« Open House Picks: Six Months Later Streetlevel: Thai Food for Flatbush »

October 16, 2009

Open House Picks

house Park Slope
44 Prospect Place
Brown Harris Stevens
Sunday 2-3:30
$1,995,000
GMAP P*Shark

house Park Slope
318 1st Street
FSBO
Sunday 12-2
$1,795,001 (was $2,300,000)
GMAP P*Shark

house Windsor Terrace
1692 11th Avenue
Warren Lewis
Sunday 12-2
$1,295,000
GMAP P*Shark

house Red Hook
116 Pioneer Street
Corcoran
Sunday 2:30-4
$949,000
GMAP P*Shark

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.brownstoner.com/mte/mt-tb.cgi/11888

Comments

That house on 1st street has been on the market for so long, with so many different brokers (and also FSBO) that I think it's perilously close to a joke. I think the owner's renovation choices were poor and he seems unwilling to accept the reality that no one appears to be interested in that house, at that price.

Posted by: Miss Muffett at October 16, 2009 1:09 PM

MM: have you been inside 1st Street? Only three photos on the NYT link so I can't see what is or isn't lousy about the reno. (Other than that those look like black granite countertops and I hate granite, but people usually disagree with me on that one.)

Posted by: basementalist at October 16, 2009 1:14 PM

1,3 Mil for the Windsor Terrace house seems a bit high for the area, no?

Posted by: newsouthsloper at October 16, 2009 1:20 PM

Prospect Place is one of my favorite blocks.

Posted by: broker at October 16, 2009 1:26 PM

I think 1st street is/was also at Townsley and Gay: http://www.townsleyandg.com/showprop.php?pnum=120&showpic=0

MM -- What exactly about the reno choices was poor? From the photos, it looks blah and not really my bag, but not affirmatively cheap or poorly installed.

Posted by: Boerumresident at October 16, 2009 1:26 PM

Prospect Place doesn't make sense at anything more than $1.6m. Even at that, you might be able $3000 for the garden rental, which is a small 2 Bed, and then pay $5500-6000 (depending on costs) for the honor of living in a large 2 bed plus home office.

Nice location and nice place, but the numbers don't add up.

Posted by: Brokedeveloper at October 16, 2009 1:36 PM

318 1 st has been for a ride around the block.
gotta admit, the owner looks pretty adamant to sell for the july 05 purchase price.
need another metaphor as death by a thousand cuts won't work.

Posted by: antidope at October 16, 2009 1:48 PM

Seems like every time there is a WT house on here you guys think it is priced high! I think this is kind of ballpark for these large bay front brick/limestone buildings - a few went for 1.4/1.5-ish last year or so, so this seems relatively in the right price. The little wood houses in the area are going for 700-900s depending on condition, the larger brick places seem to go for 1.2-1.3...
The fact that this is a 3 family, I don't know if that bring down the value (seems like 2 family is perfect for these houses)
Just what I've noticed around here.

Posted by: WTbound at October 16, 2009 1:49 PM

It does seem like Windsor Terrace has been a "Widget Buster" on this site several times.

Posted by: Brokedeveloper at October 16, 2009 1:53 PM

Pioneer St. looks cute but unrealistic. Very small house for the money. (and I'm one that is more apt to think prices aren't that high).

Posted by: Petebklyn at October 16, 2009 2:02 PM

318 1 st has been for a ride around the block.
gotta admit, the owner looks pretty adamant to sell for the july 05 purchase price.
need another metaphor as death by a thousand cuts won't work.

=======================================================

You can say the owner is suffering from the behavioral bias known as "anchoring". e.g. i bought Lehman at $150/share and am not going to sell it until I break even.

Posted by: dandel at October 16, 2009 2:03 PM

Will be interesting to see how Prospect Place fares. Just a block over is a Brownstoner HOTD on St. Mark's. Same configuration, same # of stories except that St. Mark's has gotten a lot of love in the press (big spread in the NYT) and is priced 300K less at just under $1.6 million.

