Co-op of the Day: Turner Towers Three Bedroom

Brownstoner:

Posters can debate the merits of this building and apartment all day. But check the listing's second page. There's a drawing of the lobby back in the day.

Leaded casement windows. Sconces. Deep-back sofas. Obviously designed on the pretense that Turner Tower residents slipped through the doors, into their Pierce Arrows and on to the Queen Mary or, better yet, Normandie.

During the 50's, when I grew up in Crown Heights, there were elements of the building's Art Deco charm still left. On a recent visit, the lobby appeared strip of its furniture and rugs, giving it a cold and scaleless appearance.

Still nice, though. And for those of us who prefer pre-War apartments to brownstones, a great alternative to the private house.

Nostalgic on Park Avenue

Posters:

Yes, the Lincoln Place apartment is nice, too.

As are so many pre-War apartments.

For those of you who enjoy the type, go to Columbia's New York real estate brochure collection at http://nyre.cul.columbia.edu, which is loaded with Brooklyn buildings, their plans and renderings. (Manhattan buildings are coming soon.)

Park Slope, Grand Army Plaza, Eastern Parkway, Crown Heights, Brooklyn Heights, Flatbush (especially) are well represented. And you may find the building where you live -- or want to live.

The site's indexed by location, architect, management firm, etc., so it's easy to compare and contrast the buildings.

Very interesting is how their managers' "pitch" apartment living to the middle- and upper-middle-class markets of the time. The words are a little different from but the intent the same as Corcoran's and Brown Harris Stevens' website copy.

But be warned: You may lose hours enjoying this site.

And about Eastern Parkway prices: Historically there was competition between the Slope and the Parkway, the latter's apartments built for people excluded from the Slope and, according to Jewish friends of my parents, to be better than the Slope. After decades of decline, the Parkway's simply coming back to its old status but, from what I hear, with a more varied social profile.

Finally, about P.S. 9: I was there when the building was just about new. The halls gleamed. The teachers were terrific. And I had a better, more creative academic experience than at my Ivy college. (Back then, P.S. 9 was known for its "progressive," interactive approach to learning, which the kids in my class loved.)

One of my favorite teachers lived on Prospect Park West. And I enjoyed whistling down the Parkway on my way to the parties she had for kids at her home on the "other side" of the park.

NOP

Montrose and Boerumresident:

Mmmmmm. Good! No?

For Montrose there are Park Place, St. Marks Avenue and New York Avenue apartment houses, all in Crown Heights. (Read the copy: the "most exclusive section" of Brooklyn with the "best" shopping street, Nostrand Avenue!)

And my personal favorite, 919 Park Place. Its floor plans are wonderful jigsaw puzzles, providing gracious places to live while squeezing every profitable square foot for the developers.

Today's condos don't even come close!

And if Crown Heights' old apartment stock were to go condo, the neighborhood would streak right passed the Slope!

NOP