House of the Day: 266 Stuyvesant Avenue

Looks like a nice house and a nice block. You can still get amazing rates (in the 5s) for bedstuy under some kind of emerging neighborhood program.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 1:47 PM

this would be great for a single guy maybe. Cant move a family into a war one though. I would pay around 560 for it

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 1:47 PM

Are there more pix somewhere?
Woodwork doesn't look *that* impressive on the NYT's ad.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 1:47 PM

This is actually not a bad buy. 2 years ago a house like this would have been posted at $749,000 and would have sold. Even if it needs $100 K in reno still looks like a good buy.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 1:49 PM

stuyvesant avenue is most definitely not a war zone. Its a beautiful street in a beautiful area with some cool restaurants and stores. Family friendly too.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 1:52 PM

What school used to be here? Stuyvesant Heights Montessori?
Anyway, great house and great price. Anyone who calls Stuy Heights a war zone has never set foot in the area. Greenest Block in Brooklyn is on Stuyvesant Ave., no?

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 2:09 PM

$699,000 is in the first-time family homebuyer range? With lending standards tightening back up to more reasonable levels, where are all the high income first time buyers gonna come from?

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 2:17 PM

This place is a stone's throw away from Brownstone Books on Lewis, which hosts storytime for little kids twice a week. Strollers are lined up outside with beautiful toddlers of all races. So yes, I would agree that the area is family friendly.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 2:23 PM

This building used to be occupied by a school affiliated with the Bridge Street church up the street. The Bridge Street community development corporation also used to be housed in the building.

BTW-Stuyvesant is a great block from Fulton through about Monroe. In fact, I would wager that it is the nicest north/south stretch of a street in Bed-Stuy proper.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 2:30 PM

This building used to be occupied by a school affiliated with the Bridge Street church up the street. The Bridge Street community development corporation also used to be housed in the building.

BTW-Stuyvesant is a great block from Fulton through about Monroe. In fact, I would wager that it is the nicest north/south stretch of a street in Bed-Stuy proper.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 2:31 PM

The house is owned by a church in the neighborhood. The church ran a small daycare/school in the home. ANyone who knows the area will quickly figure out that this is a steal! Stuyvesant Ave is the best walk in the neighborhood. It seems priced to sell quickly but of course I haven't seen the interior. FYI...a friend and I looked at a house priced at $950K, one block up the street from this one.

P.S. This is far from a war zone...trust.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 2:32 PM

"the first-time family homebuyer range for sure." Not if your income is less than $200k a year.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 2:35 PM

What is totally "crazy" is that all these people, Bstoner front and foremost, who bought for nothing and have low monthlies, think that a 4K a month house is "in the first-time family homebuyer range." Or think that living in Bed Stuy is worth 4K a month. Or even 2K a month. That's what I call crazy.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 2:42 PM

There is little in this city for less than 2k for god's sake. My one bedroom rental in CG goes for $1900 so I would say yes, 2000 for a family size duplex is pretty affordable.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 2:54 PM

Not too far off IMO.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 2:57 PM

That was our calculation yrs ago when we bought a brownstone in CG for under $800k (which seemed like an enormous amount of money at the time). If you were fortunate to scrape up the money for the down payment, your carrying costs for the duplex after rental income were well under $1,500/month, very affordable by NYC standards.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 3:07 PM

One would have to change the C of O to live here. It's legal for use as a school, not residential. Interestingly, the builidng is legal to accommodate 280 people.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 3:11 PM

"There is little in this city for less than 2k for god's sake. My one bedroom rental in CG goes for $1900 so I would say yes, 2000 for a family size duplex is pretty affordable."

The fact that YOU can afford it does not make it affordable. The fact that there is little or nothing in the city that is affordable doesn't make this house affordable for a first-time buyer either. The only way anyone buys anything in the city is if they already own or if they have a salary that is well above average.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 3:16 PM

If 2 parents can't pull down enough in NY salaries to pay 2K/mnth for a home for their kids, they aren't even trying. Get a job or stop complaining that you can't afford your home.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 3:24 PM

A first time homeowner in NYC will be very lucky to be only coughing up $2000 out of pocket. You can rent a Duplex in Bed Stuy for over $2400 Dollars and there rarely become available. Its a solid buy...

