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May 16, 2007
House of the Day: 59 Macdonough Street
This old-school four-story brownstone at 59 Macdonough Street in Bed Stuy has some great details but, according to a reader who saw it yesterday, is a ticking time bomb that needs a new owner asap. In an effort to "fix up" the house for sale, the current owner, who's been in the house since 1999, is reportedly destroying some of its most characterful aspects, oblivious to the fact that these are precisely what make the house attractive to a large portion of potential buyers. Given the asking price of $775,000 and the proximity to the Stuyvesant Heights Historic District, we're hoping someone out there will get interested in this place before serious damage is done. Update: The broker shot us an email to let us know that the owner's work is limited to the top floor, which he had started working on before he decided to sell; he's going to finish up that work and he's not touching any of the other details in the house.
59 Macdonough Street [Craigslist] GMAP P*Shark
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Comments
LOVE IT! if I had the money I'd totally buy it. if everything is new like the ad says I'd say this is a good look.
Posted by: Anonymous at May 16, 2007 1:55 PM
Hey, 1:55, if you are the owner or realtor trying to boost interest, shame on you for not identifying yourself and posing as a passerby.
If you are for real, your enthusiasm is a bit premature. You may want to surf this site's archives before you take "everything is new" at face value as a reason why you would "totally buy" a house. "New" can be great or it can be crappy work if it is merely a flipper or owner trying to ready a property for sale. I cast no aspersions on this house, but for any house you'd certainly want to take a good hard look before getting too excited about representations in an ad as to "everything" being new.
Posted by: Anonymous at May 16, 2007 2:32 PM
The seller sounds like my father. He can zoom in like a laser on anything that is old and valuable and throw it away or destroy it. New or old things of no value escape the radar and are perfectly safe.
Buy this house quick!
Posted by: anon at May 16, 2007 2:32 PM
"is reportedly destroying some of its most characterful aspects"
some details on what is getting destroyed, before I can believe this.. the CL ad specifically boasts of the details why would they be damaged now?
Posted by: Anonymous at May 16, 2007 2:39 PM
I was going to make the same comment as 2:39. Photos show detail intact and ad specifically mentions it. It's not like they're ripping it out.
Posted by: Anonymous at May 16, 2007 2:42 PM
232 its 155 here, I'm not the realtor or seller. I love the way people here always get that label when you're enthusiastic about something. notice I said IF everything is new like they said then its a good look. I personally love macdonough street. I think its a beautiful street from stuyvesant past throop. anytime something on that street is on the market I pay particular attention. although the pictures don't show the juice like the bathroom and kitchen the facade looks nice and the fact that the door isn't one of those wooden outlines with a regular sized door says a lot. I still stand behind my initial enthusiasm.
Posted by: Anonymous at May 16, 2007 2:49 PM
I Saw the House yesterday. The house is far from new, even though the owner guarantees that he will deliver it like New. That is the exact problem. He is putting in kitchens, closets and bathrooms were they werent before and destroying the woodwork, moldings and floors. I can't believe the guy even took out the Window shutters, they are still intact in his basement. The house has lots of potential, high wood doors, marble fireplaces, Big wooden mirror in parlor floor. The House needs a lot of work though. For the right buyer and price I think is well worth the work.
Posted by: Denny Henriquez at May 16, 2007 3:18 PM
I'm telling you, the guy is like my old man. It is a definite personality type. Old stuff is bad, its for sissise, real men rip it out and put in practical and classy stuff from home depot.
Posted by: anon at May 16, 2007 3:33 PM
so, no clues as to what the guy is doing? i can't really tell from the pictures. give us a hint? is he ripping up the original floors and putting down contact paper? is he replacing the chandeliers with those 0-ring fluorescents? ack!
Posted by: Jimmy Legs at May 16, 2007 3:47 PM
"Characterful"? Characterful?
Posted by: Anonymous at May 16, 2007 4:54 PM
It is only a legal 1 family according to property shark. The craigslist ad says it is a 2 family currently used as a 3. It is going to cost some money for the proper conversion if someone wants the rental income. I wonder if there are tenants in the place already.
Also, property shark has the square footage listed as only 2400. That seems kind of small especially if is going to be used as a 3 family. It would be a nice 1 family, but I am not sure if it is worth the asking price as a 1 family.
