“This bar will draw the coolest people that live in Brooklyn—I want the artists, I want the freaks, I want the drag queens,” said Westmoreland"

SERENITY NOW!

Posted by: YngRntr at April 9, 2009 11:35 AM in response to Manhattans in Brooklyn

I live on this block and am not at all surprised. This area is steps (or a quick, meaning 3 minute train ride) from everything. The housing stock is very nice, but not Brooklyn's finest, which allows for more reasonable prices. As discussed on this blog, clean up the drug trade on Franklin and this area will become a true annex of Prospect Heights, not just ambitous realtor talk of said.

Posted by: YngRntr at April 6, 2009 12:00 PM in response to 658 Park Place: The Little Condo That Could

Truman Capote & Betty Smith

Posted by: YngRntr at April 1, 2009 8:27 PM in response to Closing Bell: First Inductees into the Brooklyn Hall of Fame

spoke a wee-bit too soon it seems:)

thanks zinka and archie.

Posted by: YngRntr at March 26, 2009 10:53 AM in response to Olive Park Condos to Host New Montessori Preschool

thanks for the guess, young archi, but i think it's safe to say that the only time the terms Williamsburg and contextual-district have reason to be used in the same sentence is when citing the goings-on in the former as reason for implementing the latter in another area.

and i agree: the building isn't the worst. it looks like something one would see in Portland. And given the cultural similarities between Willy B and PDX, why not.

Posted by: YngRntr at March 26, 2009 10:49 AM in response to Olive Park Condos to Host New Montessori Preschool

Zinka: in what way does an extended superstructure get around zoning requirements? Thanks.

Posted by: YngRntr at March 26, 2009 10:18 AM in response to Olive Park Condos to Host New Montessori Preschool

Though people typically focus on Compstat and the culture it represents -- which is fine, per se -- it has also been shown that the city's renaissance was largely fueled by improved subways, i.e., their performance, reliability and safety.

Forget real estate and the recession for a moment, if you would. If the MTA and Albany continue to shy away from their responsibilities, the quality of life in this city will most definitely change for the worse.

Posted by: YngRntr at March 26, 2009 9:11 AM in response to Thursday Links

China's economic growth is largely fueled by U.S. consumption. Screwing with us is tantamount to shooting oneself in the head so to treat a migraine.

Posted by: YngRntr at March 24, 2009 2:01 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

The central banker's proposal reflects both China's desire to hold its $1.95 trillion in reserves in something other than U.S. dollars and the fact that Beijing has few alternatives. [But]With more U.S. dollars continuing to pour into China from trade and investment, Beijing has no realistic option other than storing them in U.S. debt.

The sky is not falling

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123780272456212885.html

Posted by: YngRntr at March 24, 2009 1:59 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

It was only a matter of time before good, sound public policy dictated the City be held responsible for bathing hipsters.

Posted by: YngRntr at February 12, 2009 11:32 AM in response to Presenting the New McCarren Pool

"When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friends, is about the end of any nation."

I'm not talking about welfare babies here, DIBS. I'm saying there's an unequal distribution of wealth. Why do people in finance deserve so much more money than everyone else. There are plenty of educated, hardworking people -- who get up and go to work everyday -- having a tough time of things. The result is an environment where only a select, small group of people have disposable income. And when that happens businesses will fold, as is the case throughout both our city and country.

You're opinion is valid in so much that you're entitled to it. But I would argue that you can multiply wealth by dividing it: when you give other people an equal opportunity to invest and improve their own lives, society as a whole improves. You can't have a small investor class hoarding the majority of the money. The last I checked 5% of the U.S.'s populatioin controlled 60% of the wealth. I don't know what the figure for NYC is.

Posted by: YngRntr at February 3, 2009 4:32 PM in response to Quote of the Day

Mopar: Yea I admit I overreacted a bit there, but when people tell others to move to another city I think they cross a line.

I split a 3 bedroom with 2 others in Crown Heights and am doing all right. Still, what I said about improving the overall health of NYC's economy by keeping more money in the pockets of the masses I stand by. How to best accomplish that is anyone's guess at this point, though I've read some pretty good ideas here.

Posted by: YngRntr at February 3, 2009 4:24 PM in response to Quote of the Day

"Everything lechacal said is spot on and steeped in proven economic and social history.

cw....the reasonable compromise in the middle is dictated by economic cycles. We do not live in a socialist country despite the Sheldon Silver's of the state."

