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May 10, 2006

Slightly Out of Place But Totally Working for Us

door
How awesome is the doorway at 269 Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights? PropertyShark says the building was built in 1900 but we can't see how that's possible given the pure deco goodness on display. More like 1920's, dontcha think? The 18-unit, 9,000-square-foot building changed hands last year for $3.55 million. GMAP




Posted by Brownstoner at 10:22 AM | Comments (22)
Categories: Architecture

Comments

I've walked by this building for nearly 10 years and have always found it a favorite, even among the "proper" (and often very nicely restored) brownstones on the block. The doorway's so great-- but the building in general is a little dilapidated, no?

Posted by: cat at May 10, 2006 10:37 AM

Yeah, there's no way it was built before 1920. I've always liked it too and agree with cat - the building itself is not nearly as nice or interesting as the doorway

Posted by: Whitbo at May 10, 2006 11:01 AM

Love that building... There are a couple deco gems hidden in the Hts.

Posted by: Dave at May 10, 2006 11:36 AM

I've always loved the corner windows of this building.

Posted by: EJC at May 10, 2006 11:37 AM

I fall under the hates-all-new-buildings category, I have to admit, but when I walk by this every day, I also think it's great. Thing is, I can't help but wonder if the neighborhood was aghast and thought it was an eyesore when it was originally built. I'm sure it replaced a brownstone.

On the other hand, how can you not think that the craftsmanship of the curved steel, the choice of a red enamel door, and the placement of the circular window (and those two steel underscores) inside the rectangles and squares of the whole portico aren't cool?

Posted by: Potential Hypocrite at May 10, 2006 11:47 AM

Looked at an apartment here in 1997 before taking a larger studio on Sidney Place. If I remember at the time it was going for 900 and seemed a lot for the small studio. It was on the first floor and had a nice view of the lawn outside the window although there was no way to get to it from the apartment. (that kind of sucked)

Posted by: DNP at May 10, 2006 11:54 AM

Unless that building was heavily rent controlled/stabilized, someone got a pretty good deal... 18 units for 3.55m? The ARR multiple must have been pretty low.

Posted by: se at May 10, 2006 12:16 PM

Nice building! Even 1920 sounds early for this - I would have guessed early 30s.

Those corner steel windows are nice too.

Posted by: Halden at May 10, 2006 12:20 PM

First, never pay attention to date on propshark (unless for more recent bldgs). I can't believe how many realtors do this also - Makes it look that all of Brooklyn was built in 3 distinct years.
And this building may very well pre-date 1900 - with major alterations in 20's. There is a C/O from 1903 for 17 families.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 10, 2006 12:29 PM

Not many buildings were built in the early 30s because of the depression (construction workers lined up around the corner everyday hoping for work during the Empire State bld. construction). And almost none were built during World War 2. There were building booms in the 1880s, 1900s till WWI and then again in the 20s til the depression. This is a classic deco buildings, those windows are a dead give away..especially the corner windows. That was an extremely popular style. And yes i am sure there were many agast when this place went up.

Posted by: tom at May 10, 2006 12:38 PM

It's not handicapped accessible.
Rip it out!

Posted by: Anonymous at May 10, 2006 12:58 PM

Finance Department records state the estimated year built is 1900.

Posted by: klee at May 10, 2006 1:40 PM

Finance dept lists 1900 for anything that predates that year they don't have records for. So 1850 ends up as 1900.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 10, 2006 1:50 PM

There's a BN and two ALTs for 1926, so that's a good bet for the date.

The 20s construction boom was most active at the end of the decade, and continued into the early 30s. A lot of the great buildings of that era date to the 1929 to 1931 period. After that, things got pretty quiet for a while.

12:59 - BIS says the CO dates to 1903, but the date on the CO itself is 1940. It also lists it as a four story plus basement, but the picture looks like 5, unless the first floor was called a basement?

Posted by: Halden at May 10, 2006 1:53 PM

se - bldg has something like 25 units. A little more than half are either rc or rs. At 3.55, minimal to non-existant return.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 10, 2006 2:33 PM

Not many buildings were built in the early 30s because of the depression (construction workers lined up around the corner everyday hoping for work during the Empire State bld. construction). And almost none were built during World War 2. There were building booms in the 1880s, 1900s till WWI and then again in the 20s til the depression. This is a classic deco buildings, those windows are a dead give away..especially the corner windows. That was an extremely popular style. And yes i am sure there were many agast when this place went up.

Posted by: tom at May 10, 2006 2:45 PM

Your just now noticing that door? Been walking past it for over twenty years and every time thinking, good thing they land marked the area before more stupid people started building or renovating with stuff like, this.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 10, 2006 3:28 PM

anonymous 1:50: was anybody suggesting the door was installed in 1850? Or were they suggesting the building was built in the 20's or 30's? Finance doesn't say 1900 when they think it's 1930.

Posted by: klee at May 10, 2006 4:35 PM

I'm pretty sure that all buildings with that style window were built in the 1930s...

Posted by: Dorian at May 10, 2006 5:05 PM

I live across the street and am looking at it. Door is nice enough; building suffered a fire last summer in one of the upper floor AC units, which may have been why the owners sold. at 3.55 million, it is a good deal only if you can kick the tenants out -- good luck on that.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 10, 2006 11:49 PM

I've always loved this building. I live in Carroll Gardens and walk by it at least once a weekend.

There's a huge yard, too...

Posted by: alison at May 12, 2006 2:35 PM

Yep, one of my favorite landmarks in Brooklyn Heights. Really, I love it! I hope no one is stupid enough to change it.

Posted by: Carol Gardens at May 12, 2006 5:15 PM

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