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 3:29 PM

This is such a great house for the price

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 3:48 PM

Interesting point about the C of O. Commercial sales rate are typically less than residential due to the higher property tax rate.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 3:49 PM

AS MORE WHITES MOVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME WILL GO DOWN MAKING THIS A GOOD INVESTMENT.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 4:13 PM

bed stuy and clinton hill are not for families. anybody who does that to there fam. is irresponsible. Its like using your kids as pawns to see if you can make a couple of bucks if the hood ever gets nice. Factor in the cost of private school for 2 kids at 20,000 a year and you can kiss the rental income goodbye!

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 4:25 PM

Brooklyn is over.
It has become too expensive.
only the drone-workaholics can afford it any more.
Anyone with any interests other than making money would do well to seek new pastures.
It is a big country. there are a lot of intersting places, and they are attracting the folks who would have otherwise moved to Brooklyn.
This whole Borough thinks it is one giant Greenwich, Connecticut or something.
fuhggedaboudit!

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 4:33 PM

"More whites" is not the reason the crime rate has gone down in Bed-Stuy. It has gone down because of the commitment of longtime residents. The improvement of the US economy and general reduction of NYC crime during the 1990's didn't hurt either.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 4:45 PM

I own in Stuyvesant Heights and charge $1650 for a floor through apartment. My neighbor across the street charges $1800. I am sure in three years $2000 will be the norm here.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 4:54 PM

" Factor in the cost of private school for 2 kids at 20,000 a year and you can kiss the rental income goodbye!"

Exactly. Tuition for just one kid is 20K a year, so the theoretical 24K in rental income is gone.

"If 2 parents can't pull down enough in NY salaries to pay 2K/mnth for a home for their kids, they aren't even trying. Get a job or stop complaining that you can't afford your home."

Hello? I work in publishing and have a relatively high-level postion--which brings in just 85K a year. My wife free-lances (and cares for the kids), which brings in 15K. Unless we skip food, clothes for the kids, and all the true essentials, we cannot possible cover 4K a month--which is 48K a year, or almost our entire take-home. No way am I going to stretch the income and put the family in jeopordy in order to live in Bed Stuy.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 5:06 PM

kdabrowski, I've lived here my whole life and I know plenty of people who make enough money to care for their families because that's the responsible thing to do. They pay their rent/mortgage, child car, food costs, etc. MAny waited to have children or a house until they could afford them - novel idea, huh? Children are people to whom you have an obligation, not property to which you have a right. If you couldn't afford them and their care, you shouldn't have had them. If you had them anyway, nobody owes you a nice house in a nice neighborhood or cheap rent. It's your own fault. Go get a job like the rest of us.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 5:09 PM

seems far from the subway

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 5:12 PM

"'More whites' is not the reason the crime rate has gone down in Bed-Stuy. It has gone down because of the commitment of longtime residents."

This is such a bullcrap argument. If it were the longterm residents, then why didn't they fix their crime problem earlier? The longterm residents are the crime problem. Nobody ever went to bedsty from somewhere else to commit crimes against people and property. It was bedsty's own residents.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 5:13 PM

To move into Southern Bedford Stuyvesant today you are going to be paying a minimum of 1400 a month rent. Most people that pay those kinds of rents do not commit crimes.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 5:18 PM

You know, there is some merit to what 4:33 is suggesting. The price dynamics in Brownstone Brooklyn make owning a very difficult proposition but for all but a few well heeled individuals. As property valuations have increased, new owners are becoming increasingly wealthier making the neighboorhoods, well...less hip. No hyperbole, just fact. Although I'm sure some would suggest that hip is quite over-rated.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 5:23 PM

Bedford Academy which I think is in the old Boys High school one of the best looking school in NEW YORK CITY and some of the other charter schools are doing very well. I would not send my child to Boys and Girls but you people really don't need to spend 20K for a good education.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 5:38 PM

5:13 I think you're a keyboard racist and have some issues. The long term residents are not the crime problem. That's a slap in the face.

But I am not afraid to say that more Whites do bring in more police presence. The same way more white moving out west brought in more soldiers and wiped out the natives.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 5:42 PM

I think 100K can get the job done...

