Open House Picks

My two cents: the bed-stuy house has an ominous front door; they've also done what i hate to parlor windows -- installing a dummy piece on the top to permit a standard size window to fit.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 11:49 AM

the warren place house is so tiny - 9 foot wide, it is way over $1000 per usable square foot. But if I was a rich single struggling writer picking up women in the expensive coffee shops of the area, I'd be all over it like a rash.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 11:55 AM

"unique" means a layout only a lunatic could put up with. "drenched with sunlight" means that you may not actually need lamps on during the day. "winter views" means there is a tree covering the windows. "bring your architect" means gut renovation. "needs a little TLC" means gut renovation. "bring it back to its former greatness" means money-pit.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 1:10 PM

The Rugby Road house could be in OK condition, despite lack of pix. This listing went up very recently, and sometimes it takes Mary Kay a while to get the pix. Still, even if it does need some cosmetics, it seems to be priced to sell (although things have dropped a little bit here over the past year, it seems - or else MKG is just pricing low - the Victorian on Beverley Road went above ask and it was priced at 999k). The other reasons the house could be priced under the 1 million mark is that West Midwood stretches all the way down to Avenue H, has a lot of active red-bricking in that part of the nabe, and is quite a ways from Prospect Park and the ever improving amenities of Cortelyou Road. You need your car for groceries, etc..., whereas Ditmas Parkers and Park Westers, PPS residents and the Beverley crowd can easily get away without one most of the time.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 2:12 PM

"It will sell easly, all it takes is a frustrated couple lokking for two bedroom apt in Manhattan. "

It has been listed for over a month.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 3:08 PM

RE Warren Street: Nice 2 bedroom apartments on the upper west side can now be had for under 1M. The mid-size coop market has dropped a good deal in Manhattan. So I would not count on too many frustrated buyers rushing to buy Bklyn properies at 1.3M.

RE BS: Fabulous post Brownbomber. The same basic argument can be made for pricing in most "fringe" areas--the best possible thing for the neighborhoods' long-term growth and development is slow and steady increases that allow the "mid-range" buyers who are priced out of other areas and who are historically the people who help to gentrify areas. But that is not in the best interest of either sellers or realtors.

But people should at least think twice before they applaud rampaging price increases. They're great if you plan on selling--but they are not great if you actually intend to stay in the area.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 3:39 PM

The Rubgy house is out of Ditmas Park area and more in the Midwood/Brooklyn College area. Big difference in price for the location. Mary Kay has a nice map of Victorian Flatbush on her site here http://www.marykayg.com/html/vic_flatbush.html#

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 3:52 PM

Warren St has been on the market for a month at least so it's not exactly being "snapped up".

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 4:09 PM

777 Rugby is actually just off the above ground train tracks (Q/B) - on the Coney Island Avenue side. The price justifies the location! Remember, the trains run 24/7 - and won't be far from your bedroom window.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 4:14 PM

To BrownBomber - I'm not Anon 4:23 but
It'a actually a pretty quick trip into Manhattan - Ocean Pkway which becomes the Prospect which becomes the Gowanus (at Hamilton Ave vicinity).

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 5:01 PM

anon 4:58pm, which listing?
(price? / title of listing?)

Their site does not allow for providing direct links (at least not easily).

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 5:13 PM

"I own the house next door. Would love to see a brownstone fan buy it and TLC it up right."

Can you be more specific about the number on prospect place? I want to shark it.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 5:50 PM

The Rugby Road listing is not in MIDWOOD. West Midwood, South Midwood (Brooklyn College), and Midwood Park are part of Victorian Flatbush. Midwood is an entirely different world. Even though these neighborhoods are just south of Ditmas Park (if you take that group of streets as the central hub of Vic. Flatbush), they have very little in common with Midwood proper (with the possible exception of Manhattan Terrace - the northern tip of Midwood that abuts Avenue H - it was originally conceived as part of the greater Flatbush Victorian Housing boom).

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 6:57 PM

Feelingdesperate, I guess I'm on the other end of the spectrum. I moved to Ditmas from Park Slope and prefer it here. There are fewer amenities here, it's true, but I don't understand why you have to drive everywhere. The Q is practically at my doorstep and the F is a short walk away. Much, much easier than driving! In any case, I hope it begins to grow on you...I'm really happy in Ditmas.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 7:28 PM

Oh, by the way, I walked by the Rugby Road house earlier today and it's quite a looker from the outside. I'm really curious to know what the interior is like. I'm much rather blow almost a mil on a big place like that than on some matchbox in PS!