Posted by: tiptoe at October 16, 2009 2:14 PM

St. Marks is a very busy traffic street especially at the traffic light where this house is located. It is always backed up, horns honking, etc.

Posted by: broker at October 16, 2009 2:45 PM

Red Hook ask is delusional. It's less than 1500sf, and that's counting the English basement! Place went for $695k in 2008. I don't think prices have gone up 40% in 18 months.

Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 16, 2009 2:47 PM

Re: WT house
Not the best block, very loud at the intersection of Prospect Ave., a bit of the missing teeth phenomenon too. Not the same character as other blocks such as Sherman or Windsor Place.

Posted by: jcnycarch at October 16, 2009 2:54 PM

They gutted the Pioneer St place, and it looks really cute now. It was quite a mess when I saw it for sale the other time around, but at that time they were also asking in the 800's. I think the fact that it went for 695 then is telling. 98 Pioneer went for around the new asking earlier this year (or late last, can't remember exactly). I think 98 had a little more quirky soul though...

I don't think they're far off. I think someone could offer 875 and walk away with a cute little house with offstreet parking and an English basement that should be convertable into a rental in keeping with the rest of the block. They can get $1700 a month for the rental. That's a nice chunk of the monthlies.

Posted by: hooky at October 16, 2009 3:01 PM

busy, but not 300K busy.

Posted by: tiptoe at October 16, 2009 3:17 PM

The Pioneer St. place is cute, if a little generic. But I wish the totally open kitchen would go out of fashion.

Counting the garage, it's around $600 a foot. Is that delusional? Can't compare to price pre-renovated and just say that prices have not gone up 40%.

Posted by: Nomi at October 16, 2009 3:22 PM

I still like the open kitchen idea. Has always worked to make my house/apts feel larger and more social.

Posted by: wasder at October 16, 2009 3:34 PM

while people can debate open kitchen or not endlessly, i'd say that it is desirable now/in fashion and probably good for re-sale.

families with small kids probably want open, and that's a huge demographic for houses or big apartments.

when your kids are really little, there's no way you can be working in the kitchen and leave them somewhere where you can't see them.

Posted by: wine lover at October 16, 2009 3:43 PM

I, too, wish the totally open kitchen would go out of fashion. When it does, do you think we'll all cringe and wag our fingers at the bad tastes of yesteryear?

Posted by: Pigeon at October 16, 2009 3:44 PM

Totally, when you have young kids you definitely (speaking for myself) want open kitchen for reasons listed above and just for the added floor space it provides. Curious to hear reasons for not liking it.

Posted by: wasder at October 16, 2009 3:49 PM

Wine lover does have a good point about open kitchens and keeping an eye on the children.

What's Pioneer Street like? I've never been there.

Posted by: Pigeon at October 16, 2009 3:53 PM

Open kitchens and islands are great if you actually have friends and can cook.

Nothing like inviting people over and then disappearing into your galley kitchen for an hour while you finish cooking dinner. With an open kitchen you can remain part of the party.

Is the thought that an extra wall gives you more options with the living room? With a smaller apartment I guess I could buy that, but if you have the sq ft, why not have it open?

I think the open kitchen will remain in style as long as the Food Network does.

Posted by: Brokedeveloper at October 16, 2009 3:57 PM

Reasons for preferring closed kitchen, for me, involve:

-privacy (privacy for the cook),
-decorum (hide the kitchen mess),
-sound (insulate the kitchen noises),
-mystery (Where's that smell coming from?),
-historical (a nod to the original past).

Posted by: Pigeon at October 16, 2009 4:04 PM

Pioneer: that house is too small to make the garden level a sep apt.
There is no cellar beneath it where mechanicals usually go - so they are on the garden level. And pretty small space if didn't have it as part of the house. You only have 500 sq ft on each level.
(p.s. - lock the kids in a closet when cooking dinner).