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 6:22 PM

It is so nice to see a brownstone in Brooklyn that is priced right for a change...

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 6:30 PM

I hear this is a up an coming area. I live in Park Slope and could sell my two bedroom co-op for 700K and buy this great brownstone that is 4x the size

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 6:37 PM

I love the little 1880s iron fence

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 6:43 PM

This is a really interesting listing. Clearly, even in a down market, it seems to be below comps. It's a decent part of Bed-Stuy, despite what those say who like to paint the whole neighborhood with a broad brush.

BUT, I've found that if the listing says "needs work/reno," then it's not really inhabitable.

You could easily dump 3-400k into a gut reno. Or you'd be stripping paint from that woodwork for the next 50 years. Either way, I couldn't justify bidding on this house. Price is right for the space, but not this space, if you know what I mean.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 6:45 PM

I hear they are going to extend the Stuyvesant Heights Historic District to include these block.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 7:01 PM

Many of the crimes committed by the wealthy in many instances is what oppresses and promotes the crimes committed by the less wealthy... Robbing and enacting llicit activities with the educational system funds, corrupt government administration (Building/ housing services, healthcare, criminal justice, politicians, etc). Cultural deprivations and actions of those enslaved, colonized, & victimized. Wallstreet financial corrupt shenanigans, etc. Grow-up.....

You guys make real people sick!!!!! (Yes, those of us intuned to our heart, the earth and a higher power)

That is you continue to spew hateful/bias rhetoric that provides no positive joy or growth in the world!!!! me, me, me, me, me.... Their are millions of species on this earth, so obviously it was not meant for any particular one to exist alone without our interdependence in some way or another. Your homes, your skin, your hair, your looks, your money, "family linages" will ultimately not save you in the end. And, in any event that you felt threatened/in true need I don't believe many of you would stop to question much if your "benefactor" differed that much from you.

I like to tune into this site and read, and possibly even learn new things - however, you can always trust that their is that group (it appears a large segment that just upsets your whole inner being with utter disgust).

A True and Original Brooklynite - Bedford Stuyvesant.

PS. Another note, for those in the Know, Referencing Bedford STuyvesant as BED Stuy was always considered ignorant and STreet, not very astute. Further Disgust when I hear the term mention by the so-called "elitest".

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 7:07 PM

Many of the crimes committed by the wealthy in many instances is what oppresses and promotes the crimes committed by the less wealthy... Robbing and enacting llicit activities with the educational system funds, corrupt government administration (Building/ housing services, healthcare, criminal justice, politicians, etc). Cultural deprivations and actions of those enslaved, colonized, & victimized. Wallstreet financial corrupt shenanigans, etc. Grow-up.....

You guys make real people sick!!!!! (Yes, those of us intuned to our heart, the earth and a higher power)

That is you continue to spew hateful/bias rhetoric that provides no positive joy or growth in the world!!!! me, me, me, me, me.... Their are millions of species on this earth, so obviously it was not meant for any particular one to exist alone without our interdependence in some way or another. Your homes, your skin, your hair, your looks, your money, "family linages" will ultimately not save you in the end. And, in any event that you felt threatened/in true need I don't believe many of you would stop to question much if your "benefactor" differed that much from you.

I like to tune into this site and read, and possibly even learn new things - however, you can always trust that their is that group (it appears a large segment that just upsets your whole inner being with utter disgust).

A True and Original Brooklynite - Bedford Stuyvesant.

PS. Another note, for those in the Know, Referencing Bedford STuyvesant as BED Stuy was always considered ignorant and STreet, not very astute. Further Disgust when I hear the term mention by the so-called "elitest".

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 7:09 PM

@@@%%)@@()%%&&)%@@@&# Bunch of PIGSHIT Racist. Yes, Economic Oppression/Depression of a group based on Race!!!!!!

5:42 Guest, Thank you.... Summed it up quite short and sweet. If many of these BOONGERS spent as much time researching the facts and working postively to eradicate the BS, They would be worthy. Life is about positive and purposeful growth of a nation, the world and all it's inhabitants!!!! And, if all the negative conotations slanted towards the African-Americans who have held the community down for quite sometime were true, they would be no housing stock for "Brownstoner" and the likes of many of it's audience/ "new residents" to chat about. As well as the fact that you would not even be able to reside at present. RESPECT YOURSELVES, SO THAT YOU MAY RESPECT OTHERS AND IN TURN BE RESPECTED. However, Of course Many of you must be "Master" of all things..... The intellects of the Universe.... Whereby, many of you believe the fallacies that has been alluded to you and your families history/existence.... DO THE REAL RESEARCH!!!!!!!

