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August 5, 2008

House of the Day: 85 State Street

85-State-Street-0808.jpg
85-State-Interior-0808.jpgThe first and only time we've discussed 85 State Street was back in March 2005 when the five-story brick townhouse was listed as an Open House Pick with an asking price of $2,500,000. That turned out to be a very good price for the dude who bought it; six months later he flipped it for $3,200,000 to a developer who proceeded to do a modern gut renovation of the place. Although we have no reason to doubt the quality of the work in the house, the aesthetic result just doesn't do it for us. For $5,500,000 (the asking price), we'd want a little more character. If we wanted to spend that kind of dough on something modern, we'd probably opt for something more like this. Apparently, we're not the only ones: The single-family house has been on the market now on-and-off for more than a year, starting at $5,800,000 with Corcoran, moving to $5,950,000 with Douglas Elliman, before moving to Halstead last November where it's gradually edged its way down to the current asking price of $5,500,000.
85 State Street [Halstead] GMAP P*Shark
Open House Picks 3/11/05 [Brownstoner]




Posted by Brownstoner at 1:13 PM | Comments (63)
Categories: Brooklyn Heights, HOTD

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Comments

looks like Halstead got embarassed and removed it.

Posted by: dittoburg at August 5, 2008 1:17 PM

Check out the Open House Picks 3/11/05 Link.

I thought there was alot of rubbish being said now!

Posted by: bayridgegirl at August 5, 2008 1:22 PM

Did the link to the archive bring up the thread with only spam ads posted?

Posted by: bxgrl at August 5, 2008 1:26 PM

here's a link to the google-cache version of the listing:

http://74.125.45.104/search?q=cache:Ju9hM3Olm4YJ:www.halstead.com/detail.aspx%3Fid%3D1232180+85+state+street+halstead&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

Posted by: z at August 5, 2008 1:28 PM

Here is the cached link

http://tinyurl.com/6m4lpc

Posted by: CobbleHilller at August 5, 2008 1:28 PM

yes, bxgrl...spam ads.

The 'photos' look like they are computer generated images...either that or they hired a really bad photographer.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at August 5, 2008 1:36 PM

yeah bayridgegirl...and I could have bought a 1939 540K Mercedes in the 60s for $7,000. "Coulda, woulda, shoulda"

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 1:38 PM

Dave...your post should be in the 'Yogurt' thread. It would make more sense there, I think?!?

Posted by: bayridgegirl at August 5, 2008 1:44 PM

Bayridgegirl...i thought you were bemoaning the low prices in 2005 compared to now. I was being kind in not pointing out the grammatical mistakes in the second sentence. Therefore, I wasn't sure what you meant. LOL

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 1:47 PM

thanks for the cached link. I see the developer was big on recessed lighting.

Posted by: dittoburg at August 5, 2008 1:47 PM

Even though bayridgegirl was referring to the insane banter in the Brownstoner archive link that makes us all seem like members of the Oxford Debating Team, I'll bemoan the price change. From $2.5MM in March 2005 to $5.95MM in November 2007? I realize there was a gut reno, but Mamma mia! I think this will go for under $5MM. I really see nothing overly special about the place.

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 1:50 PM

and CobbleHilller loses by a fraction of a second...

i usually like modern interiors. but something about the cabinetry gives this a feel that is more office than home. or is it...the recessed lighting?!? or the staging? in any case, it's a little cold.

extra points, though, to the creativity of the shelving unit(and maybe a glass wall?) to replace part of the (load-bearing?) wall. maybe has ductwork or plumbing, too? anyway, not sure i personally like the look but it's nice to see something different.

Posted by: i disagree at August 5, 2008 1:52 PM

If it stays on the market another year, they may have to end up converting it back to a boarding house.
The asking price is unrealistically optimistic, more so every day.

Posted by: sam at August 5, 2008 1:54 PM

uh oh- biff won't like the recessed lighting. too cold and minimalist for me but someone will love it. I really disliked the way they set up the parlor living room with the massive divider. claustrophobic and too dark for me and I would feel too guilty if I wanted to paint the built ins because they beautiful.

