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Open House Picks

Categories: Open Houses

houseCobble Hill
54 Cheever Place
Brown Harris Stevens
Sunday 12-1:30
$1,800,000
GMAP P*Shark

houseProspect Lefferts Gardens
206 Maple Street
Brown Harris Stevens
Sunday 1:30-3
$1,325,000
GMAP P*Shark

houseBay Ridge
314 89th Street
Jabour Realty
Sunday 1-3
$795,000
GMAP P*Shark

houseBedford Stuyvesant
268 Van Buren Street
Corley RE
Sunday 12:30-2:30
$529,000
GMAP P*Shark



By Brownstoner at January 29, 2010 1:04 PM | Comments (95)

95 Comments

By 11217 on January 29, 2010 1:08 PM

Cheever Place actually sounds "cheap" to me given house and location.

Like it.

By CGar on January 29, 2010 1:13 PM

I agree, 11217. Cheever Place is well-priced for the location. Owner's duplex with garden and 2 rentals. I like it.

By daveinbedstuy on January 29, 2010 1:17 PM

WOW, PLG house is a real beauty!!! And that cherry tree in the yard is spectacular

By CGar on January 29, 2010 1:19 PM

Hola, Dave! Congratulations on your induction!

By daveinbedstuy on January 29, 2010 1:22 PM

Hola, CGar....lots of wine!!!

By Butterfly on January 29, 2010 1:24 PM

wtf is an induction?

*rob*

By daveinbedstuy on January 29, 2010 1:26 PM

A dinner, rob.

By CGar on January 29, 2010 1:26 PM

The PLG listing is really beautiful. I've seen this listing before. Was this on Brownstoner, or did I just see it on BHS's website? Love the burgundy & taupe colors in the Parlor, the kitchen, the facade, the garden, and all the original woodwork.

By BHS on January 29, 2010 1:28 PM

The Van Buren St. house has a great homey feel to it. Obviously it was decorated in the 1970s and needs updating, but appears to have been well cared for. Anybody been inside?

By 11217 on January 29, 2010 1:32 PM

206 Maple Street was an Open House pick on June 5, 2009.

http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2009/06/open_house_pick_275.php

They haven't moved on price since it was listed.

Beautiful house. Stale listing. It's been for sale since April 22, 2009. Sounds like some stubborn owners. Either that, or they don't need to sell.

By CGar on January 29, 2010 1:35 PM

11217, I feel like I read (or heard) that the owners spent a fortune renovating the Maple Street price and that's why they haven't budged on price. (I don't think this is my imagination.)

I'm going to go the Open House on Cheever Place on Sunday. I like that block - looked there in 1996.

By Crunchy Granola on January 29, 2010 1:37 PM

I think the PLG owners know what they have and aren't willing to slash the price in this lukewarm market.

By CGar on January 29, 2010 1:37 PM

price = house

Sorry.

By Expert Textpert on January 29, 2010 1:40 PM

WOW, PLG house is gorgeous!
But seems like the price is a tad high.

FYI - I know nothing about pricing in PLG.

By Bob Marvin on January 29, 2010 1:40 PM

BHS,

I protest! MY house was decorated in the '70s* and doesn't look like that. The Van Buren St. house COULD have been decorated in the '50s or '00s by someone with somewhat stuffy taste.

*Of course our aim was to make the house look like it had been lived in by the same family since 1899, who had moved in with some furniture inherited from older houses and had made additions over the generations--we never much cared for what's in style NOW.

By gemini10 on January 29, 2010 1:42 PM

LOVE that PLG house
but I beleive we have seen that one before months ago!

By Bob Marvin on January 29, 2010 1:43 PM

"Sounds like some stubborn owners. Either that, or they don't need to sell"

Or BOTH, not a bad position to be in, in a down market.

By Minard Lafever on January 29, 2010 1:43 PM

Cheever Place is the pick of the litter. A little pricey though considering it has been chopped up into three units.
Re-configuring it into a one, or two-family, would not be a big deal but it would take time and it would cost some money.


By feral on January 29, 2010 1:48 PM

Cheever Place is lovely, but it is a *haul* to the subway from there--nearest entrance is on the corner of President.

The parlor does look charming though! Would love a picture of the garden...