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 7:11 PM

@@@%%)@@()%%&&)%@@@&# Bunch of PIGSHIT Racist. Yes, Economic Oppression/Depression of a group based on Race!!!!!!

5:42 Guest, Thank you.... Summed it up quite short and sweet. If many of these BOONGERS spent as much time researching the facts and working postively to eradicate the BS, They would be worthy. Life is about positive and purposeful growth of a nation, the world and all it's inhabitants!!!! And, if all the negative conotations slanted towards the African-Americans who have held the community down for quite sometime were true, they would be no housing stock for "Brownstoner" and the likes of many of it's audience/ "new residents" to chat about. As well as the fact that you would not even be able to reside at present. RESPECT YOURSELVES, SO THAT YOU MAY RESPECT OTHERS AND IN TURN BE RESPECTED. However, Of course Many of you must be "Master" of all things..... The intellects of the Universe.... Whereby, many of you believe the fallacies that has been alluded to you and your families history/existence.... DO THE REAL RESEARCH!!!!!!!

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 7:12 PM

why would it take you 50 years to strip paint it took me two weeks month

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 7:32 PM

Some parts on Macon are also Landmark

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 8:02 PM

I am sure this house will not have a hard time selling. I rather be here than the other areas that seem to live in a box.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 8:07 PM

4:26 and 5:02, get a clue. I live in Bedford-Stuyvesant and my kids got into an excellent public school that happens to be in a different, nearby neighborhood (although there are some great charter schools here as well). If you've been reading the paper, you know that the days of saying, "We're zoned for PS XXX, so I'll never have to worry" are over. NYC schools are getting seriously overcrowded due to the under-5 population boom. Any parent who lives in NY and cares about their kids' education needs to be willing to hustle no matter where they live.
Needless to say, we would not have moved here if we believed we were placing our children "in jeopardy." We believed for a number of reasons that this would be the best possible choice for our family, and fortunately this has proven to be true. Your assumptions about people who decide to move here are shortsighted, elitist, and just plain stupid.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 8:28 PM

We just moved to this block last November and love it. We traded our 750 square foot Boerum Hill Coop for a house. The neighbors have been very welcoming and our kids play with the kids on and around the block. It has a strong block association that recently purchased all the iron gates around the tree pits through their fund raising efforts.
Residents on this block are mostly home owners with rentals. Some of the home owners have been here for 20-30 years. There are only a few recent sales ours and a few neighbors 5-6 years ago.

One of the best things about this neighborhood is that you won't be living next to the racists that post on this blog.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 8:43 PM

Nice mid 1880s brownstone...

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 8:53 PM

This is a nice block but it is about 100% same-race. Is anyone seriuosly suggesting that someone who is not of the locally prevailing race move here? Isn't that the sort of thing we do not want?
Unfortunately, I think that successful young Black people who grew up here want nothing more than to get the hell out. so maybe in twenty or thirty years it will be mostly White with just a smattering of adorable elderly Black folks around.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 9:04 PM

That is true I just brought not far from here and I love my neighbors we really watch out for each other which I really love. I lived in park slope for 10 years and thought I would miss that area but I really don't. I like how people smile say hello to you when you pass them. I never got that in Park Slope. My kids go to school in Brooklyn Heights so I ride with them everyday.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 9:05 PM

LISTEN TO ME......

It is not worth it!

living in this polluted old city is not worth the millions.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 9:10 PM

I live in Stuyvesant Heights and I had a rental unit in my house that I posted on craigslist and of the forty or so people that came by to look at the place only one was black. When I walk around the neighborhood on any given weekend I see moving vans with only white people moving in to these houses. I think many of the black older home owners will stay along with the young black home owners that brought with in the last 10 years. The people that are moving out the area are the people that grew up in these houses as children in the 50 and 1960s. Also many blacks that came to the area during the hard times of the 1970s are retiring and wanting to move out of state.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 9:12 PM

I wonder how much would this house be in Park Slope?

