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December 23, 2008

House of the Day: 638 2nd Street

There aren't a lot of new listings hitting the market right now, but one worthing taking note of is 638 2nd Street in Park Slope. The two-family brownstone appears to have been recently renovated (or at least the kitchens have been). The 4,400-square-foot house is asking $2,800,000. Given that it's on a park block, do you think that's achievable?
638 2nd Street [Brown Harris Stevens] GMAP P*Shark
House of the Day: 53 South Elliott Place [Brownstoner]

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yes.
it's gorgeous and in a gorgeous location.

Posted by: sam at December 23, 2008 1:42 PM

Great location. But I can’t stand looking at that beautiful ceiling in the blah kitchen……The ceiling deserves better.

Posted by: PHfamily at December 23, 2008 1:52 PM

This is really beautiful, and though sight unseen, I think it is reasonable to expect they can get this. May even go a touch over if there is a lot of interest. The parlor floor is virtually perfect, though I can't remember if there is a half bath or not...

Posted by: Nokilissa at December 23, 2008 2:01 PM

Yeah, I smell a bidding war.

Oh nope, never mind, I just stepped in something, ewwww!

Posted by: SnarkSlope at December 23, 2008 2:26 PM

Intereting. It has some great features, but it is just an 18 footer. I never understand how anyone could spend a lot to get an 11 foot wide living room! And while the kitchen ceiling is amazing, it is a bit strange to have the best feature in the kitchen. But nonetheless, nice house is a great location.

Posted by: shillstoner at December 23, 2008 2:27 PM

that kitchen.....why, oh why?!?!?!
It hurts looking at it.

Noki....Yes, there's a powder room on the parlor floor, behind the kitchen. I would've prefered it before the kitchen next to the dining room, so quests don't go past a potentially messy kitchen.
Noki, if this is in your price range, please get it, so I can re-do that very poorly laid out master bath on the third floor.
Heck, the entire third floor needs re-working.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at December 23, 2008 2:29 PM

This house looks so uninspiring. And that looks like drywall covering up the beautiful ceiling in the room converted to a kitchen. Photos are horrible, too.

Posted by: nyc87 at December 23, 2008 2:33 PM

Oh okay. You got it BRG ;)

It has to have terrific bubble party prospects.

I do like this one, and think it has tremendous potential, but we're really looking for north slope or "prime" Ft Greene. Close to the Q.

I'll have to go see this one actually. It really does have the kind of floor plan we're always looking for, with the exception of its width. But it has more length.

(Did this just go x-rated?)

Posted by: Nokilissa at December 23, 2008 2:37 PM

Yes PHFamily...that ceiling deserves better.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at December 23, 2008 2:38 PM

Oh yes, BRG, the bathroom needs his and her siphon jets and, if I remember correctly, a firepit for the pig roasting. At the very least.

Posted by: mopar at December 23, 2008 2:44 PM

i love the ceiling - hate the kitchen. don't know about the prices over there but overall it's a beautiful building.

Posted by: bkny at December 23, 2008 2:45 PM

I hope it gets something close.

Posted by: FatLenny at December 23, 2008 2:59 PM

Best location in Park Slope.

Lousy photos, and the renovations look like late 80s-early 90s. I don't mind the 18' interior width all that much; I know pocket doors are sacred but I think I'd open up the living area to the foyer.

The garden floor apartment looks like you could get at least 3.5k, possibly more in rent. So while that may not go very far to making your monthly mortgage payment, it's a nice income stream that will pay your property taxes and a good chunk of the utilities.

Think they would have asked around 3.2 mil a year ago, so there's already a 10% trim. I'd guess this goes for 2.6 if not close to ask; the kitchen might turn off some people and something tells me the addition isn't the most aesthetically pleasing.

Posted by: Bolder at December 23, 2008 3:02 PM

Dec. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Single-family home sales in California rose 83 percent in November and the median price fell below $300,000 for the first time since 2002 as buyers purchased discounted properties in foreclosure, the California Association of Realtors said.
The number of existing single-family detached homes sold in the most populous U.S. state last month increased to 514,710 on an annualized basis, from 280,920 a year earlier, the Los Angeles- based association said today in a statement. The median home price dropped 42 percent to $285,680 from $490,511 a year earlier.

That's what usually happens in a cycle!!!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at December 23, 2008 3:09 PM

Best location in Park Slope, Bolder, really? I'd give that to Montgomery Place or many of the name streets--once you're in the numbers you're too far south.

Posted by: shillstoner at December 23, 2008 3:10 PM

And I'd get rid of the wall between the hall and the living room too--a 30 by 11 foot room is pointless. Unless of course it is a master bathroom with a lap pool.

Posted by: shillstoner at December 23, 2008 3:12 PM

I don't know if this will go for $2.8 million (it has potential, and undeniably a great location), but I don't understand why anyone would buy right now. Every indicator is that it will pay to wait it out until sellers are pressed hard to really drop prices, or come through with significant incentives. It will be interesting to track this one and see when it moves.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aQ7HBEgYCzUE&refer=home

http://ny.therealdeal.com/articles/letter-to-santa-claus-please-help-me-sell-my-condo-units

Posted by: HellsBelles at December 23, 2008 3:13 PM

"Unless of course it is a master bathroom with a lap pool."

hhhhmmmm

I'd put the lap pool in the cellar.
Underpinning, anyone?