By DeadCatBounce on January 29, 2010 1:52 PM

Induction: causing the flow of electric current. Hopefully this treatment will help DIBS.

By berkeleyhunt on January 29, 2010 1:54 PM

A Cheever question: what about the BQE?

By daveinbedstuy on January 29, 2010 1:56 PM

DCB, I will never change. You should be thankful for that.

By BHS on January 29, 2010 1:58 PM

Bob, I was referring to the brown fridge and the avocado green wall to wall carpet. That's awesome that you were able to create a timeless style without succumbing to any of the fads of the era (not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's hard to do). I have a collection of Old House Journal magazines from 1976-1981 and it cracks me up when they show some interior renovation work or decoration that's supposed to appear original to the house. A lot of it just screams "1977" but I guess there were fewer reproductions available. And we all see things from the perspective of the current era. But I think this house has a very happy, homey vibe.

By Pigeon on January 29, 2010 2:00 PM

DIBS has been induced!
No!

By Pigeon on January 29, 2010 2:02 PM

I like that Mr. B. is including Craigslist postings, like the Bed Stuy home, above. Very grass-roots of you, Mr. B.

By DeadCatBounce on January 29, 2010 2:03 PM

I saw PLG. Nice renovation. $300,000 over priced. Been listed for a very long time.

By wasder on January 29, 2010 2:06 PM

Am I the only one that thinks Cheever place is too far from public transport to command that kind of price?

By Pigeon on January 29, 2010 2:08 PM

The Cheever Place home does look nice.
It's a pity its front parlor windows have been chopped off at the bottoms. (Blocked with brick). Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about restoring such windows to their original glory? How big of an ordeal is it?

By Petebklyn on January 29, 2010 2:09 PM

yes, Wasder. Since same size house across street sold for $1.925 last fall.
farther from subway farther from the riff-raff.

By Brokedeveloper on January 29, 2010 2:10 PM

DIBS had a baby?

By CGar on January 29, 2010 2:13 PM

Wasder, I lived not far from there for 10 years, and, to me at least, it's not all that far to the F and G trains, or even to Borough Hall for that matter. I personally like Cheever Place, which, like Strong Place and Tompkins Place nearby, is one of those beautiful, double blocks, with no thru traffic. But I'm admittedly partial to Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights, and Carroll Gardens so I'd be willing to pay more for a house in that area.

By Frederick Law Homestead on January 29, 2010 2:14 PM

Maple Street has been at that price without budging for nearly a year. Crazily overpriced, a very similar house a few doors down went for $920k. If the reno is as good as the pictures, I could see it breaking $1M, but this is a 2-story house asking a price that 4-stories in the neighborhood were getting at the peak. On a PSF basis, it's asking Park Slope prices. That said, if they don't need to sell, then I guess they shouldn't worry about it. Gorgeous block.

By Pigeon on January 29, 2010 2:15 PM

Feral and Wasder,

Yes the Cheever place is a long trek to the subway.

For the right buyer, though (someone looking for a 3 family and who likes the walk, or who likes to drive) it seems like it's priced right. It's a beautiful block in a great neighborhood.

By wasder on January 29, 2010 2:20 PM

Cgar--I used to live on Sidney Place in the Heights way back in the day so I know the charm of those blocks. Even though I have a car, for me access to public transport is crucial and that looks like a hike to me on the google map...

By CGar on January 29, 2010 2:25 PM

Wasder, I LOVE Sidney Place! One of my all-time favorite blocks, and part of my current daily commute to/from Borough Hall. But, sadly, I can't afford a $4 million house on Sidney Place, lol, whereas I can afford a house on Cheever Place, provided I'm willing to put up with a longer walk to the train.

Pigeon, I've been watching them restore windows like that in a number of houses lately (2 on Amity, 1 on Pacific that are currently being gutted), and it doesn't look like it's a big deal at all, and the restored full size windows look great.

By Stonergut on January 29, 2010 2:25 PM

Pigeon, we "restored such windows to their original glory" in the front of the house on the parlor floor but have held off on the back because of the fire-escape. In front, we did the opening as part of the brownstone facade refacing, keeping the brick fill and shortened windows in for a while - which looked crappy but it was obviously "in progress". Later we followed up with the windows. Not including the the facade involvement, the demo of the brick fill and old short windows was pretty simple. But if you need to do further repair or refacing, it could get complicated and expensive. Windows of that size are costly too..