Posted by: bxgrl at August 5, 2008 1:54 PM

I wasn't referring to the prices, but all the spam. Am I the only one that saw that?
Okay, let's talk about the price. Double in 3 years? is that justified? Either it was way underpriced in 2005 or way overpriced in 2008.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at August 5, 2008 1:57 PM

bxgrl, I'm not the recessed lighting snob. But I really do think there needs to be some life or character added to this. Not that it needs to be Dyker Heights "Mansion"-ized, but just something is missing...

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 1:58 PM

the developer paid $3.2m, and the renovation probably cost at least $1mm. so $5m wouldn't be an outrageous price if it's really a "triple mint" renovation. $6m was indeed a stretch, though.

Posted by: z at August 5, 2008 2:08 PM

bayridgegirl, I got it and agree with you 100% on the spam, the price and the photos (not to mention your confusion over Dave's comment re: the 1939 540K Mercedes).

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 2:08 PM

I just watched the video and although I am a miminalist. I don't love the design of the house. I don't think it achieves what they intended.
- The stair railing should have been metal. The thick wood slats are too wide.
- Choose of cabinet hardware. Wire Pulls?? Come one.
- Slatted wood door? Why? Why? Why? It screams laundry room in Dyker Heights.
- Staged very badly. Although I like a mix of traditional and contemporary. This is not done right. I usually like seeing traditional details with cont. furntiure, not the other way around.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at August 5, 2008 2:11 PM

z, that was my point too. I still don't think the renos justify a jump to $6MM, which is why I see it getting $5MM, tops.

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 2:14 PM

Terrible taste ! That's the problem. Poor guy, he would have use another architect or interior designer with some taste, it would have sold already !

Posted by: brownie77 at August 5, 2008 2:15 PM

I think people talked about buying a reno as opposed to a place you would reno yourself to suit you. the design in this house really targets a particular taste. I disagree nailed it when he said it feels more like an office. I just don't see a family with kids in this place. And the built ins to one side of the fireplace really bothers me and feels off balance.

but biff- just think what this place would look like with a little help from the decorator of the Dyker Heights place. You wanted character?

Posted by: bxgrl at August 5, 2008 2:16 PM

bayridgegirl...of cours it was underpriced in 2005. Everything was compared to late 2006 and early 2007. Sorry, couldn't resist. 20/20 hindsight is great.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 2:16 PM

talk about grammer....my last post. WOOF.

It makes me sound like I don't know what I'm talking about :)

-Choice of cabinet hardware. Wire Pulls. Come on! - Meaning that wire pulls are so played out. They've had there day. There are so many more intersting cabinet hardware to choose from.

Renoavtion like this - 1m - 1.5m
Wonder what kind of details they got rid of?

Posted by: bayridgegirl at August 5, 2008 2:19 PM

Actually, it was even more underpriced in 1915.

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 2:21 PM

In one of the upstairs rooms is some sort of stepped built in that goes along the floor. It doesn't look high enough to be a window seat or storage but I can't tell clearly from the video- is it a radiator cover? Seems like it renders that wall unusable.

Posted by: bxgrl at August 5, 2008 2:22 PM

Bxgrl...looks like it's it's covering the HVAC. Grilles...YUCK! If it's forced air. I would have run full length hidden slots. You would never see them.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at August 5, 2008 2:29 PM

bxgrl...yes, weird. I assume it houses HVAC ducts

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 2:30 PM

I wonder if the mirror above the fireplace tilts down. It would be an added bonus while doing the hoochie koochie in front of the fire. If this renovation really was in the $1MM to $1.5MM range, I would expect a TOTO in each bathroom.

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 2:30 PM

Are there any other renovated houses in the Heights for sale less that $1000 per sq ft? I don't see any.

Posted by: Petebklyn at August 5, 2008 2:34 PM

As we all know Biff, a spec rehab typically skimps on the high end stuff like the toilets.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 2:34 PM

Biff- haven't you been collecting tarts? Perfect house for you with the mirror:-) (TOTO is presently dead in Kansas.)

Posted by: bxgrl at August 5, 2008 2:35 PM

Biff, you are not in Kansas any more, you have to learn to let go of Toto.
But seriously, don't you think the exterior masonry sucks as well? This whole thing looks very un-polished, not really up to par.


Posted by: sam at August 5, 2008 2:38 PM

Sam, why do you think the exterior masonry sucks?