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 7:31 PM

I moved from the Slope to Vic. Flatbush, and overall, I do prefer it here. But that may because I live a stone's throw from Cortelyou Road. I still push my shopping cart to the grocery store and the co-op, the hardware store, etc... I drive just slightly more than I did when I lived in the slope and never have to deal with alternate side of the street parking. I don't think the schools here are bad - if your child is bright make the most of the Eagle and Cig programs. Some corners are noisier, dirtier than others. We were lucky - we live in Beverly Square West and the neighbors are great, the Park is an easy walk, and Cortelyou Road is around the corner. I don't think I would enjoy living in any of of the Midwoods half as much. There are times I pine for the "city" - and by that I mean the real thing - Manhattan, NOT Park Slope. But when I think about how happy my kids are in my beautiful house with their great back yard and how far away from Manhattan we would be if we moved to somewhere like Nyack (some of our friends are out there now), I really think Vic. Flatbush has been a great choice for us. We never have to plan ages in advance to go to a great restaurant or an art house cinema and then pay a babysitter tons of extra money for the commute. My husband is home in 35 minutes door to door on the Q (he works long hours to start). It can be the right choice for many people. But like I said, I think living in the northern section makes a big difference. I think Midwood Park is gorgeous, but I think I would feel a lot more isolated there, or in S. or W. Midwood, for that matter. Even Ditmas Park West feels that much further away to me sometimes...

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 8:59 PM

and Warren Place has parking, garden yard,very quiet and charm.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 11:03 PM

You do have tranquility in the southern end of Vic. Flatbush, though and it's very picturesque and serene. I envy that sometimes. In the warm weather you get your walking in - no bad thing. Kids can ride bikes more safely down there. It took me about six months to make the transition to living here, and I was sometimes a little unsure. But that's all resolved now. How long have you lived here? If you're feeling uncertain, go out to Nyack or LI or Jersey for the day.... You'll feel a lot better about living in Flatbush, I bet. Look at the crime statistics, too.... It's not the 1950s out there anymore.

I think PPS (Albemarled and below - Church Ave. has it's own set of problems) will always be the crown jewel of flatbush, not just for the architecture but also the proximity to Cortelyou Road and the park. Caton park has it's troubles, but it's very close to the Park and not too far from Windsor Terrace amenities along PPS. I think it's kind of a sleeper for that reason. Having said all of this, however, southern nabes in Vic. Flatbush are flat out green and beautiful - some of the most beautiful vistas in Brooklyn. And many of the houses are larger than in the Beverley Squares. Also, Midwood Park in particularly is especially nice, as is Fiske Terrace. From what I have seen, not too much exterior renovations, which makes the area so picturesque, and also I have been in many homes out there still dripping with original detail.... cheer up, feeling desperate! Oh - I did hear of one family moving from a lovely house on Ave. H to a slighly less picturesque one in Bev. Square for the amenities, sense of community and she's happy she did. However, I think that's a little extreme. If you have children, bring them to Flatbush Athletics on Tuesday and Thursdays at the Parade Grounds. It's a great way to meet people in the neighborhood and feel less isolated. It's a great program, and the founder, Dave Herman, was recently honored for his work at the FDC annual banquet.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 6, 2006 10:22 AM

Ok, either you\'re the real CHP or you\'re the troll. If you\'re the troll, then please go away and stop trolling this blog. If you\'re the real CHP, then please go away because you have absolutely, positively no credibility left here and you should never, ever lie to anyone else again. We are not going to forget what you did.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 6, 2006 2:58 PM

She lied about having lived in Prospect Lefferts Gardens. Several people remembered it, and consequently she was "busted", to employ an overused expression.

As for the slashes, I don't know where they come from. They periodically appear in my posts even when they're not visible in the text as I'm typing it.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 6, 2006 4:06 PM

Webster, I didn\'t know I was going to elicit such a \"reaction\". Just hang around and watch what happens. That\'s all you have to do. You\'ll see who\'s lying. Trust your own judgment...you don\'t have to rely on anyone else to tell you what\'s what.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 6, 2006 9:51 PM

Matt and anon at 9:51 are the same person. Don't believe me, check with Brownstoner.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 7, 2006 1:48 AM

Stand your ground, Carlos. I also remember CHP saying that she lived in PLG at one time. She did say it. I don't know whether the record of her saying it is still around or whether it has been deleted and, frankly, I don't care. I know what I remember...and what several other remember, it seems. That darned good evidence. So no, Carlos, do not apologize for anything and thank you for telling the truth.