Posted by: Petebklyn at October 16, 2009 4:09 PM

As a Pioneer Street resident I must say that it is the most coherent neighborly block in Red Hook. It may not have the grandest homes- like the Coffey St. block between Conover and Ferris- but it is quite a lovely place. If you have children it is also an excellent place. There are like 20 kids ranging in age from newborn to tweens on the block.

Moving there was the best decision I ever made. Truly.

Posted by: hooky at October 16, 2009 4:09 PM

Pete, I have to disagree. Nearly all the houses on the block are configured as 2 families with the ground fl. rental. I haven't been inside this reno, but it's possible they made some sort of consideration for a future rental.

98 made it so that there was a sep door reachable via the back that had the laundry and mechs in it. The right buyer who needs the rental to offset the mortgage could definitely make it work.

Posted by: hooky at October 16, 2009 4:14 PM

On googlemaps, pioneer steet looks lovely.

What is that church-looking building across the street from the Pioneer Street house for sale?

Posted by: Pigeon at October 16, 2009 4:30 PM

Hooky, my husband and I have been going round and round on Red Hook and I'm curious to hear why you like it so much (I'm for it, in theory/husband opposed). Husband works in midtown and the commute is his main argument, especially in winter. But I think it looks neighborly and might be worth the aggravation.

Posted by: I came I saw I rented at October 16, 2009 4:43 PM

Park Slope prices coming down down down baby! No need to speak for the other hoods.

***Bill Thompson for Mayor***

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at October 16, 2009 5:02 PM

Like the WT place from the outside but agree overpriced. No one is gonna want it as a three-fam, so figure substantial work will be needed.

Posted by: denton at October 16, 2009 5:02 PM

Lack of stoop on Prospect house is a big negative to me. I don't want to pay this much to have to enter my house through interior stairs. At least when you enter up the stoop it's more elegant.

Posted by: Miss Muffett at October 16, 2009 5:23 PM

Whoa. I said I hoped the TOTALLY open kitchen would go out of fashion. I don't want to go back to oppressive completely separate not-to-be-seen-nor-heard galley kitchens hidden away in dark underground corners. I like a semi-open kitchen, or whatever I should call it, in many of the various ways that can be done. I just don't care for when the kitchen feels like it is IN the living room, and the island seems plunked down like another piece of furniture. I don't know; it just doesn't feel right, maybe like spaghetti sauce is going to get on the couch or something. And psychologically, just too exposed.

Oh, also, I have no friends and cannot cook and talk at the same time, so.

But I shouldn't really say I wish it'd go out of fashion. Brooklyn is probably big enough for open kitchens, half open kitchens, closed kitchens, no kitchens. "Brooklyn of ample hills . . . "

Posted by: Nomi at October 17, 2009 3:18 AM

The Prospect Place house seems overpriced by $600K. This is three story house priced as a four story. The house looks to be in good condition and on a well located block. Because the stoop has been removed, it's facade has been compromised. This can be fixed but will cost $40,000. The broker on this one is living in the past!

I saw the 1st Street house a while ago. What I remember about it is that while it was in very good condition, is small, and felt narrow. I thought the narrowness was because of built in bookcases and closet placement, not because actual width. The 3rd floor feels like a large master bedroom suite, but nevertheless a one bedroom.

Posted by: chase at October 17, 2009 11:08 AM

Hooky,

I think you're drinking too much Red Hook-ade! Pioneer St is okay, not the Sesame Street setting you report. Sandwich between section-8 housing to the north and NYCHA housing to the east, there area many quality life issues related to noises, loitering etc. Secondly, many of the garden floor apts on the block are illegal.

Just curious where all these nifty pioneer families send their kids to school cause they ain't going to PS 15 where my kids go. The RH hipsters and bobos such neighborhood cheerleaders except when it comes to supporting the local public schools.

Posted by: JonB at October 17, 2009 11:23 AM

JonB, you grew up in Red Hook?

