens, Bed-Stuy, as well as a few houses in outlying locations. We didn't really choose Crown Heights; it chose us. When our realtor started showing us homes in the area, we knew we would find something great if we persevered. We were attracted by the area's proximity to cultural amenities like the Brooklyn Museum, BAM, Prospect Park and The Brooklyn Childrens Museum, as well as good subway service (2, 3, 4, 5, and A trains), attractive architecture, and cultural diversity. Don't let anybody tell you the shopping is great here, but there are creeping signs of improvement. Change is slow around here mostly I beleive, because of the relative stability of the neighborhood. The houses on either side of ours are owned and occupied by senior widows (old ladies) who have been here 50 years. Our neighbors do include some new homeowners too. We made friends quickly, share tools and pot luck dinners. In good weather, kids play on the block, neighbors watch and socialize from their stoops and occasionally a big SUV goes by with the bass pumped up so loud it sets off car alarms on the block. Our house is included in Brownstoner's section called 'My Brownstone'. It's the Crown Heights Jewel. Thanks for looking and welcome to Crown Heights!
Bagels and High Tea: A sign of improvement amid the fast food and 99 cent stores on Nostrand Avenue is this bakery that makes fresh bagels, pies, cakes and pastries on site. The same entreprenuer opened a restaurant directly opposite called Tavern on Nostrand, with white tablecloths and serious jazz on weekends. On a recent Saturday it was to crowded to walk into.
We think our block is one of those quintessential brownstone blocks, at least looking in this direction. Almost directly across the street from us are these two detached houses that have each changed hands in the past couple of years. Judging from the lack of action, I would guess the most recent buyers aren't too interested in making improvements. The Seventh Day Adventist Bilingual School dominates our block. This is the chapel viewed from Sterling Place. It was originally the Methodist Episcopalian Home when it was built around the turn os the century. Part of a very old white oak is visible on the left. The open space is important to the feel of the block.
A Jewel in the Crown [My Brownstone]
Neighborhood Photoblogging Week Kicks Off
This week we're handing over the reins to a group of readers who have volunteered to give a personalized view of a Brooklyn neighborhood. We were curious to see what kind of things they would focus on in telling their neighborhood story. We kick things off today with Crown Heights and your tour guide H.
Latest Restaurant Additions
-
Chickadee Chick
added November 6, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Vutera
added November 5, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Park Cafe
added November 4, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Bahia
added November 3, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Aqualis Grill
added November 2, 2009 12:00 PM in Fort Greene -
Wombat
added October 30, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Organic Heights
added October 29, 2009 12:00 PM in Park Slope -
Giardini Pizza
added October 28, 2009 12:00 PM in Carroll Gardens -
Rye
added October 27, 2009 12:00 PM in Williamsburg -
Bati
added October 26, 2009 12:00 PM in Fort Greene