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 9:19 PM

still a lot of money to have upfront with tight lending standards and 100K renovation? doubt that heavily. and, while you're doing the reno you need to be renting elsewhere while shelling out the mortgage and reno costs. think that you can get a decent 2 bd condo in a better hood without that much cash up in front. would be tough for a typical 1st timer.

probably would be bought by someone who has built up equity in something else.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 9:52 PM

Over the last ten years 4 houses have been for sale on this block. 3 of them were sold to white families. Those of you who are unfamiliar should know that there are only about 20 houses on each block of Stuyvesant Avenue. The idiot above who on more than one occasion on this blog has said "the longtime are the crime problem," you are a new kind of idiot. Bedford-Stuyvesant has been both a middle to upper-middle class neighborhood and a poverty stricken/social service dumping ground. While white folks got to move away from their 'trash' blacks had less choice and had to life together despite class differences. When the suburbs finally opened up many of those who could left. Many stayed and started the work that we're benefiting from and trying to build on today. Do you really think Bed-Stuy would be as beautiful as it is without a strong home-owning presence. Who do you think established the historic district in 1971, Fought to stop the redlining, conducted 29 years of house tours, saved Boys High and many other landmarks from demolition, has had more entrants and winners in the greenest block competition than most other neighborhoods, and claims great residents like nyc's first black comptroller? Don't be stupid.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 11:14 PM

I just brought a house in this area for a little more than this house and I am living fine through the construction. You live on one floor at a time until you finish. How do you people know that this place needs 100K worth of work. This house might need just 50K so lets not assume. I would never buy a condo in a " better neighborhood when I can get a lovely brownstone like this one...

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 11:29 PM

The home owners that have lived in the area for the past 50 years did keep what they had up. Redlining really messed this area up... Also when the city starting building ugly public housing that did not help the area out at all...

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 11:33 PM

It really funny in the 1930s it was hard for black people to get an apartment in Bedford Stuyvesant

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 11:42 PM

Bedford-Stuyvesant is the last frontier for brownstone living. Surrounded by Crown Heights, Park Slope, Cobble Hill, and Brownsville, the neighborhood's houses are registered historic spots, and its streets are lined with trees and lampposts.

Day-to-day life in the neighborhood is charming, with little bodegas owned by people of many ethnicities, and kids who play on their leafy blocks, watched by neighborhood veterans sitting on stoops. Historic churches are on virtually every corner. The family mentality that sustains the community is intensely present on Sunday mornings, when everyone becomes each other's responsibility.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 11:45 PM

White opposition to integration brought efforts to prevent blacks from buying property, with language like "high-quality" and "desirable," and attempts to influence banks' loan decisions. A popular argument was that black families, being uneducated, would bring property values down and destroy the character of a neighborhood. Another used by white organizations, like the Midtown Civic League in the 1930s, was the flaunting of their mission to improve "conditions in our section and stabilize real estate values."

When these arguments failed logistically, the white people of Stuyvesant Heights tried to find an "ideal community for colored people" in less-accessible Brooklyn locations. No one succeeded in actually removing black families from the neighborhood: they were homeowners, and not easily moved.
African American residential areas were pushing the boundaries of Stuyvesant Heights, and the white middle class became infuriated and moved out. This may have been the best thing for Bed-Stuy, as it was the groundwork for the development of the largest African American community in the city, a cultural asset that American society at large has yet to appreciate.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 11:48 PM

this is a neighborhood with deep-seated social problems as is evident by some of the prior posts. sorry. but if you want to live a normal serene life, i would avvise you not to move into Black Brooklyn at this time no matter what your race. there are loads of places where you can buy a perfectly comfortable house -for less- and not have to deal with your responsibility for the past three hundred years of injustices. just sayin'.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 11:49 PM

The brownstone houses—real-estate gold—were originally huge, single-family, three- to five-story homes. The brownstone is a symbol of prosperity and stability in New York City and has been for the last 150 years. Brownstones of the Upper West Side and Greenwich Village, originally middle-class housing, now price typically over five million dollars.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 11:51 PM

Bed-Stuy is currently seen as affordable and secret, which is causing a frenzy for real-estate companies and private investors alike. Old-time residents are confronted daily by mail, phone calls, and solicitors who come to the doorstep with briefcases full of cash, offering to buy their homes immediately. It is a manipulation tactic for residents who struggle to make ends meet, and it causes unrest. People are told again, "This is not an ideal community for colored people, and you do not deserve this neighborhood."