DIBS in my short time trolling this site, I've known you to be a reasonable poster here. But I have to disagree here wholeheartedly.

We are living in a time where the natural economic cycle was upset by both greedy investors, stupid borrowers and predatory lenders. The market in NYC is such that now that Wall Street is on the brink of demise, our economy is shot. My opinion is that if the city really wants to strengthen its economy, it needs to diversify. You can't have a majority -- of which admittedly I'm a part of -- paying 60% of their monthly expenses to rent. It leaves me with little else to spend my money on, and so local businesses are more inclined to go out of business.

I don't pretend to have all the answers, but advising people to move to a city they can afford reeks of elitism and delusion . . . I happen to work in City Government and am required to be a resident of this city. Moreover, I shouldn't have to tell you I don't make a lot of money. Rhetorically speaking, what the hell am I supposed to do.

Posted by: YngRntr at February 3, 2009 4:07 PM in response to Quote of the Day

I used to live across the street from here (as in just last year). The local supermarket that was there wasn't half bad. The store was kept clean; the meat was of decent quality, and their prices were within reason as well.

If C-Town can improve on that, more power to them -- and the surrounding residents, of course.

Posted by: YngRntr at February 3, 2009 2:09 PM in response to Streetlevel: C-Town Takes Over in Greenwood Heights

That thing looks like something out of Lord of the Rings, or perhaps rather an old nesesis of Godzilla. Either way, I swear it looks like it's about to go and take a bite out of something.

Posted by: YngRntr at January 29, 2009 3:35 PM in response to Development Watch: 238 St. Marks Avenue Revisited

Thanks Biff! I try to pop-in before I get caught up in my day's work. Posting in the morning is fastly becoming as routine as my bagel and coffee.

See you all in a few hours . . .

Posted by: YngRntr at January 29, 2009 10:00 AM in response to Thursday Links

"Happy is relative"

Exactly.

I'm a lot happier in CHts than I was living in Williamsburg, with its perpetual construction and overwhelming population of wanna-be musicians.

Could I be even happier in a hood like Cobble Hill, probably. But I try to count my blessings.

Posted by: YngRntr at January 29, 2009 9:49 AM in response to Thursday Links

100% Fluff piece, but still, I like reading about New Yorkers.

The nerd in me has to say this though: If all even, approximately 500+ people were interviewed from each borough; that's not really enough to draw any statistically significant conclusions. And obviously the particular neighborhoods the respondents hailed from are going to have a lot to do with their answers . . . I know Queens, and I wouldn't trade living in Crown Heights for the majority of its neighborhoods.

Posted by: YngRntr at January 29, 2009 9:35 AM in response to Thursday Links

If anyone has a reason to want to see home prices fall it's people like me; those just finishing their educations, hoping to embark on reasonably lucrative (no MBA here, more like a MPA) careers. But my obvious bias favoring team bear is offset when I consider the dwindling volume of homes for sale in the market place.

In my eyes the immense volume of transactions over the years have been comprised of people trading-up, rather than selling and moving on. My point here is, even if prices come down some, they aren't going to crash -- not unless people begin to flee. New York is home base for the majority of people who own property here, I think. And the last I checked there is no scheduled mass exodus to the 'burbs, like that my parent's generation embarked on.

Maybe I'm wrong -- honestly, I hope I am; but, prices in Brownstone Brooklyn will never again be close to relatively affordable. If I had to guess, worst case scenario, average prices will bottom out at 50% above what they were in 2000.

So to me there's really no such thing as a bear market, at best it becomes more like a neutered bull.

Posted by: YngRntr at January 28, 2009 9:35 AM in response to Case-Shiller: November Crappiest Month Ever

Haha! You know DIBS would make a pretty good tag too.

Posted by: YngRntr at January 27, 2009 11:13 AM in response to Brooklyn Got 'Tagged' More in '08

PJ's = Projects.

Posted by: YngRntr at January 21, 2009 6:20 PM in response to House of the Day: 150 Bond Street Revisited

"And, within reason, you can do as you please"

Is this a plus or a minus in a four-unit brownstone?
People can be crazy.

good point.