...and PLG, I don't know what you mean when you refer to multiple people. Given a choice between posting anonymously and choosing some made-up nickname for this blog, I choose to post anonymously because it's fewer keystrokes. That's the only way I've ever posted. I've never posted under more than one name. If anyone inferred that I was more than one person, that's their problem.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 7, 2006 8:56 AM

Actually, my theory is that Matt, anon at 9:51 and anon at 1:48 are all the same person.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 7, 2006 9:01 AM

Well then, PLG Nazi...er, fan...where is that proof you keep talking about? Please give it to us. We want to see it.

If anyone is a troll here, it is YOU.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 7, 2006 10:24 AM

Well Bx2Bklyn, you certainly jumped the gun on that one! LOL!!!

Posted by: Anonymous at May 7, 2006 12:13 PM

Brownstoner, help us!!!!

Posted by: Anonymous at May 7, 2006 2:26 PM

Mr. B, if you look at the posts above, I think you will find that PLG fan = Bx2Bkln. Would you check on this for us? I really think this person is posting under multiple names in order to confuse readers.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 7, 2006 2:31 PM

Thanks Mr. B!!!!

Please let us know if you saw anything noteworthy on the FG tour.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 7, 2006 3:01 PM

Actually, it looks to me like you deleted the right material. The posts by the person who was masquerading under multiple names (Bx2Bklyn and PLG Fan) disappeared. I went back and checked on this. So, you did nothing wrong. This practice of posting under multiple names has got to stop as it is really ruining the experience for other people who are interested in Brooklyn and real estate.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 7, 2006 9:03 PM

I had a feeling that a lot of this weird business with identity stealing and shifting was being done by one of the established regulars here. It looks like I was right!

Mr. B, don't give yourself a hard time about this. It wasn't your fault. We make our beds and then have to lay in them! I have the sneaking suspicion that things are really going to settle down now on this board.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 7, 2006 9:15 PM

I walk by the Rugby Road house quite frequently. To me, viewing it from the outside, it appears to be in excellent shape. At the very least it looks well-maintained. I doubt that there are any serious structural repairs needed, and the roof doesn't look very old. I think the prices is reasonable--in fact, I'd even say very reasonable relative to what you'd get in some other nabes.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 7, 2006 10:43 PM

Definitely reasonable compared to other neighborhoods, but wow prices in Ditmas area have risen quickly! Two years ago this house would have been $600K.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 7, 2006 11:06 PM

I've lived in Brooklyn for only a couple of years and now live in Ditmas Park West, not far from the 700 block of Rugby. I have this feeling that, if you nicely reached out to some of these orthodox families, they'd reciprocate and be very good neighbors. In fact, there's an orthodox family right across the street from me and I intend to give it a shot. Now that the weather is warm and they're occasionally out in their yard, I'll go over and say hello since I've never really met them. I'm sure they want to be friends with their neighbors just as much as anyone else does. Am I being somehow "naive"?

Posted by: Anonymous at May 8, 2006 9:06 AM

Can't we stay on topic...just this once...please?

Posted by: Anonymous at May 8, 2006 9:52 AM

feelingdesperate must be living in a different Ditmas Park then the area between BSW and DPW that I live in.

- I Don't have a car and it's a short walk to grocery store, the co-op (which delivers). I'm a few blocks from the Q train at Cortelyou and a brisk walk or bus ride to the F train (been using F train on weekends during the Q train construction work).
- It's not peaceful, or quiet, or clean ? It's very peaceful where I am. Wasn't the subway was there where you picked the house? If the subway noise bothers you, you shouldn't have picked a house so close.
- No restaurants? Then what have I been eating at on Cortelyou or down by Ditmas, they sure seem like restaurants.
- No activity on the street? The commercial streets are always busy when I walk thru, day or night. And the residential streets are wonderfully serene and peaceful. I would not want much "activity" on the pastoral tree lined residential blocks.
- Neighbors particularly chummy? What are you sitting around waiting for them to bring you a basket of homemade jam and scratch baked bread ? Did you go to the Arbor Day tree planting? Everyone was chummy there. Get out there and say hello to your neighbors, introduce yourself.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 8, 2006 12:37 PM

I posted earlier, to say that I think there is a big difference between living in the Northern vs. Southern ends of Victorian Flatbush, in terms of suburban anomie. Newkirk needs a Cortelyou style revitalization for that to change. However, it is damn pretty down there, not to mention tranquil... I didn't want to live the subway line, so excluded houses on the tracks from my search. However, I know people who don't mind the noise and they saved I would say $200K on the price of their house. For some people, it's a good deal.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 8, 2006 1:20 PM