In back we have a fire-escape we want to keep, and it's bottom platform lines up with the sill of the shortened windows. We've considered just making the non fire-escape window into a wood framed door and leaving it that way (one high, one low), pending further work or a future deck. But for now we have short windows in back, long ones in front and it looks fine.

By Pigeon on January 29, 2010 2:27 PM

Wasder,
My friend lived just down the street from the Cheever Place home (she lived on Kane) and she conplained constantly about the time it took to walk to the subway. So, your google map assessment seems accurate.

By TaoKai on January 29, 2010 2:31 PM

I vote for Cheever Place. Love to convert it to a one family (my family) rip out the carpets, polish the boards, a little paint, little kitchen bathroom update, I'm there, I'm smiling :)

By more4less on January 29, 2010 2:33 PM

CGar, buy the house, boot the 2 tenants, rent to me.

By CGar on January 29, 2010 2:36 PM

"CGar, buy the house, boot the 2 tenants, rent to me."

I've been waiting for that m4l, lol.

By Pigeon on January 29, 2010 2:37 PM

Stonergut,
Thanks for the feedback regarding restoring the long parlor windows back to their original size. I love those long windows of a bygone era.

By Bob Marvin on January 29, 2010 2:37 PM

BHS,

We weren't immune to ALL the'70s fads. We still have our '74 coppertone range, which we'd replace if we could find a 36" range we like that's reliable and doesn't cost as much as a car. Our harvest gold 1974 washing machine is still in the laundry room/darkroom, but I'd never use the term "decorating" to refer to that space. We DID recently (to my wife's delight)replace the early '70s Lucite "Tiffany" dome light over our round oak kitchen table with a c. 1910 craftsman style fixture. Come to think of it, I guess refinished c.1900 oak IS very '70s, but I don't care :-)

I passed my Old House Journal back issues on to young neighbors a few years ago where I hope they'll inspire more "brownstone revival movement" type work.

By bkny on January 29, 2010 2:40 PM

the PLG house is by some famous french designer. she lives there and did the reno herself. she was featured on open house NYC on channel 4 lxtv show. she is probably pricing it by what she thinks it's worth since it's her home. sorry, i don't remember her name.

i do love what she has done with the space. wish it had one more floor.

By infinitejester on January 29, 2010 2:49 PM

Bob, always enjoy reading your posts.

bkny, I always wonder who lives in places like these. With this and with DeLepp's upstate NY manse link from yesterday, perhaps I'm getting a picture! Thanks.

By Crunchy Granola on January 29, 2010 3:29 PM

I like it when a PLG house is priced well. I call this a "good self-esteem" listing.

Too often, in PLG, RE brokers price too low. Take 207 Lincoln, which is listed at $999K. I call these "low self-esteem" listings, because the brokers feel the need to apologize for the neighborhood, rather than it its fabulous architecture stand proud.

By 11217 on January 29, 2010 3:35 PM

Crunchy Granola:

Since the PLG house has been for sale for nearly a year, how is it that you've deduced that it's priced well?

To me, that is the very definition of NOT priced well. At least not priced well to sell.

There's fabulous architecture in Detroit too, but some homes there are selling for $25,000.

The house on Maple is priced very aggressively for the neighborhood from what I can tell. Clearly too aggressively. Or else it would have sold.

By Boerum Hill on January 29, 2010 3:35 PM

Cheever Place = potential for noise from the BQE. Not as quiet as Strong Place or Sydney Place for that matter. I had an apartment overlooking Sydney Place for 5 years and think it is among be the nicest blocks in the City.

By daveinbedstuy on January 29, 2010 3:38 PM

11217 is here.

Queue stevieB with the Walls St bonus crap.

By Pigeon on January 29, 2010 3:38 PM

Boerum Hill,
Do People who live on the west side of the street on Cheever Place (the side closer to the BQE) hear traffic from the BQE?

By 11217 on January 29, 2010 3:40 PM

Dave, I was the first post on this thread.

