Brownstoner is Brooklyn's most read
website about real estate, renovation
and neighborhood news. Read More»
Landlords Give Sandy-Damaged Tenants a Break
Landlords in Coney Island, Red Hook and Dumbo are helping out their Sandy-ravaged commercial tenants with rent and other aid, DNAinfo reported. Thor Equities has lowered rents by as much as 40 percent on Surf Avenue in Coney Island, benefitting Brooklyn Rock and Wampum, among others. Red Hook landlord Gregory O’Connell, whose own business moved back into its Red Hook HQ only last week, has offered low-interest loans and rent abatements to tenants. Two Trees Management in Dumbo has also been letting tenants pay rent later and talking to insurance companies on their behalf, as well as helping out with property repairs.
Brooklyn Waterfront’s Landlords Forgo Rent to Keep Sandy-Ravaged Tenants [TRD]
Photo by Lock
05/17/2013 9:45 AM
Comment
Condo of the Day: 50 Bridge Street, #609
This new loft listing at 50 Bridge Street is huge and pretty well priced for Dumbo. The defining feature of the loft apartment is the great room, which has 15-foot ceilings, freestanding columns and a circular staircase to the mezzanine level. Despite its size, though, the apartment’s not currently designed for family living, with only a single master bedroom. Nor is it designed to building codes, apparently. “Use of this loft does not conform to building department standards,” says the listing. “Consult an architect for further details.” That could explain why such a large place in Dumbo is asking just $1,500,000. A buying opportunity or a bureaucratic nightmare? You decide.
50 Bridge Street, #609 [Brown Harris Stevens] GMAP P*Shark
05/16/2013 12:59 PM
Comment
Rent Vs. Buy: In Brooklyn, Both Are Difficult
If you’ve got Brooklyn property to sell, fantastic. It’s a seller’s market. People are clamoring for Brooklyn property. Your listing may even ignite a bidding war. You will probably be sitting on a lot of cash after you sell. But then what do you do? Hopefully you’ve got plans to move to, say, Kansas, because buying another place or even finding a rental in Brooklyn is going to be very, very, very difficult, according to DNAinfo. ”Right now is a horrible time to be a buyer or a renter,” said Catherine Witherwax, director of sales for Stribling’s first Brooklyn office. ”There’s very little on the market. We’re seeing unprecedented interest in Brooklyn and people staying in Brooklyn. And we’re seeing a large international component. The borough’s popularity goes beyond New York City and the metropolitan area.” Buyers will need perfect credit and enough funds to win a bidding war with all cash. The story gives an overview of the market in four neighborhoods with tips and deets on prices in each: Crown Heights, Bushwick, Bed Stuy, Dumbo. Crown Heights, for example, “is really starting to boom” with prices for renovated homes in the $1.2 to $1.5 million range. Rents are 10 to 30 percent cheaper than in Manhattan, with studios going for $1,200 to $1,500. Depressed yet? The article has some advice: If you’re priced out, try Queens.
Rent vs. Buy: Navigating Brooklyn’s Tight Real Estate Market [DNAinfo]
05/16/2013 9:00 AM
Comment
Renderings Live for the New Dumbo Townhouses
BuzzBuzzHome spotted the official site for Dumbo’s new townhouse build, coming to 55 Pearl Street. It’s full of snazzy renderings and floor plans for the five homes, each with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Square footage for each home will range from 3,049 to 3,358 square feet. Landmarks approved the exterior design, comprised of one-foot-deep ductal fins (ductal is a high performance concrete), this February. The ground-floor facade is made of wood. According the BuzzBuzzHome, the developers are still finalizing pricing. Given the high demand in Dumbo these days, and the virtual lack of one-family homes in the neighborhood, how much do you think these will go for? Check out drool-worthy interior renderings after the jump and then give us your guesses…
Dumbo Townhouses [Official Site]
Facade Proposal Revealed for 55-57 Pearl St. Townhouses [Brownstoner]
New Building proposed for Dumbo Graffiti Garage [Brownstoner]
Dumbo Lot Sells for $4.25 Million [Brownstoner] (more…)
05/15/2013 11:00 AM
Comment
Co-op of the Day: 28 Old Fulton Street, #5E
It’s rare to stumble across a listing these days that looks like a good value, but this two-bedroom loft in the old Eagle Warehouse at 28 Old Fulton Street is about the closest thing we’ve seen in a while. To start, there’s a large open living area with high, beamed ceilings and original columns. Then there are the Brooklyn Bridge views. As far as we can tell, the apartment has around 1,800 square feet, making the asking price of $1,350,000 look low, at least in comparison to Dumbo to the North and Brooklyn Heights to the South. At $1,341 a month, the maintenance is pretty low too.