Posted by: Anonymous at May 16, 2007 5:41 PM
I've also seen the house and the house is beautiful. Most details are still intact. Love the fireplaces, Love the Size. I think the house is prized right. A friend of Mines owns a Brownstone on the block before and it was just recently appraised for 1.2m. The applebees and train station are walking distance away. Its just the house needs minor restoration. For the size and the Location and what's currently on the market right now, the House makes a lot of sence. I'm going for a second visit with my contractor. If Corcoran was listing this house the prize would have been like $849,000. Guarantee it!!!
Posted by: Anonymous at May 16, 2007 5:43 PM
http://www.corcoran.com/property/listing.aspx?Region=NYC&ListingID=983823&ohDat=5/20/2007%2012:00:00%20AM;
See what I mean. Corcoran is selling a 3 floor Brownstone that needs work, deeper in to Bed Stuy/Ocean hill Border for $825,000.
This house has 4 floors, details and lots of potential....
Posted by: Anonymous at May 16, 2007 5:49 PM
As I posted yesterday, you will find no more brownstone values outside of Bed-Stuy. Not in PH, not in PLG,
CrH or SP (Sunset Park). By value I mean, you can still buy one with the income level of the middle class, which means you make between 50 and 150K in NYC. Everywhere else, if you were lucky enough to find a brownstone under 800K, it would require another 200K in reno costs (as in that house of the day posted earlier this week with the permanent stench of dog poo).
Somebody just buy this nice brownstone in Bed Stuy, take your time renovating it further while enjoying the true brownstone lifestyle without the fear of bankruptcy that comes with a monthly mortgage bill of $12,000, as you would likely have in the same brownstone in ClHi or FtGr. Nothing against these beautiful neighborhoods, just my typical tirade against the ubiquitous idea that everyone has 400k lying around in their bank account to put down on a brownstone.
Posted by: Antoinne Roquetienne at May 16, 2007 6:10 PM
This is a really nice part of Bed-Stuy, super-convenient to the A train at Nostrand and gigantic Foodtown, and close to the up-and-coming strip of nice shops, restaurants and bakeries on Tompkins.
There is a huge church very close by. Anyone know what that's like on Sunday morning?
Posted by: rf at May 16, 2007 7:30 PM
I could only imagine that there is no parking. But I see a church in the block as a plus. Especially if they give back to the block.
Posted by: Anonymous at May 16, 2007 7:35 PM
I agree with Antoinne Roquetienne:
I can only dream of owning a Brownstone in Clinton Hills which is not even close to being one of the highest prized Brownstone neighborhoods. Bed Stuy is the only place left to carefully search and find a beauty that needs some restoration while enjoying Brownstone living. At least for us middle class folks.
Posted by: Denny Henriquez at May 16, 2007 7:44 PM
I live a block away from this house. There are 2 huge churches on the block and parking is always difficult. On Sunday, parking is IMPOSSIBLE! The block isn't the best. A mix of brownstones and apartment houses and churches.
(I believe this is the house that had numerous open houses throughout the winter.)
Posted by: anonymous at May 16, 2007 8:27 PM
I own a brownsttone very local to the house. As faras parking it is generally very good, both my tenants have cars and have no problems. During church services (there is another bug beautiful church literally directly across the street) double parking is permitted during services. The neighborhood is good and neighbors are good generally.
The house is a nice house and has a nice 20x50 backyard. The price of $775 is right where it should be, and yes the guy selling has been there a long time.
Posted by: Dan at May 16, 2007 8:33 PM
I own a brownsttone very local to the house. As faras parking it is generally very good, both my tenants have cars and have no problems. During church services (there is another bug beautiful church literally directly across the street) double parking is permitted during services. The neighborhood is good and neighbors are good generally.
The house is a nice house and has a nice 20x50 backyard. The price of $775 is right where it should be, and yes the guy selling has been there a long time.
Two year old super food town, clean and well stocked along with three banks (citi, chase and wamu) around the corner. LIRR is two blocks away along with the Nostrand Ave A train.