Posted by: Nomi at October 17, 2009 2:14 PM

Agree that the Prospect Place house seems priced more like a four story than a three. But that parlor floor looks just beautiful in the pictures. (Notwithstanding* the pass-thru window to the kitchen which is NOT one of my semi-open kitchen preferences, for all of you who cannot get enough of my kitchen musings.) I'd like to see it.

(*Does anyone else thing that "notwithstanding" should be "withstanding"? This is one of the many expressions I've been confused by for a lifetime . . . )

Posted by: Nomi at October 17, 2009 2:22 PM

I think the issue with the 1st St house is not so much the superficial renovation choices but the layout. I don't see a floorplan with the current listing but from what I remember it doesn't work particularly well as a one or two family home.

Posted by: fawn at October 17, 2009 4:00 PM

Cannot get enough of these kitchen musings. I like a 19th c or 1920s style kitchen that fits at least three, has two doors, and fits into the traffic circulation of the house. People can come and hang out there with you if they want, and the baby can be in a playpen.

Posted by: mopar at October 17, 2009 11:07 PM

"I just don't care for when the kitchen feels like it is IN the living room, and the island seems plunked down like another piece of furniture."

Exactly, Nomi. That's what I hate about that kind of kitchen too. Those kitchens look tacked-on and plunked-down. Like an alien has landed. The newly built condos never have proper kitchens, it's just a corner of the living room designated as the "kitchen", with no space for a dining table without cutting into the LR space pretty significantly. I really love having a separate formal DR. Sure, I would ideally like to have both a big farmhouse style eat-in kitchen that overlooks a family TV room, AND a formal DR and formal LR, who wouldn't. But that layout being rare and extravagant in NYC, I choose separate DR even if it means a smaller, closed off kitchen.

Posted by: traditionalmod at October 18, 2009 9:14 AM

Nomi,

Yup. I'm a dying breed, a Red Hook born and raised Nuyorican.

Posted by: JonB at October 18, 2009 10:57 AM

Question about Pioneer St -- we had toyed with Red Hook before buying in Clinton Hill, but I had heard all of those homes have flooded basements when it rains. Is that still true?

Posted by: josh59x at October 18, 2009 9:48 PM

went to the windsor terrace one just because it's nearby. it wasn't too impressive. it needs a total (or near total) gut renovation, especially if converting to a 2 family. from the look of the facade, building has some serious settling issues with cracking, etc. the internal staircase is so narrow that even a skinny individual would feel cramped. i'd be surprised if this goes far north of 7 figures.

Posted by: jcnycarch at October 18, 2009 10:45 PM

Pioneer Street is cute, a little gritty and has that old world charm, I think.
I have rode my bicycle there several times and felt safe. I kinda liked the block.

There is no trains around though, which kinda sucks. The whole area is a little desolate which can be a good/ bad thing depending on what you like. The pj's are near by. Ikea plaza is close, that is nice.

I did not like the layout of the home on Pioneer, the Bathroon upstairs had a seperate toilet area and across the hall was the tub. Don't think so, not to mention no window, yuck.

I too do not like the open kitchen at all. When I am in my living room, I like to think relaxing, comfort, serenity.
I see my kitchen as kaos, cooking, washing machine going, computer, there is always something going on, because that is what a kitchen is for.

and why no, in the year 2009 are people so worried about talking to thier guests while they are cooking.... hopefully my guests will just come over and bringfood, and I could just eat it... LOL

Posted by: STARGAZER at October 19, 2009 11:56 AM

Wasn't it Plato who said "Men longing for solitude prefer closed kitchens. Men longing for socialization prefer open kitchens."
Or, was it Socrates?

Posted by: Pigeon at October 19, 2009 5:27 PM

In France, they cook everything before the party, then reheat. No guest would dream of venturing into the kitchen. Well, so I read in books. I haven't been to France in years.

Posted by: mopar at October 19, 2009 6:42 PM

« Open House Picks: Six Months Later Streetlevel: Thai Food for Flatbush »

October 16, 2009

Open House Picks

Trackback Pings

Comments

Post a comment

Latest Restaurant Additions