Posted by: YngRntr at January 20, 2009 4:18 PM in response to Condos of the Day: 4 South Portland Avenue

3:23 -- There's always a premium on condos because you actually own your apartment not just its walls. And, within reason, you can do as you please without having to ask anyone's permission, i.e., renovations, sublets and, yes, even sales.

Posted by: YngRntr at January 20, 2009 3:32 PM in response to Condos of the Day: 4 South Portland Avenue

If you look at the floor plan again, you'll see there's a proper entrance on the side of the building opening up into a foyer.

Still, I agree, with all that space to play with, it's arguable they could have come up with a better place to put the kitchen.

Posted by: YngRntr at January 20, 2009 1:54 PM in response to House of the Day: 69 Gold Street

I googled 220 Willow to see and compare the new building to the Cornell mansion, but unfortunately it's covered by a tarp -- guess it was being renovated. I'll have to check it out come spring.

Posted by: YngRntr at January 16, 2009 4:21 PM in response to The Original 135 Willow Street

no prob =p thanks for the links

Posted by: YngRntr at January 16, 2009 4:16 PM in response to The Original 135 Willow Street

"222 Columbia Heights - the place next to the Pierrepont Playground by the Promenade - this place renovated not that long ago and now looks completely different"

According to the link you posted, Biff, the original in the picture was torn down in 1965: "Although Brooklyn Heights was designated a historic district in 1965, the Cornell mansion was torn down and replaced in 1982 with a small apartment house. To meet landmark regulations, the apartment house conformed to the shape of the original mansion."

Posted by: YngRntr at January 16, 2009 3:56 PM in response to The Original 135 Willow Street

"the need for a middle school tops that list"

I know every neighborhood has its share of schools, but the thought of 500+ pre-adolescents lingering around DUMBO spells trouble for a neighborhood premised on hipness.

Then again, I haven't been over there in a while -- perhaps the area has become more domesticated than I ever thought possible. And I'm sure the bussing in of a market will bring more food options to the hood.

I'm interested to know what locals are thinking (despite oposition to obstructing bridge views).

Posted by: YngRntr at January 15, 2009 9:23 AM in response to CB2 Gives Thumbs Up to Dock Street

And the listings says the home is 20x45=2700 . . . but i'm new here, maybe I'm to round up? or perhaps there's an unmentioned 300 sq.ft. roof-deck.

Posted by: YngRntr at January 14, 2009 1:58 PM in response to House of the Day: 132 Rutland Road

"2 couples could buy this for $999,999 and then turn it into 2 1500 sq ft condos. Seems like a deal"

The area forbids just this. Lefferts Manor does not allow for any kind of conversions. All of its historic houses are one family homes.

Posted by: YngRntr at January 14, 2009 1:41 PM in response to House of the Day: 132 Rutland Road

"This place also has the distinction of abutting the 14 new townhouses that were recently built on State Street."

Having googled the street, I would swap "distinction" with "misfortune". Though, yes, those 14 are better than 85% of the new construction I've witnessed over the years.

Posted by: YngRntr at January 13, 2009 1:39 PM in response to House of the Day: 291 State Street

"Besides, price drops almost always begin at the top of the market -- as demonstrated by the 20ft. Park Place home which listed for 1.99 last week."

Re: I believe we heard from someone later in that thread who had seen the property who said it needed massive amounts of work

I remember that and concede the poster may have been telling the truth. But a flaw in my example does not, I think, undermine the overall soundness of my observation.

After reading all the comments up to this point, my hope here -- as someone who is just finishing grad. school and is thus nowhere close to buying anything --is that developers see the stability in the brownstone market and actually start building properties that maintain the historic charachter of the neighborhoods we live in . . . because even in a volatile market they will continue to sell.

Posted by: YngRntr at January 13, 2009 12:19 PM in response to Elliman: Condos Down, Co-ops Flat, Brownstones Up in 4Q

I would have thought this to be closer to the median for Brownstone sales.

With the exception of some sections of Crn. Hts & BS, I've not seen any listings in Brownstone BK for prices this low. I assume, then, that there has been an overwhelming amount of activity in 'fringe' neighborhoods over this last year.

Besides, price drops almost always begin at the top of the market -- as demonstrated by the 20ft. Park Place home which listed for 1.99 last week.

Posted by: YngRntr at January 13, 2009 9:23 AM in response to Elliman: Condos Down, Co-ops Flat, Brownstones Up in 4Q