No info on interior or original listing price?

Posted by: JPD at November 4, 2009 10:27 AM in response to Rate It: 513 MacDonough Street Sells for $420,000

READ THE LISTING!!!

The Sunday School is $3.7m, the church is $3.4m, and combined they are $7.1m!

Posted by: JPD at October 31, 2009 11:49 AM in response to Church Conversion Opp for Sale in Greenpoint

Gawjus.

Posted by: JPD at September 16, 2009 10:35 AM in response to Cast Iron Fence: We Can Rebuild It

My knee-jerk reaction was "buyer beware": the renters should have known that renting a raw loft was most likely not zoned residential and thus is prone to a crackdown like this. But DH is right that it's the landlord's fault since the apartment/product was probably misreprented as a living space.

Crackdowns like this though do have to happen...God forbid that a Triangle-Shirt-Factory-like fire occurs and there are no smoke alarms, fire escapes, etc.

Posted by: JPD at September 11, 2009 10:20 AM in response to DOB Vacates 400 South Second

The DOB website's CofO scan is not a true indicator of the building's units. You should initially look at the number of gas and electric meters in the building, since their original installation would have been based on some kind of previous CofO evidence. The true way is to go the DOB record room at 210 Joralemon Street and see what's in the building's file (bring alot change with you for the copier!). I've found a CofO there for a building that was not scanned in on the DOB website.

Posted by: JPD at August 26, 2009 3:39 PM in response to No C of O

Benson, I'm right there with you.

Brownstones were built for an upper-middle class. Today, not all brownstones are inhabited by upper-middle class. "Fedders" buildings are NOT found on PPW for a reason--THAT IS AN UPPER-MIDDLE CLASS STRIP! "Fedders" buildings were mostly built on formerly VACANT lots in poorer neighborhoods/blocks. Until those blocks become FULLY upper-middle class, there are heavy constraints on what building materials can be afforded for the rent/resale that those buildings can command.

I'D LOVE TO SEE SOMEONE ON HERE TRY TO BUILD/PLAN A BUILDING IN A POOR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS TO EVERYONE'S AESTHETIC SATISFACTION AND HAVE IT BE PROFITABLE. BRING IT!!!

Posted by: JPD at June 11, 2009 8:38 PM in response to Quote of the Day

Amen fsrg, amen.

Posted by: JPD at June 11, 2009 8:06 PM in response to Ratner Cans Gehry For Good

Further DDDB, after looking at the occupations of your Advisory Board, it would help your cause to have a more-round group of people beyond those with Arts Degrees (i.e. to have some developers, business-owners, corporate-workers, etc).

Posted by: JPD at June 11, 2009 11:29 AM in response to Ratner Cans Gehry For Good

I understand and support questioning/fighting abuses of public monies, abuses by elected officials, abuses of eminent domain.

Where DDDB loses me fighting out-of-context development specifically at the Atlantic Yards and the Gehry fiasco. DDDB's site takes issue to Ratner's plans' proximity to Park Slope/Prospect Heights, when less than 50% borders these neighborhoods. Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues are the best roads in Brooklyn to accommodate this kind of development, not to mention the transport at the Atlantic Terminal.

If DDDB's focus is truly on the corruption involved in this project, they had better ramp up their PR ASAP. Because they look like a bunch of rich whiny brats that aren't satisfied with any proposal for the AY, and have now just ruined a potentially good thing.

Posted by: JPD at June 11, 2009 11:20 AM in response to Ratner Cans Gehry For Good

Santa, the point that you make that no one cares about the LES parking lot today is true--NO ONE CARES! No one is fighting to have Brooklyn return to its 17th-century farmland, or to have Williamsburg revert back to 2-architectural genrations ago (working class wood-frame houses before 1-story warehouses before high-rise condos), etc. Most nostalgia is very short-sighted. Two generations later from now, people will not care or fight to have back what AY is today, because we are not losing something like the old Penn Station here!

Posted by: JPD at June 11, 2009 10:34 AM in response to Ratner Cans Gehry For Good

WonTon and MM, it is not Ratner's or any developer's job to set the guidelines for low/moderate/mid-income housing. Any business person is going to look to maximize profit.

WonTon, trying to think of Ratner's original intentions for Gehry's designs is pure conjecture.

MM, designers often have unrealized commissions. Life goes on.

Posted by: JPD at June 11, 2009 10:18 AM in response to Ratner Cans Gehry For Good

This is the fruit of Develop Don't Destroy's labor. Congratulations DDD: delaying this project has resulted in this now half-baked development.

And for those that vehemently believe that the original Gehry plan would have been completely out of context, I can only think about Stuy-Town/PC Village. There is a completely out-of-context development with the East Village that somehow doesn't stir many people today, and ironically HAS FOMRED ITS OWN COMMUNITY IDENTITY OF S-T/PCV LOYALISTS. It would absolutely blow DDD's mind to even fathom that a massive development in the Atlantic Yards might one day harbor its own self-contained proud community. You just never know...

Posted by: JPD at June 11, 2009 9:47 AM in response to Ratner Cans Gehry For Good

It is what it is...

Posted by: JPD at April 17, 2009 11:26 AM in response to The Beginning of the Williamsburg Dining Scene

more4less, this indeed was a starter apartment for me and size-wise is perfect for that.

Posted by: JPD at April 15, 2009 2:24 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 277 Washington Avenue, #3J

Thanks Heather, 11217, and Nomi.

Bessie, it's 550 sq ft for sure! It is a very bright apartment, especially with the Pratt&Lambert bright white everywhere.

Posted by: JPD at April 15, 2009 2:22 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 277 Washington Avenue, #3J

I used to own this apartment! Let's clarify a few things:

-550 square feet is the size of the place

-this was considered a "junior 1-bedroom" in this building, as there are 900 sq ft 1BRs with a separate kitchen and 1200 sq ft 2BRs also in the building of 70ish units

-I MADE THE KITCHEN AND THE BUILT-INS! I made custom cabinets in a woodshop at the time (2002). The bookshelves are MDF with poplar detailing (typical materials for paint-grade), and I made each cabinet door. The countertop though is 1 5/8" solid walnut. The kitchen is the same to match, and has the single F-P dishwasher as well as a Gaggenau cooktop. I can't remember the fridge brand, but it wasn't Sub-Zero! The microwave above the cooktop is also a convection oven. The Pullman-kitchen is only a 3'x6' space and I chose to keep everything inside that space rather than have an ugly free-standing fridge somewhere.

-i also remade 3 doors and a french door (in front hall) identical to the doors original to the apartment. They are also poplar styles/rails with an MDF center panel.

-we never had a coffee table and he couch wasn't as deep, so the LR looks small right now!

-the apartment is bright when the blinds are open. It fronts Hall St, faces East, and has a beautiful view of Pratt and the Library.

-the bedroom is identical in size to the LR but has no built-ins.

-the building is very solid and has a good board. the lobby and terrazzo floors are very nice but the paint colors aren't coordinated well.

-we sold it for $265k in 2004, which at the time was a premium price for the apartment. I'll let you all comment on what it's worth now!

Posted by: JPD at April 15, 2009 2:02 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 277 Washington Avenue, #3J