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 11:52 PM

It is not only white investors who want to capitalize on Bedford-Stuyvesant historic charm, but also whites who wish to become residents. Current homeowners observe their abandoned buildings and homes being renovated by outside agencies, and the hipster kids and young couples spilling over from Cobble Hill and Park Slope.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 11:54 PM

Some people are confused as to why whites would want to live in Bed-Stuy, even though the real estate is prime. The amenities and conveniences that the white middle-class is so accustomed to are simply not readily available in Bed-Stuy: the New York Times, organic milk, regular trash pick-up, and cute cafés. Suspicion toward the new white residents is markedly different from suspicion among Bed-Stuy's existing residents toward each other. Such existing residents are there because they had to be: they were pushed into a "ghetto," virtually ignored by the city. Any regeneration of the neighborhood was due to their own hard work and perseverance. White people are the only residents, historically, who have had the privilege to choose Bed-Stuy, and it certainly wasn't chosen back when the neighborhood earned its peace through the race riots and gun warfare of the '70s and '80s.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 11:56 PM

"One of the best things about this neighborhood is that you won't be living next to the racists that post on this blog."

Apparently you are living among a lot of racists who have posted above about how whites are not wanted or needed in the area and have forced out longterm residents.

Posted by: guest at June 12, 2008 11:57 PM

I think this neighborhood is going to be the hottest area in Brooklyn in the NEAR future.. You can feel it in the atmosphere. The architecture just makes you go WOW. I think I am going to look into this house...

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 12:13 AM

I hope that brownstoner archives this post I have the feeling that in 2012 we are going to be saying remember when houses in Bedford Stuyvesant went for under 800K...

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 12:17 AM

Its going to be like this that I found on curbed today about Ft Greene 37 years ago http://fortgreenebk.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/brownstoneurbia.pdf

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 12:19 AM

Seems like this little real estate company always has the best looking houses architecturally in this area... They seem really old school mom and pop. I think they have only one young agent.

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 12:22 AM

This house makes so much sense to me as a buyer looking for a brownstone but priced out of Park Slope and Ft. Greene.

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 12:24 AM

Prices in Stuyvesant Heights might seem high by historical standards, but they are still a steal compared to Park Slope or Cobble Hill.

A four-story house in good condition will fetch $700,000 to $850,000. At the high end, $1-million homes are not unprecedented, though they are rare. Fixer-uppers start in the high $500,000s.

For those willing to live farther from the A/C subway on Fulton Street, prices can be $30,000 less.

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 12:31 AM

The market is ripe for renters too. Floor-through one- and one-and-a-half bedrooms go for about $1,400.

If these sale and rental prices seem low, they are still about twice as high as in 2001, before the first wave of real-estate excitement crashed and swept away the neighborhood’s hardscrabble image.

Bed-Stuy is acceptable to mainstream Brooklynites and Manhattanites now

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 12:32 AM

I think around Gates Ave / Nostrand and Bedford

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 12:45 AM

You rarely see Stuyvesant Heights in videos/movies. I think it was a well kept secret for many years.

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 12:47 AM

Nice house even nicer price...

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 1:51 AM

Please stop the racist drivel. Obviously, we are dealing with a racist idiot whom has never stepped foot in Bed-Stuy. It is the black home owners that have kept Bed-Stuy in teh condition that it is in. The racism in this city has prevented it from aquiring the much needed services that it deserved until more white families started to move. That fact does NOT speak to teh long-term residents of Bed-Stuy, but to the racism in this city. It's a damn shame. Don't get me started on teh jerk who thinks that anyone whom cannot afford $2,000 a month in rent is a slacker!!! What an idiot and an asshole.

BTW...what in the hell is up with all of the put-downs about Clinton Hill? A war zone? LOL Are these jealous Ft.Greene home owners making these posts? I live in Clinton Hill and it is one of THE most desirable neighborhoods anywhere. There is no other place I would rather live...except Stuyvesant Hts of course. BTW...this brownstone is a STEAL!!!