Posted by: dittoburg at August 5, 2008 2:41 PM

sam , I agree re: the exterior masonry. For that price, it should have been touched up - although, frankly, I'm not familiar with what can be done to spruce it up without replacing the whole facade. Does anyone have ideas?

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 2:43 PM

A layer of dryvit perhaps? Or maybe a porcelain glaze like TOTO uses.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 2:48 PM

Look at the 2005 photo. The house has no stoop. All that "browntone" work, the stoop the door, etc. is new, and it is not done very well.
It looks clumsy, has wavy lines, just not the best work. It will take at least 20,000 to cut back to the scratch coat and have it redone right.

Posted by: sam at August 5, 2008 2:56 PM

the only thing left of a beautiful old house is that facade. I love that it's not perfect and it wears its history. One of the reason I love antiques. Besides which if the house is in a landmark district (and I don't know if it is), other than keeping it in good repair, I don't know how much they would be allowed to do, even to spruce up. LPC goes case by case and I'm sure quite a few homeowners here have had experience with its vagaries.

Posted by: bxgrl at August 5, 2008 2:57 PM

sam- where did you find the photo? the only ones I saw are this and the other tiny thumbnail. I can't tell anything really from these.

Posted by: bxgrl at August 5, 2008 3:00 PM

Sorry bxgirl, much of what you see is new work. The house had no stoop or parlor floor entrance prior to 2005.
And yes, this house is in Brooklyn Heights historic district.


Posted by: sam at August 5, 2008 3:02 PM

thanks sam- I can't see detail that well on this photo and never saw the original you have. I get a page error when I try to click on the old links

Posted by: bxgrl at August 5, 2008 3:08 PM

click on the "open house picks 05"
clearly shows the house in its before state.
The ironwork is not bad, I will give them that.
But this sort of thing is done all the time in Brooklyn,
and my point is that it is usually done better, this brownstoning job looks a little clumsy to me.

Posted by: sam at August 5, 2008 3:09 PM

Sam is correct on the new facade design but I too do not see a photo where the quality of the "brownstone coat" is called into question. Would I have done it a bit darker, yes. But that could be the light of the photo.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 5, 2008 3:10 PM

hi CobbleHilller, this is cobblehiller here. I want my name for myself. can't you go be CobbleHilller2? or something? and why the extra L? harumph! grumble grumble grouse grumble mutter mutter grouse grumble


Posted by: cobblehiller at August 5, 2008 3:25 PM

If we are looking at the same thumbnail, I wish I could see the building to the left of 85 because it looks like they were built at the same time and 85 has work done on the cornice at one point, but I can't see the entrance on the other building.

would landmarks have allowed them to add the stoop if there wasn't originally one there? The old photo looks to me like they restored the stoop. We have several houses like that on my block but the removal was so badly done you can see where they added in the brick to bring down the height of the original doorway to match the window.

That said, you've got sharper eyes than I have, sam. But something looks off on the doorway in relationship to the stoop. Look slightly off kilter to anyone else?

Posted by: bxgrl at August 5, 2008 3:31 PM

I have seen the house. First it has no yard to speak of. rear of house is dark. totally wrong renovations. built-ins don't work. generally it just has a bad feel to it.

Posted by: BklynHouseLover at August 5, 2008 3:31 PM

bxgrl, i had the same reaction. my guess is that some photoshopping was done on the stoop photo (maybe to give it more of a "wide angle" look?) that resulted in wavy lines to the left of the door. the bends look similar on both the seam between the brick facades and on the brownstone surrounding the door, which seems unlikely to be the case in reality.

Posted by: z at August 5, 2008 3:44 PM

Let's all breathe a collective sigh of relief that a yoghurt thread is no longer the leader in number of posts today.

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 3:45 PM

> But something looks off on the doorway in relationship to the stoop.

The doorway looks gargantuan and out of proportion to the rest of the house. It adds a certain grandiose and McMansionesque quality to the facade.

Posted by: SnarkSlope at August 5, 2008 3:53 PM

Actually Biff, you have hit upon it. The texture of the browstone is reminiscent of mocha cream frozen yogurt.
But come on you guys, the proportions are OK, the overall deign is fine, it is just the workmanship of the stucco that is a little off.
This is the least of this house's problems.