Posted by: Dan at May 16, 2007 8:34 PM
i really like the housing stock in bed Stuy, i really do, but I think the area is still pretty unsafe and as a white person, i think I would be made to feel unwanted there. It's a big city, there is no reason to move into an area where you are not welcome.
Posted by: observer at May 16, 2007 10:38 PM
BS is a big neighbor, I think anyone who is interested in buying a brownstone definitely should RENT first. I have no idea it's safe or not. Everybody has different opinion about safety. I moved out 2500 sqft. apt. in Harlem. I just couldn't stand neighbor anymore. I loved my apartment. That was my first purchase. Even 800K, it's a lot of money. Better knowing what kind of place you will be living before purchase. Even myself has a bitter experience could fall in love with those beautiful houses....
Posted by: Anonymous at May 16, 2007 11:13 PM
Clinton Hill, for Chissake Denny, Clinton Hill. If you say Clinton Hills, nothing you say will be taken seriously. By the way, Clinton Hill IS one of the best brownstone neighborhoods.
Posted by: Anonymous at May 16, 2007 11:52 PM
10:38, I'm a white person who's been living a few blocks north of this place for the past 2 years, and I have found the neighbors to be completely welcoming and friendly. There are a lot of longtime homeowners around here (30+ years in some cases) with tons of community pride. Acquaintances often assume that we are "holding on waiting for the neighborhood to change" - but frankly, I find that I'm more concerned with hoping that the neighborhood doesn't change too much or too fast, or in ways that are out of character with the existing community. Right now lots of small businesses and amenities are cropping up on Tompkins, and that's great.
Re: safety, I haven't spent a lot of time on that particular block, but personally I would consider nearby churches an advantage - there will be people coming and going to choir practice, etc. so the block won't have a deserted feel. Also the police precinct is located on Tompkins, many blocks away but the cops often walk down Tompkins to Fulton to go get coffee, etc.
And 11:13, we didn't rent before moving to this neighborhood. We did walk around at various hours, check out crime stats, etc. but mostly we went with a good gut feeling that we had about the block. That feeling has more than proved true.
Bed-Stuy is not for everyone. No neighborhood is. But we feel grateful and lucky and to be living here.
Posted by: anonymous at May 17, 2007 8:25 AM
Observer at 10.38 pm,
I'm white and I've lived in BS since 2003. I have never felt unwelcome by my neighbors, and you do black residents here a disservice by stereotyping them as being prejudiced against whites. They aren't. I've made a lot of friends in the neighborhood over the past few years (how many of us who have lived in Manhattan can say that?), and I like living here. Sorry you feel like people of color won't accept you. Maybe you'll come out to the nabe sometime and walk the blocks. See for yourself. Say hello to the people you pass on the street and keep an open mind. It's a whole different vibe than what you want to believe it is.
Posted by: Anonymous at May 17, 2007 9:14 AM
To the poster who commented that PropShark had this as a 1-family: I don't know about this particular situation, but our building in Bed-Stuy was originally a one-family but had been used as a 2-family for so long that the city gave our previous owners a "letter of no objection" or something like that which effectively changed the C of O with no waiting, no cost, no nothing. This may be the case here as well.
Posted by: anonymous at May 17, 2007 10:43 AM
Dear 11.13 don't feel bad, it has happened to others. People moved in to the Degraw house by the project. I lived on the block, rented one summmer. I wouldn't
have bought on the blo9ck if they gave me a house for 300k let alone 999K. Sold
to a nice young couple from DC who didn't
take enough time to see the nabe. Their real estate agent was good at selling, but not at fitting the right person to the right house. They put the house on the market a month after they moved in.
I should add that at night, it was a bad
crack block.
I have no problem in Harlem, westside
better than east right now.
I am a person of color and there are lots of blocks I wouldn't live on in the five boros. It takes years for a drug block to turn itself around. You can put twenty new houses on a bad block, it just means better robberies
It's a block by block thing. For years
I know people in the hood that walk so fast nothing bad can cath them. You
get older you might not want to walk so quickly.
Posted by: Anonymous at May 18, 2007 6:20 PM
Foodtown's C=town's always in poorer
nabes. High prices not so great choice in meats etc. Just saying. Long history of
health violations. Young ones eat out
every meal anyway.
Posted by: Anonymous at May 18, 2007 6:38 PM
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