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 6:08 AM

despite all the claptrap theories on here the one thing that has preserved the Bed Stuy architecture is poverty. Ironically, poverty, and the associated lack of interest from developers, is the great preserver.

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 9:06 AM

"your responsibility for the past three hundred years of injustices"

No one is responsible for something they did not do. As an immigrant I am continually amazed by the nonsense spouted out in this country. Its holding things back.

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 9:18 AM

I think the people are not really racist that post on here they are just scared that this area will become better than theirs.

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 10:25 AM

It seems like Bedford Stuyvesant and Park Slope always get high post messages. Are those the areas that most people are really interested in "learning about"?

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 10:28 AM

It would be really nice to see what becomes of this area in 10 years. I can only see a positive outcome.

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 10:32 AM

10:28 I really think the average upper middle class new yorker who wants a brownstone will look at buying here in Bedford Stuyvesant or Crown Heights. This area really is Park Slope 1990

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 10:38 AM

I (an African American) often agree with the earlier poster who said that (some of) the current residents have held the neighborhood back.

There has been a complex socioeconomic mix in Bed Stuy that has allowed some sections to maintain high quality housing stock (e.g., MacDonough between Lewis and Stuyvesant) and other neighborhoods to suffer tremendously (pick any block on Malcolm X). I think it's far more culture driven than class driven. There are folks who care about the neighborhood and have worked tirelessly for years on house tours and other activities to promote the are. There are folks who have little money and figured out that it doesn't cost money to sweep in front of your house (or apartment). Then you have people who throw garbage in the street with trash cans within two feet. I want the last group OUT of the neighborhood. I don't really care that they have been there forever.

The ironic part is that I would not have found my home for the price I did, if these same people weren't there. I'll finally admit that. (It took me a while to work through my newcomer entitlement.)

This is not about money or race - you simply have to care about where you live. Bed Stuy belongs to the people who care about it. Personally, if I could pick up he neighborhood and shake certain people out, I would in a heartbeat. I don't call it hating on my "folks". I call it protecting my investment.

I earnestly hope more people see the opportunity to own in a beautiful commnunity and continue to help shape it into something greater. Black, White, Cablanasian, gay, straight...whatever. Just care about the community when you get here.

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 11:17 AM

AMEN 11:17 you have been reading my diary ;o)

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 12:08 PM

You summed it all up 11:17... I hope this will shut up the negative people...

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 12:12 PM

WOW that is a good price even for Bedford Stuyvesant

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 12:20 PM

11:17 wins the good neighbor, good poster, model community member award. Excellent job.

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 12:25 PM

I heard the house in contract - as of today!

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 3:24 PM

I heard the house in contract - as of today!

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 4:10 PM

I love you 11:17. What a wonderful post. Thank you for taking the time to write it and share it.

I love Bed-Stuy (I mean Bedford Stuyvesant, 7:07!)

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 6:11 PM

Do the Right Thing was filmed on Stuyvesant Ave. and Lexington. there's still a fading wall mural of Mike Tyson on a corner building nearby. Spike also filmed Crooklyn somewhere in Bedford Stuyvesant, don't know exactly which street though.

Posted by: guest at June 13, 2008 10:26 PM

all u people saying its a steal,try to walk though that area at 3AM.stupid yuppies.

Posted by: guest at June 16, 2008 12:03 PM

You tell 'em, Dave.

Some of these people are spouting ignorance.

Um...yes, we have the NYT, and, hold on to your seats, kiddies, the WSJ is available at the corner bodega too. The corner bodega also has plain and vanilla flavored soy milk. If there is something that you want that they don't stock, you can suggest it and there is a chance that it will hit the shelves. And, my garbage is collected 3x a week, thank you very much.

As for the cafes...there are quite a few in the neighborhood, including a new coffee shop opening up within the next couple of weeks.

Look --it ain't Park Slope and there are certain improvements that we all would like to see, but those of us who have chosen to live here appreciate it with all of its warts.

So, I will enjoy my 2,800 sq ft, backyard and pocket change for vacations and other things.

Posted by: guest at June 16, 2008 2:35 PM