Sleepin' at the wheel again? ;)

By wasder on January 29, 2010 3:50 PM

What percentage of stevie b's posts begin in this manner?

"Hey 11217---suck on this...."

I would say 85%.

By daveinbedstuy on January 29, 2010 3:51 PM

11217, I'm "working from home" today. it's always less productive than being in the office. Anyone who thinks otherwise is fooling himself.

By CGar on January 29, 2010 4:02 PM

I used to say I wouldn't live west of Henry because of the BQE. Doesn't bother me as much anymore. I bid on a condo at the Arches right off Hicks, and the location of the Cheever Street house doesn't bother me - I believe the garden backs up to the garden of the house on Hicks that faces the BQE. Unless money is no object - which it is for me - any house or apartment is likely to involve a compromise for me, in this case it would be proximity to Hicks / BQE and distance from the subway.

Agree with 11217 about the pricing of the PLG house. The pricing is just fine - unless the sellers actually want to SELL the house.

By Brooklynista on January 29, 2010 4:03 PM

The PLG house is owned by the "famous French designer" Caroline Beaupere. I saw it on the 2007 house tour and it is truly an outstanding work of beauty. FLH, I'm normally in total agreement with you, but not on this listing; I just don't see it as appropriate for valuation as a drive-by, surface comp. In combo with the fact that it's a Manor house, I'm thinking it should go for $1M+. If it were in Park Slope, it would be listed at way over $1.3, small house and all. Shucks, forget PS. There are apartments on Eastern Parkway and frame houses in the South Slope that are of similar size, not looking nearly as good, and asking more than this. Now, clearly, the market has not agreed to meet the PLG seller's price to date and, if she's really in a hurry, she may very well have to make a price concession. But, if she can afford to hold out, I wouldn't blame her for doing so. That house, yard and block is a true gem of a package.

By Petebklyn on January 29, 2010 4:18 PM

"11217, I'm "working from home" today. it's always less productive than being in the office. Anyone who thinks otherwise is fooling himself."
yes, I've noticed a dropoff on your commenting today. Too much distraction from the soaps?

By 11217 on January 29, 2010 4:21 PM

I'm the opposite Dave. My "work from home" days are twice as productive as a day at the office.

While I might not be "working" the entire time at home, the time spent actually working is much more focused.

By Frederick Law Homestead on January 29, 2010 4:40 PM

Bklynista, I agree that it looks beautiful, and maybe deserves a special dispensation comps-wise because of the extremely level of finish. But if a nearly identical house a few doors down sold for $425k less, that's got to be an indication that this has to come down some no matter how high-end the finishes are. And that other house, 216 Maple, had a very nice reno itself. No two-story in LM has ever gone for near that price, as far as I know. Regardless, since I own in PLG, I of course want this to get the best possible price, but Crunchy Granola's notion of high vs. low "self-esteem" pricing doesn't make sense in the current RE market. Merely believing that your house is worth far more than anyone is willing to pay doesn't strike me as a recipe for a long-term self esteem boost--unless you just like to look at the listing as it sits for a year.

Anyway, lovely house, lovely block, good luck to them. And I want a kwanzan cherry in my yard now too.

By Nokilissa on January 29, 2010 4:40 PM

Oh wow - I think that home on Maple Street was featured with a 'kitchen of the Month' in my favorite home magazine (Traditional Home) about a year ago. I had loved it then and I love it now. Beautiful place.

By Crunchy Granola on January 29, 2010 4:42 PM

"There's fabulous architecture in Detroit too, but some homes there are selling for $25,000."

In other words, PLG should be valued less because there are a lot of black people? IS THAT YOUR POINT?

Bear in mind there are two pricing rationale - an old, racist one, in which home value is impacted by the racial make-up of the neighborhood, and a newer one in which race is less a factor, and diversity is desired. PLG valuation depends greatly on the values of the appraisers/brokers.

By daveinbedstuy on January 29, 2010 4:46 PM

WOW, where did this nutcase, Crunchy Granola, come from?????

By 11217 on January 29, 2010 5:03 PM

No clue, Dave.

There have been a couple of crazy nutjobs showing up here lately. Another poster, Bhillguy or something similar the other day totally lost it on here too.

I already said the PLG house was beautiful and I have no problem with PLG itself, I merely stated that the price was off.