Posted by: sam at August 5, 2008 4:27 PM

z- I think you're right. I blew up the photo and it seems to be a picture of 2 rowhouses with the original stoops, so the perspective of the houses and the stoops looks correct but then they photoshopped the door from somplace else since that perspective is different and the door looks like it's leaning over. And the near side of the doorway is fuzzy, with less detail. sorry- I do this stuff for work and may I say I love photoshop?

In the 2005 photo, the new doorway actually looks a copy of the one from the house next door. Maybe the photo just makes it look out of proportion because you don't see it with the full height of the building?

Posted by: bxgrl at August 5, 2008 4:29 PM

Hey Biff, come to think of it, when is Bed Stuy getting our damned yoghurt shop? Oops, sorry, wrong thread.

Posted by: MacD at August 5, 2008 4:31 PM

MacD, very valid question. A quick Googling shows 5 ice cream / yogurt shops within the BedStuy boundaries.

http://www.yelp.com/search?find_loc=Brooklyn%2FBedford+Stuyvesant%2C+New+York%2C+NY&cflt=icecream

Of course, because they are all around the periphery, this is bound to lead to a continuation of the great BedStuy / Bedford Corners / Stuy Heights border debate for those suffering from Neighborhood Hypersensitivity Syndrome (NHS).

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 5, 2008 4:41 PM

I'm suffering from DFAIMNS (desperate for amenities in my neighborhood syndrome), not to be confused with INSULTS, (Inner Neighborhoods Seeking Upscale Life Trials) which promotes the development of yoghurt shop wars and healthy Thai vs Vietnamese Restaurant competition.

Posted by: bxgrl at August 5, 2008 5:03 PM

Hi guys! Love the chatter.

We saw this house about 8 or 9 months ago. It felt about a million overpriced to us, as we whispered it to each other upon leaving.

The house is okay, but we felt kind of sorry for the developer. Some bad choices were made and it just didn't feel right. Plus the garden felt like a walk-in closet sized prison yard. The stair railing was terrible, and the rooms were all white, boxy and totally devoid of character. The master bath was black, if I remember correctly. I think the upstairs step that Bxgrl referred to served as both a bench and a step up to the deck. Which was nice.

Can't remember much else

Posted by: Nokilissa at August 5, 2008 8:23 PM

Nokilissa - I think you'll be able to do better than this place. We'll keep our eyes open and let you know if something pops up. I know, I know, it has to be no more than a certain price point, and at that level, it has to be perfect. Done. Needs no work. Check.

Posted by: MacD at August 5, 2008 10:40 PM

I would just add that its not a real comparison to Richard Meir. That building sucks. The views are amazing but the ceilings are sooo low. I was not at all impressed with the layouts or the fixtures/workmanship. Talk about overpriced.

Posted by: mrswynn at August 6, 2008 12:00 AM

3 different listings companies in just over a year? There's no magical fix for this market...

Posted by: KHuebbe at August 6, 2008 9:51 AM

Hey Noki - If you're still reading this thread, take a look at this place and let me know your thoughts. It's within your parameters. Again, I'm only doing this for fun, but if you do buy the place, a nice dinner would be acceptable remuneration:

http://www.bhsbrooklyn.com/detail.asp?id=929752&a=EHH

Posted by: MacD at August 6, 2008 12:05 PM

MacD,

You're so cute. I'll check it out!

Posted by: Nokilissa at August 6, 2008 12:58 PM

Ok, what am I doing back here? I'm going to get accused of hiding out in old threads again. Anyway, Nokilissa, the place MacD referenced was a House of the Day very recently, so you can check out the comments on it. We made fun of the blue paint in the kitchen, but overall, the place looks like a very good deal.

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 6, 2008 2:15 PM

Hey Biff! Did you get my "dunk tank" email?

Yes, I recognized the salmon pink kitchen instantly!

The search marches onward.

Posted by: Nokilissa at August 6, 2008 3:17 PM

Noki, you're amazing. I'll check tonight, although I'm likely going out first so I'll apologize in advance for any incoherent email you may receive back!

Posted by: Biff Champion at August 6, 2008 4:45 PM

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