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February 5, 2009

Stribling Closes at 1BBP, Optimistic About Spring

one-brooklyn-bridge-park-020509.jpg
It hasn't been an easy few months at One Brooklyn Bridge Park (a Brownstoner advertiser), what with the slow sales market and question marks surrounding the future of the park itself, but the 449-unit loft conversion on the Brooklyn Heights waterfront got a little psychological and symbolic boost yesterday with the news that Elizabeth Stribling, whose eponymous firm is the exclusive agent on the property, closed on her highly-publicized deal to buy two adjacent penthouse apartments for a record-setting $6,600,000. In addition to views of lower Manhattan, the pad has 3,442 square feet of indoor space and 1,900 square feet of outdoor space. Stribling used the occasion to put some positive spin on where we are in the sales cycle: "An uptick in activity is noticeable all over, and certainly at open houses. Prices have come down, and buyers smell opportunity in the air," she told The Real Deal. Developer Robert Levine is helping the process along by picking up closing costs and helping buyers with financing, though listing price reductions have been few and far between.
Stribling closes at One Brooklyn Bridge Park [The Real Deal]
Tough Times at One Brooklyn Bridge Park [Brownstoner]
What's New at OBBP [Brownstoner]




Posted by Brownstoner at 9:14 AM | Comments (38)
Categories: Brooklyn Heights, Condos

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Comments

She needs to be an optimist after having paid about 1.2 million too much.

Posted by: dittoburg at February 5, 2009 9:18 AM

I think this price is nuts, but I must confess I've heard talk of a lot more people buying and selling recently than in the last few months. These are people pregnant and needing more bedrooms, or moving from co-op to brownstone, or switching to a better public school, etc. You know, people just generally getting on with life. I think prices have come down a bit and people are starting to bite.

Posted by: Ringo at February 5, 2009 9:26 AM

Look for Elizabeth at the top of the next Brownstoner edition of "Last Week's Biggest Sales".

Posted by: Biff Champion at February 5, 2009 9:28 AM

quote:
Prices have come down, and buyers smell opportunity in the air,

um no. those are just lizzie stribling's varts.

*r*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at February 5, 2009 9:31 AM

Hopefully Lizzie won't mind smelling the exhaust fumes from the BQE for the rest of her life.

Posted by: Biff Champion at February 5, 2009 9:33 AM

Good for her!
I can imagine how spectacular that unit must be.
I'm glad at least some people have the cojones to
move forward and get on with life amidst all
this doom and gloom.
Biff, you should go to an open house at 1BBP if you haven't done so yet. The units are really nice, I was very impressed.

Posted by: sam at February 5, 2009 9:48 AM

sam, I'm not looking and I don't like the location (I know you and I disagree on that) so there's not really a point in looking. Having said that, I've been tempted to jump on the 1BBP Shuttle once or twice as it whizzed by me on the weekend.

Posted by: Biff Champion at February 5, 2009 9:51 AM

sam...is that you???? Is that the sam with the vehemntly large carbon footprint???? LOL

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 5, 2009 9:57 AM

quote:
I'm glad at least some people have the cojones to
move forward and get on with life amidst all
this doom and gloom.

uh, and some people also have the cojones to have unprotected sex with hookers. doesn't exactly make their decision wise.

*r*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at February 5, 2009 10:00 AM

You know what they say, large carbon footprint...

Posted by: sam at February 5, 2009 10:01 AM

you mean the cojones not to walk away from a deposit big enough to buy a house?

Posted by: dittoburg at February 5, 2009 10:02 AM

"you mean the cojones not to walk away from a deposit big enough to buy a house?"

practically everyone in America owns or lives in a house. But a 6-million dollar penthouse overlooking NY harbor -now that is something pretty special.

I like Elizabeth Stribling, I can understand the snipping at her, she is a grande dame of the old school. But she still has more cojones than most of the wimp posters on this site who are afraid to breathe lest they ruin the planet and who espouse that our society go backwards rather forwards.

Posted by: sam at February 5, 2009 10:19 AM

Real estate is an excellent inmvestment over the long term. And, like other collectibles such as art, coins, and automobiles, the highest quality pieces do the best over the long term.

Team Bear, care to comment on this specific issue?

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 5, 2009 10:24 AM

Yes, she most be brave having so much money. And good and beautful no doubt.

Posted by: dittoburg at February 5, 2009 10:29 AM

> "Real estate is an excellent investment over the long term"

Agreed. But that doesn't make it smart to buy at the top when the gaping maw of depreciation lies in front of you.

Posted by: SnarkSlope at February 5, 2009 10:33 AM

someone who lives on columbia heights is breathing the same air as in this place, yet no one would ever make a comment about the "fumes" for one of those houses.

i think the issue about proximity to the bqe is way overblown.