Posted by: bayridgegirl at December 23, 2008 3:16 PM

"And I'd get rid of the wall between the hall and the living room too"

cue Sam:

Waddaya mean you punk???

Seriously, I could see from looking at the floorplans, why you may be tempted to remove this wall (in most houses this is a wall, not a partition, if you remove it you have to put in a beam to carry the 2nd floor joists). But actually, once you are in a house like this, with the double doors open to the hallway, you get a great spatial flow between the hall and parlor. It actually feels more spacious, and more interesting, with the wall in place. It would be a mistake to remove it. The parlor is absolutely beautiful as it is and its long shape was meant to play off the squarish shape of the dining room.

What can I tell you? I love these old houses.

Posted by: sam at December 23, 2008 3:59 PM

Shillstoner: Seriously, if you're going to make such statements, you have to at least give a reason or two. What... Montgomery Place is closer to Mr. Wonton or the Bank or maybe even closer to all the traffic honking on Union Street?

Posted by: SJ at December 23, 2008 4:04 PM

sam, that's conventional wisdom. But if you note in the dining rooms and the library, there is no longitudinal bearing wall, so all joists most probably can bear the load across their full 18' width (ie, it's unlikely that there are beefier or closer joists in those areas than where the partition is.) And most brownstones are like this.

An architect who looked at our house (17') concurred.

Posted by: cmu at December 23, 2008 4:52 PM

Wow! Such interest in Bubble Bath Parties. We could form a company, and create a space we could rent out...I just don't know if this is the right time, financially speaking, to start a company that appeals to the frivolous...

I think this house is okay but, frankly, is a little high considering it is not that wonderful. It needs some rethinking. But what do I know. Maybe it will sell at the price they're asking.

Nokilissa, I can't imagine you'd spend this kind of money or you would have bought the house in Cumberland in a heartbeat.

Posted by: BrooklynGreene at December 23, 2008 5:13 PM

What exactly is wrong with the kitchen? What would you do differently?

Posted by: Park Sloper at December 23, 2008 5:28 PM

The kitchen needs a large bathtub designed by Ph. Stark for icing champagne, bubble bath parties, punch or floating candles...preferably his and hers tubs like on the Cialis commercial. Hahahaha!!!!

Sorry...just getting into some holiday spirit(s)...

Posted by: BrooklynGreene at December 23, 2008 5:38 PM

Sorry, stopped reading.

Knocking down walls: I've seen it done with and without a beam. Personally I prefer keeping the top of the ceiling (with the moldings) and cutting below that. I have been in homes just like this and the proportions are all wrong. You can barely get a couch in (note that the one in the photo is against the wall, which is totally unacceptable). The parlor is too skinny and the ceiling is too high and it feels wrong, wrong, wrong. The extra 2 feet in a standard Brownstone makes a big differnece.

Best location: Center Slope ends at Garfield. And proximity to the subways on Flatbush rules. Also I totally love Montgomery.

Posted by: shillstoner at December 23, 2008 5:43 PM

I prefer the low number streets...only b/c they seen a bit quieter to me (admittedly, I don't live there), but, really, it's all nice in the center/north slope.

As for opening up the living area: the lr is only 11' wide, spatial flow or not. A couch and small coffee table will take up at least half of that. You might have to add a header, but it might be cool to use a simple column or two as supports.

Posted by: Bolder at December 23, 2008 6:05 PM

If you only knew Brooklyngreene. I was on the edge of throwing in an offer on the house on Cumberland. Had pictures, design plans in my head and so on. Hubby just wasn't feeling it. Can't get behind a house that one of you just can't feel. I still shake my head and sigh. I LOVED that house. Especially when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom off of the front porch. Sigh again.

Posted by: Nokilissa at December 23, 2008 10:27 PM

On what planet is it a positive thing to state that the garden level was once a doctor's office? Especially in a listing description?

Posted by: bk14 at December 23, 2008 11:21 PM

Eh, I agree with Sam that walls make a place look bigger and with Shillstoner that you can't fit a couch in there with the walls....hence, don't buy anything less than 20 feet wide even if you have to move to Michegan.

Posted by: mopar at December 23, 2008 11:52 PM

For some reason it feels like a rental to me. Maybe it's the wood color or the inexpensive renovations. I don't care for it.

Those blocks are beautiful though.

Posted by: superstooper at December 27, 2008 3:06 PM

Great house, pocket doors in living room has leaded glass and there is a one of a kind pocket door in the dining room, which has a stain glass center that is fabulous. I think there is an Open House this Sunday. Definitely worth seeing, a friend of mine is seriously thinking about this house.

Posted by: getsmart at January 28, 2009 4:25 PM

Posted by: getsmart at January 28, 2009 4:30 PM

« Condo of the Day: One Hanson Place Streetlevel: New Restaurant for Prospect Heights? »

December 23, 2008

House of the Day: 638 2nd Street

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