By daveinbedstuy on January 29, 2010 5:05 PM

If PLG were the home of the auto companies you could get it for $25,000.

By Brooklynista on January 29, 2010 5:34 PM

"Merely believing that your house is worth far more than anyone is willing to pay doesn't strike me as a recipe for a long-term self esteem boost--unless you just like to look at the listing as it sits for a year."

I gotta admit, FLH, that one made me chuckle. :-)


FL

By Pigeon on January 29, 2010 5:41 PM

Today, Crunchy Granola suggests 11217 is racist for mentioning the low prices in Detroit.

A few days ago, 11217 suggested I'm racist for pointing out that the HOTD in Borum Hill is flanked by public housing.

Sadly, the subject of race provokes, and the R-word is a way to mindlessly push people's buttons.

America is a funny place.

By 11217 on January 29, 2010 5:47 PM

Except I apologized to you, Pigeon. I overreacted.

Let's see if Crunchy Granola can do the same.

By bfarwell on January 29, 2010 6:07 PM

Uh, am I the only one who has a problem with PLG's purple ceilings?

I feel like it has the same issue as the bed-stuy house- I predict it will be viewed as horribly dated in a decade. If not sooner (it looks incredibly late-90's to me. which is not a good thing.)

By daveinbedstuy on January 29, 2010 6:10 PM

Nothing a gallon of paint won't change, bfarwell.

By jackofhearts on January 29, 2010 6:14 PM

Comment and a question-

I've seen the Cheever house twice. It may be a trek to the subway, but that's one of the most beautiful blocks in the neighborhood (no bqe noise for those asking). The house isn't in great condition, which is why it's sat on the market for a while. The pics are deceiving (good listing).

PLG house is gorgeous. Wife and I were considering the maple st place listed above, but are unsure about the neighborhood. How safe, etc is that spot in PLG, and PLG in general? I don't care whatsoever what the mix of residents is, to head off this site's constant argument. Is it a good neighborhood crime wise?

And lastly, I've lurked here forever, and appreciate the comments despite having to wade through the garbage. Hi.

By Brooklynista on January 29, 2010 6:16 PM

Right DIBS! Not only that, the purple ceiling you're seeing in that photo is in a basement rec room. As best I can remember, there aren't any purple ceilings on the upper floors of that house.

By agentofthesquid on January 29, 2010 6:35 PM

That's a particularly nice block of Van Buren Street!

By Pigeon on January 29, 2010 6:37 PM

I think Bfarwell has a good point.

The PLG home is being touted as exceptionally beautifully done -- and I'm sure it largely is -- but Bfarwell and I think that some of the design choices seem to be dated or slightly odd or, at least, not completely to our liking.

By BKLandlord on January 29, 2010 7:41 PM

The Cheever house in far worse condition than the photos indicate. i went to the first open house several months ago when it was priced just shy of 2 million, and there were bricks placed under one leg of the bed because the floors are so pitched.

By bfarwell on January 29, 2010 7:58 PM

(there also seems to be matching purple felt on the pool table down there. Maybe the designer did her reno with an eye toward hosting "Real World PLG"??)

True about the coat of paint, DIBS, but the purple nonsense is pretty indicative of the overall vibe for me; bad plankish flooring downstairs with that ugly standup bar, that crazy breakfast nook passthrough with its recessed halogen lights, wacky japanese bathroom, etc.

Not that this isn't a house somebody's gonna love, it just seems like it's going to need another huge 'renovation' in <20 years... Just like the Bed Stuy house looks high 60's fashionable, this looks high 90's.

By Frederick Law Homestead on January 29, 2010 8:08 PM

So how does one get a pool table into an english basement?

By bfarwell on January 29, 2010 8:14 PM

tweedy movers.

By feral on January 29, 2010 8:51 PM

There's really no BQE noise on Cheever Place, including the west side (my friend used to live on the west side, maybe at 17?).

Possibly once in a blue moon if there's an accident or a tractor trailer horn, but I never heard anything and used to hang out there all the time.

By agentofthesquid on January 29, 2010 9:19 PM

That's a particularly nice block of Van Buren Street!