Posted by: Danny Noonan at February 5, 2009 10:35 AM

Truth is, she couldn't back out of this even if she wanted to. It would be disastrous PR for a real estate firm to have it's leader do something like that, especially in the face of a potentially significant downturn. How could she admit she made a poor real estate investment decision and still maintain credibility? She has no choice but to put the most favorable spin on things.

Posted by: Biff Champion at February 5, 2009 10:38 AM

Danny, I agree in general regarding the fumes and was making a joke. However, if you aren't one blessed with one of the good views, you will be staring out onto the BQE. I think those units have awful views and I think the fumes and noise will be worse than for the people living on Columbia Heights.

Posted by: Biff Champion at February 5, 2009 10:42 AM

"Her 3,442-square-foot unit has 1,900 square feet of outdoor space..."

That outdoor space is twice the size of the average 20 X 40 brownstone yard!!!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 5, 2009 10:44 AM

Exactly Biff, walking away from this deal when her eponymous brokerage is exclusive broker - now that would be cojones.

Posted by: dittoburg at February 5, 2009 10:45 AM

> Truth is, she couldn't back out of this even if she wanted to."

Bingo, Biff, bingo.

Posted by: SnarkSlope at February 5, 2009 10:46 AM

'Bingo, Biff, bingo.'

Bingo is the friday night social activity in Brooklyn Heights. Biff is a regular.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at February 5, 2009 10:50 AM

B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, And Bingo is his name Oh.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 5, 2009 10:57 AM

B-I-F-F-O, B-I-F-F-O, and Biffo is his name Oh.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at February 5, 2009 11:11 AM

L-A-M-E-O and BRG is her name. Please add to the discussion or go to the Open Thread. Seriously.

Posted by: Biff Champion at February 5, 2009 11:15 AM

All well-deserved cynicism aside, the harbor views from this place are fantatsic. If I was buying here I'd be purchasing a good telescope at the same time.

Posted by: dittoburg at February 5, 2009 11:17 AM

I must be a putz, because I don't even know how to get to this building or down to that street.
I go to the Heights often, I have a close friend on Atlantic, and walk around. I never make it down from 'the heights'. What streets will take me there? I accidentally drove on that street and I don't know how I got there, I took a wrong turn I guess.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at February 5, 2009 11:20 AM

if you're trying to avoid a back up on the BQE in your Cutlass going to Bay Fridge take the DUMBO exit, turn right on Old Fulton past the pizza place with the undesreved line, left at the ice-cream factory with the desvred line, and shoot at high speed along Furman. You'll soon crash into it.

Posted by: dittoburg at February 5, 2009 11:29 AM

Just go down Joramelon St and you're there (walking or driving).

Posted by: Petebklyn at February 5, 2009 11:38 AM

ditto...I've got a '68 Olds 442...will that work???

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 5, 2009 11:43 AM

If you floor the gas-pedal when taking the sharp left from Old Fulton onto Furman - yes, it'll work great.

Posted by: dittoburg at February 5, 2009 11:56 AM

Biff, I've been quite tempted to jump on that shuttle too! They can't have IDs or a secret password or anything, right?

Posted by: alsawo at February 5, 2009 12:20 PM

So, this building is in a two-fare zone?

Posted by: bayridgegirl at February 5, 2009 12:22 PM

alsawo, I'm not sure; I've been too scared to find out, thinking it might end up like one of those timeshare deals where they offer you a submarine ride, $100 of casino chips, and tasteless hors d'oeuvres to sit through a suicidal-inducing four hour presentation from which escape is futile as there is nothing or nobody within half a mile of the building to hear one's screams.

Posted by: Biff Champion at February 5, 2009 12:37 PM

I hear that on certain days, Elizabeth herself drives the shuttle. She's not a real stickler about one way streets, so be warned!

Posted by: sam at February 5, 2009 2:09 PM

You know I actually went to an open house at 1BPP in the fall and I think that the views from the Brooklyn side (at least from the fairly high-floor apartment that they were showing) were really cool. I was truly surprised how much I liked it and though I'm certainly going to get heat for this comment, it sorta reminded me of a high office in Paris that looked over all the rooftops.

Posted by: cetus at February 5, 2009 3:39 PM

cetus, I agree with you. the land views were really nice. You can see the rooftops and church steeples of Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill spreading out and in the distance the Williamsburg clock tower. They were really nice open views. The BQE was invisible and unhearable in the units I saw. The triple glazing and hvac makes the place completely silent. I think the air one breathes in a building with central filtered air is far cleaner than in a brownstone on any busy Brooklyn Street. I was told that no dust settles on any surface because of the air filters and the tight windows. Dust is such a nuisance in Brooklyn. at least where I live in Park Slope.

Posted by: sam at February 5, 2009 4:10 PM

I drove a 70 Olds 442 in high school, like a jet. Could have used wing flaps to slow it down.

Posted by: DeLepp at February 5, 2009 4:30 PM

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