28 Old Fulton Street, #5E [Town Residential] GMAP P*Shark
05/13/2013 12:58 PM
Comment
Condo of the Day: 30 Main Street, #5A
More than a million dollars is a lot of money for a one-bedroom, but this new listing in Dumbo’s Sweeney Building is a lot more than your average one-bedroom. First off, it’s got about 1,500 square and a big living/dining/kitchen area with (partial) river views. And, like many of the apartments in these converted Dumbo buildings, there’s a windowless “office” room, big enough for a child’s bedroom but legally disqualified from being called such. Asking price on this baby is $1,495,000.
30 Main Street, #5A [Halstead] GMAP P*Shark
05/07/2013 12:59 PM
Comment
Reminder: Brooklyn Design Show This Weekend
The tenth annual BKLYN Designs show is almost here! The juried show will feature 35 exhibitors of contemporary lighting, furnishings and home accessories designed or made in Brooklyn as well as design-related and kid-friendly events throughout the weekend. Exhibitors include Paula Greif Ceramics, woodworker and furniture maker Eric Manigian, handcrafted furniture company 4Korners, makers of cheerful wallpaper Kimberly Lewis Home, and many more. Events include a live music yoga class, an outdoor kids lounge, car and furniture design workshops for all ages, and a panel about how to incorporate Brooklyn-inspired and green design into your home. The show will take place at St. Ann’s Warehouse at 29 Jay Street, May 10 through 12. Who’s going?
Made in Brooklyn Show Returns to Dumbo [Brownstoner]
Image from BKLYN Designs
05/07/2013 12:00 PM
Comment
Last Week’s Biggest Sales
1. PARK SLOPE $3,750,000
174 Garfield Place GMAP P*Shark
A developer totally renovated this crumbling Park Slope brownstone last year. They paid $975,000 for the home in 2010. It was on the market for a decent while priced at $3,990,000. Not a bad flip at all. Deed recorded on 5/3/2013.
2. GRAVESEND $3,350,000
2228 East 4th Street GMAP P*Shark
No details about this one-family home. Deed recorded on 4/29/2013.
3. FORT GREENE $2,750,00
81 Willoughby Avenue GMAP P*Shark
A HOTD this February. We noted, “Except for the new wood floors on the parlor floor, this two-family house at 81 Willoughby Avenue looks chock full of old-timey goodness along with the right touches of modernization. The corner house also has an unusually large front yard for Fort Greene as well as a side yard and side exposure.” It was asking $2,250,000. Deed recorded on 5/3/2013.
4. DUMBO $2,090,000
100 Jay Street, #28A GMAP P*Shark
Here’s the old listing for the three bed/two-and-a-half bath condo at the J condo building. It last sold in 2007 for $1,507,090, then was listed early this year for $2,100,000. Deed recorded on 5/2/2013.
5. PROSPECT HEIGHTS $1,815,000
181 Park Place GMAP P*Shark
A four-story, multi-family building right off Flatbush Avenue. It was listed in May of last year for $2,000,000. Deed recorded on 5/1/2013.
05/07/2013 11:30 AM
Comment
Jehovah’s Witnesses Sell Dumbo Parcels for $30.6M
We’re kind of late to the news, but it’s still a big deal: The Real Deal reported that the Jehovah’s Witnesses, currently in the midst of selling off their Dumbo and Brooklyn Heights properties, just unloaded a three huge lots in Dumbo for $30,600,000. The lots are located at 173 and 177 Front Street as well as 200 Water Street. They total 30,463 square feet with nearly 150,000 potential square feet of development. The contiguous plots are zoned for hotel, residential and community use, and our guess is the buyer will want to put up a new residential build, considering how quickly those are selling out in Dumbo these days. The two Front Street parcels are empty, and the Water Street lot holds a three-story warehouse. The Real Deal said it appears, based on loan documents, that the buyer is Brooklyn developer Shelly Listokin of Urban Realty Partners.
Jehovah’s Witnesses Sell Dumbo Development Site for $31M [TRD]
Photo via Gmap
04/30/2013 9:30 AM
Comment
Empty Lot on Bridge Street Sells Again
The empty lot on Bridge Street between Plymouth and Water streets sold for the second time this year. In January, the sale of 47-51 Bridge to an unknown developer hit public records for $6 million. This week, another deed popped up for the same lot, this time selling for $6,532,931.22. A quick flip, with a decent profit! The address in the deed leads to Greystone, a Manhattan-based developer that does some work in affordable housing. According to PropertyShark, there’s potential for a 30,000-square-foot build at this lot, which is currently not zoned for residential.