By traditionalmod on January 30, 2010 8:23 AM

Frederick Law Homestead, the house you keep talking about as "nearly identical" to this Maple Street house on the same block was identical only in layout. This one has 3 bathrooms (huge stunning ones) not 2, central air conditioning, beautifully finished basement, very high end kitchen. Sure, if a gorgeous house isn't selling then it's clearly not priced correctly for this very moment in time, but the notion this house should be priced under a million or even just at a million is absurd.

By Consultant on January 30, 2010 8:44 AM

I have to admit, I like the purple basement bar in the PLG house. The design gives it a more intimate feel and sets it apart from the rest of the house which is more 'homey'. I like that seperation of style/theme while still keeping the overall feel classy and in good taste. Of course, taste is in the eye of the beholder.

By CommodoreStephenDecatur on January 30, 2010 10:15 AM

The Avocado Room in the VanBuren house is the sweetest thing I've seen in ages. I've built and propped a few hundred commercial photography sets in my time and this one beats them all for its picture perfect sincerity and thematic vision. Prospective buyers should insist on the furnishings here.

By dt on January 30, 2010 11:19 AM

The Maple Street house IS pretty special, but I also like the house at 212 Midwood Street- which is priced at $997,000. That's where I would put my dollar if I were in the market right now.

By stevieb on January 30, 2010 11:19 AM

http://nowallstreetbailout.com/


"This is scare tactics to try to do something that’s in the private but not the public interest. It's terrible." -- Allan Meltzer, Carnegie Mellon School of Business
"It's a straight subsidy to financial institutions. You're essentially giving them money. -- Martin Baily, former Clinton Administration Council of Economic Advisers

"There's a tendency for people to think these are stocks and bonds and you know what the price is. The problem is people are operating in a world in which nobody knows what the hell is going on. There’s some naïve assumptions about how this would function." -- Bruce Bartlett, former Reagan Administration economist

"This administration is asking for a $700 billion blank check to be put in the hands of Henry Paulson, a guy who totally missed this, and has been wrong about almost everything." -- Dean Baker Center for Economic and Policy Research
"If Wall Street gets away with this, it will represent an historic swindle of the American public -- all sugar for the villains, lasting pain and damage for the victims." --William Greider, The Nation
"I am concerned that Treasury's proposal is neither workable nor comprehensive, despite its enormous price tag. In my judgment, it would be foolish to waste massive sums of taxpayer funds testing an idea that has been hastily crafted." -- Richard Shelby (R-Ala.)
"It sounds like Paulson is asking to be a financial dictator, for a limited period of time." --Historian John Steele Gordon
"The plan is stupid...Voters will break against anyone who votes for it. I thought if [Russian Prime Minister Vladimir] Putin had written that, I’d understand it." -- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich
"This massive bailout is not a solution. It is financial socialism and it's un-American."-- Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky

By dt on January 30, 2010 11:24 AM

BTW,
212 Midwood Street was initially put on the market last June for only a couple of weeks before it was pulled to work out an ownership dispute. That has since been resolved and it just went back on the market. The stupid realtor let the inactive listing stay on the NYTimes while the legal issues were worked out, so it looks like it has been on the market all this time. I'd fire her if this were my house.

By stevieb on January 30, 2010 12:27 PM

http://www.jonathantasini.com/

While Goldman Sachs Reaps, America Weeps

New Yorkers joined us on January 21st at noon in front of the Goldman Sachs building, to protest the massive bonuses handed out to the very bank tycoons who caused this economic meltdown.

It's time for these modern-day robber barons - and their apologists in the media and Washington - to hear the voices of a people who demand economic recovery for everyone, not just those in the top 1%.


By Crunchy Granola on January 30, 2010 2:03 PM

It looks like I won't be bullied into apologizing for bringing up race and home valuation. Nor should I.

By BrooklynGreene on January 30, 2010 2:48 PM

First of all, Rob, quitcherbitchin' already about the TOREN. For goodness sakes, maybe you could manage to actually BUY a place there with the FHA loan (split infinitive alert!).

Now, Brown Harris Stevens often doesn't offer enough photos on their listings for my taste. The Cheever Place is an example. Can they show more than FOUR photos for a house asking this kind of price? Is this eBay? They don't seem to invest much in photography. Certainly Corcoran does...but you often get the impression they have them heavily worked so they end up looking fake...or are stretched so wide they're in Cinemascope!