Empty Lot on Bridge Street Sells [Brownstoner] GMAP
04/22/2013 11:30 AM
Comment
Closing Bell: New Architect for St. Ann’s Warehouse
Curbed attended Community Board Two’s land use meeting this week and got an update on what theater group St. Ann’s Warehouse is planning for its remake of Dumbo’s historic Tobacco Warehouses. The big news is that architect H3 Hardy Collaboration isn’t on board any more, and Rogers Marvel Architects is the new firm. Architect Jonathan Marvel and the St. Ann’s Warehouse crew presented a design for an 18,000-square-foot enclosed building with performance space, a 1,000-square-foot multipurpose space, and a 7,600-square-foot open space “imagined as a walled birch tree grove.” The open space will be designed by Michael Van Valkenberg Associates and it will be open to the public during park hours. The theater lobby will also have access into Brooklyn Bridge Park. Check out another rendering over at Curbed.
Theater Group Unveils Proposed Tobacco Warehouse Makeover [Curbed]
04/18/2013 4:00 PM
Comment
Condo of the Day: 85 Adams Street #12B
Having recently had dinner on a high floor of 85 Adams Street, we can attest to the fact that the views from the Dumbo tower are incredible. That appears to be the case for this particular 12th-floor one-bedroom that just hit the market with an asking price of $725,000. The 779-square-foot one-bedroom has a conventional layout and nice modern finishes in the kitchen and bath. Given that $1,000 a foot is the going rate in Dumbo these days, we suspect they’ll get close to what they’re looking for.
85 Adams Street #12B [Brooklyn Bridge Realty] GMAP P*Shark
04/17/2013 12:58 PM
Comment
Proposals for Historic Empire Stores Are Online
Brooklyn Bridge Park has published all 10 design proposals for what to do with the old Empire Stores buildings, above, it received in response to its call for ideas. For anyone interested in planning, architecture, or repurposing old buildings, it’s fascinating reading. The waterfront complex consists of seven landmarked 19th century coffee warehouses between Main and Dock streets with approximately 327,000 square feet of space. Some of the ideas floated include a green roof, retail, cultural and office space, events on the rooftop, outdoor dining, workshop space, a food exchange, and rooftop topiaries in the shape of giant bunnies and other animals. Proposed structural enhancements include exterior stairwells, glass enclosures on the roof and sides, and an internal circular ramp, some of which seem to echo some famous public buildings such as the Pompidou Center, the Louvre Pyramid and the Guggenheim. The Community Advisory Council will give feedback to the park about the designs April 19, and the winning project will be selected sometime this summer. Which one is your favorite? Click through to the jump to see a gallery of images from the proposals. (more…)
04/12/2013 11:30 AM
Comment
Two Penthouse Units Listed at Dumbo’s 185 Plymouth
Alloy Development has listed the last two units for the still under-construction condo conversion at 185 Plymouth Street; both are penthouses. Last month they told us they already sold eight of the ten units, and although they received offers on all of the apartments they held onto the penthouses. The south penthouse, pictured above, is a 3,056-square-foot three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath duplex with 1,870 square feet of outdoor space over two levels. The ask is $3,950,000. The north penthouse is a 2,156-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bath unit with an additional 2,000 square feet of outdoor space. That one is asking $3,400,000. Alloy expects to finish the conversion of the former Brillo factory building this spring.
Under-Construction 185 Plymouth Nearly Sold Out [Brownstoner]
Residential Conversion Under Way at 185 Plymouth Street [Brownstoner]
192 Water Street Developers Will Take on 185 Plymouth [Brownstoner]
Dumbo’s 185 Plymouth Heading to the LPC [Brownstoner] GMAP DOB
04/10/2013 9:30 AM
Comment
Seeking Funding to Bring Technology to M.S. 8
A Brownstoner reader and P.S. 8 parent got in touch to highlight one particular project up for Participatory Budget funding this year. The proposal allocates $200,000 to M.S. 8, the new middle school extension of P.S. 8, to fund the purchase of laptops, laptop carts, and smartboards. The school opened this past fall without funding allocated towards technology. M.S. 8 serves students from Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, and Vinegar Hill, and is expected to be at full capacity by the 2014-15 school year. Parents are aiming to get the word out and rally votes for the funding. The voting period takes place between between April 1st and 7th; check out the dates and locations for voting right here.
03/29/2013 9:00 AM
Comment
Under-Construction 185 Plymouth Nearly Sold Out
With only about 25 percent of construction complete, and an ETA of this spring, eight of the ten units at Dumbo’s 185 Plymouth Street development have sold. AJ Pires from Alloy Development, the company behind the conversion of the former Brillo factory, reports that they received offers on all of the apartments but decided to hold onto the penthouses. Now there are only two penthouse units available. A full website is up with renderings, floor plans and building information. And a teaser site is up for the Dumbo Townhouses, Alloy’s other in-construction project in the neighborhood. The LPC gave that project, which consists of five four-bedroom townhouses, its blessing earlier this month.
Residential Conversion Under Way at 185 Plymouth Street [Brownstoner]
192 Water Street Developers Will Take on 185 Plymouth [Brownstoner]
Dumbo’s 185 Plymouth Heading to the LPC [Brownstoner] GMAP DOB
03/27/2013 10:00 AM
Comment
The Squibb Park Bridge is Open!
The Squibb Park Bridge opened today, connecting Brooklyn Height’s Squibb Park to the rest of Brooklyn Bridge Park. The bridge, quite a sight to behold, is made of Black Locust timber and bronze and galvanized steel connections. In the design phase, the bridge was envisioned as a gangway in homage to the gangways leading to the vessels back when the area was a shipping port. It consists of two under-slung suspension spans and 42-inch-high lighted railings. The under-slung design allows for some pretty great views of Downtown Manhattan. The bridge is also ADA accessible. The new bridge goes hand in hand with renovations to Squibb Park, which finished back in 2010. Construction of the bridge started up in the spring of 2012. We got to check out a close-up this December, when the bridge was still in two giant pieces inside Brooklyn Bridge Park. Check out more images after the jump! (more…)
03/21/2013 12:20 PM
Comment
Closing Bell: Dumbo Arts Fest Now Accepting Applications
The Dumbo Arts Festival is now accepting applications for its annual festival, which will take place from Sept. 27 to 29. The free festival showcases art, music and performance from more than 500 artists, in or on 50 galleries and stages, with 100 programming partners. The application fee is $20 per submission; you can read the submission guidelines here. Events will take place indoors and out; studio visits are also part of the festival.
Call for Entries: 2013 Dumbo Arts Fest [Dumbo Improvement District]
Photo by Lynt
03/19/2013 4:00 PM
Comment
Public Design Workshop for Dumbo This Week
This Wednesday, the Department of Transportation is hosting its third public input session for the streetscape reconstruction of Dumbo and Vinegar Hill. Recently Vinegar Hill residents set up two petitions against changing the historic Belgian blocks of the neighborhood, so that’s sure to come up. The DOT will present strategies for cobble reconstruction based on previous public input. They are taking more public comments at this meeting as well. Also on the agenda: the design of the Pearl Street Triangle Plaza, where the Dumbo BID has had plans in place for years to transform into a permanent public space. Back in 2011 the Dumbo BID secured $20 million dollars for these big street improvements. The meeting on Wednesday is at the NYU-Poly Incubator, 20 Jay Street, Suite 312, from 6 pm to 8 pm.
Photo of the last DOT session by the Dumbo BID
03/18/2013 12:00 PM
Comment
LPC Gives Its Blessing for Dumbo Townhouse Build
Yesterday the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved plans for townhouses on Pearl Street in Dumbo. The LPC sent the plans back to the drawing board in February. Since then, developers Alloy Development reduced the building’s height by a floor. Curbed attended the hearing, where one commissioner said, “I think it’s a little landmark in the making.” According to Curbed, the five townhouses will each have “four bedrooms, three baths, 20-foot parlor floor ceilings, fireplaces, skylit rooms throughout, and roof terraces.” Alloy will begin demolishing the existing garage at the site in a few months. A rendering of the proposed houses can be seen at center right in the photo above.
Dumbo’s First Townhouses Win Landmarks Approval [Brownstoner]
Facade Proposal Revealed for 55-57 Pearl Street Townhouses [Brownstoner]
New Building Proposed for Dumbo Graffiti Garage [Brownstoner]
Dumbo Lot Sells for $4.25 Million [Brownstoner]
Rendering by Alloy via Curbed
03/13/2013 11:00 AM
Comment
anonlurker
May 21, 2013 | 09:56 AM