Meanwhile, BHS did manage to have a lot of photos of the PLG house, but this is because the owners had their own professional photography done since the wife is the designer. Disclaimer: not my taste.

I have to say I agree with many above that this PLG house is, sadly, overpriced for the location and the owners may end up just breaking even or even... It'll be one of those life lessons I guess.

I kind of felt this when they put the house on the market which was immediately after a big "PR campaign", if you will. I first spotted the house when Cara at Casacara@blogspot and OTBKB (never understood that name for a blog but anyway...). I had a light argument with Cara over her use of "ethnic" in her effusive blurb but we ironed it out. I feel the house is, unfortunately, an example of the very, very recent, and suddenly out of fashion "my kitchen's cooler than yours" movement and must more appropriate for Manhattan or a better location in Brooklyn. It might fly on Apartment PsychoTherapy still but on Brownstoner, in cynical New York City/Brooklyn, times they are a changin'...

By bfarwell on January 30, 2010 3:47 PM

> It looks like I won't be bullied into apologizing for
> bringing up race and home valuation. Nor should I.

What, you're sitting on the edge of your own seat waiting to see what you're going to do? Oh, the suspense already.


By traditionalmod on January 30, 2010 6:06 PM

DT, the 212 Midwood house is nice, but the Maple street house has a 3rd huge bathroom, central air, forced air heat not radiators and a lot more kitchen. The Midwood house skimped on cabinets and counter space in the kitchen didn't they. Also Maple St has Viking appliances not LG. Midwood is great but there's a reason for the price difference between the two.

By Crunchy Granola on January 30, 2010 6:12 PM

I agree. Put another way, 212 Midwood is very Park Slope. 206 Maple Street is very Park Avenue.

By Crunchy Granola on January 30, 2010 6:16 PM

Pottery Barn v. Knoll
Ikea v. Bo Concept
Gap v. Banana Republic
Brownstoner v. Curbed
Get the picture?

By Attention2detail on January 31, 2010 8:39 AM

That Maple street house is a beauty but well out of my price range, but I'm not in the market anyways. I live in the area, in fact on Maple and will be rooting for this one, but I think it should be priced under a million.

By dt on January 31, 2010 8:57 PM

Traditionalmod, I agree with everything you say, but is it really worth $300,000 more?

By brucef on February 1, 2010 2:54 AM

In response to questions regarding traffic noise from BQE, bear in mind some factors.

Noise is in this case line of site. The means that a building adjacent to the "trench" will have little noise on the first floor, but more of a problem in higher floors.

Extending the same logic, a home on Cheeer will have no highway noise as sound would have to travel through many feet of solid earth, which it doesn't do very well.

Unless there is a direct visual path like a missing building on Hicks St for the sound to travel through, you probably would not be able to detect any noise at all.

Cheever Pl is a gem in a great neighborhood, sorry I never saw the house in question.

By Pigeon on February 1, 2010 11:06 AM

brucef,

You CAN hear the BQE on Cheever Place.
I went to the Cheever Place open house yesterday. Even in FRONT of the home (which is the side of the home that is further from the BQE) noise from the BQE is prominant. I was very surprised. THE ENTIRE STREET SOUNDS LIKE IT HAS A GIANT WHITE-NOISE MACHINE HOVERING OVERHEAD. Inside the home, I could not hear any BQE noise. (The windows were shut). As for the backyard, the realtor had a waste can place in front of the door leading to the backyard, and I wasn't interested enough to either violate this suggestion that access the to backyard was not permitted, or to find the realtor to ask. But because you can hear the BQE when you're in front of the house, I'm sure the noise was even more prominant in the backyard.

By traditionalmod on February 2, 2010 8:30 AM

DT, close to it, yeah. If you bought an unrenovated house on the block you would have to spend about $500K to get a gut-renovated house with these same amenities and a landscaped garden. There's an unrenovated house exact same original layout on the block for sale now for $799K. I would imagine one could get it for a bit less, say $750K. Then add $500K. That's $1.25mm. Then add rent or mortgage to pay for wherever you're living for the 12-18 months the work is being done.

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