It's a nice sized 2b/2b that could actually even become a 3b someday in a great location - close to park, subway, PS 321 - I think it will go over ask.

I can't believe that anyone who wants to live in prime Park Slope or Brooklyn Heights would find this high - it's what you expect to pay for a good neighborhood.

Posted by: columbiatch at November 16, 2009 4:22 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 130 8th Avenue, #7C

Although the apartment is definitely overpriced, I don't think that you can hear the BQE really at all from this street. I walk my dog down Willow Place at least once a day (there is a great little dog run right around the corner) and it's a really quiet and charming street.

Posted by: columbiatch at November 5, 2009 10:47 AM in response to Co-op of the Day: 32 Willow Place, #9

This building looks so much like the public housing one a few posts below that I did a double take.

Posted by: columbiatch at September 15, 2009 4:27 PM in response to The Novo Sells Out

This is a very good price for a nice sized apartment in a great location - comparable apartments in BH have been selling closer to $900K recently. I'll be shocked if they don't get their asking price.

Posted by: columbiatch at September 14, 2009 2:55 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 57 Montague Street, #4A

I think a lot of these apartments are great deals. The building is gorgeous with really nice finishes and a ton of amenities (considering all of the amenities, the common charges actually seem reasonable). The area is a little shady right now, with all of the construction being done, but within a year, there should be a much higher ratio of park to construction.

We live pretty close and have talked about buying a car - even though we totally don't need one - b/c the garage there is only $180 / month - which is cheaper than the sketchy garage in the middle of Concord Village.

Posted by: columbiatch at August 18, 2009 12:51 PM in response to Price Cuts at One Brooklyn Bridge Park

How many celebrities live in BH? I've only seen Giamatti, but Mr. Biatch has seen Gabriel Byrne and Michael Showalter.

Posted by: columbiatch at July 16, 2009 3:32 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 35 Pierrepont Street, #3B

we looked at apartment 4B last year when it was like $875K (and FSBO) and thought it was a nice apartment (the skim coated walls were especially nice), but the one we wound up buying was listed for $50K less and had a much bigger living / dining area with room to build a 3rd bedroom if we ever needed it. Apparently Paul Giamatti lives on the 4th floor b/c the owners told us that he was their next door neighbors. We kept calling the $50K the "Giamatti premium."

In this market - I think they both could go for $750.

Posted by: columbiatch at July 16, 2009 3:09 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 35 Pierrepont Street, #3B

I do know for a fact that SJP has looked at and is looking at a few places in Brooklyn Heights b/c they have friends there. Not Park Slope.

Posted by: columbiatch at July 13, 2009 10:06 AM in response to SJP Slope Rumor Dead and Buried

A friend of ours is renovating a brownstone for a hollywood couple (writers, not actors) who bought in Brooklyn Heights. He had told us that when his clients first bought in Brooklyn, they had dinner with SJP and MB who were very interested in leaving the WV and were thinking of looking in Brooklyn as well. This was maybe a year ago or a little longer than that. So I don't think it's out of the question...

Posted by: columbiatch at July 3, 2009 4:43 PM in response to Sarah Jessica Parker to Slope?

Mr. biatch picked up food from there on his way home last week. I got chicken strips - which were good but no different than McD's and fries. I INHALED those fries - thy are s freakin' good. He got wings which were very average. Now, just thinking about it, I want more fries...

Posted by: columbiatch at July 1, 2009 3:35 PM in response to No Shortage of Demand for Checkers

My friend lives in this building - her apartment is nice (the bathroom is comically large), but the best thing about her place by far is that she paid extra for a private roofdeck. Her roofdeck is awesome.

scarter - The floors are bamboo and I think they get easily scratched.

Posted by: columbiatch at June 25, 2009 1:41 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 110 Livingston Street, #6W

That's actually a perfect location for skateboarders b/c the entrance to the park is right at the top of the hill down to DUMBO (right after the Promenade ends at like Cranberry) and there are always teenage skateboarders skating down that hill.

Posted by: columbiatch at May 11, 2009 12:24 PM in response to Shredders Coming to Squibb?

Is Likitsakos going to have yogurt too? I got some at the Flea in Dumbo in early March and it was the greatest thing I've ever tasted. I keep going back hoping that they will be there again, but so far no luck :(

Posted by: columbiatch at April 14, 2009 4:30 PM in response to Closing Bell: Brooklyn Flea's New Food Vendors

I found the previous posting - it was updated to report that 5 Guys passed on it.

http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2009/01/streetlevel_fiv.php

Posted by: columbiatch at March 24, 2009 11:20 AM in response to Busy Chef Space to Get Busy Again

I could have sworn that I read somewhere (maybe even on Brownstoner) that it was going to be another 5 Guys.

Posted by: columbiatch at March 24, 2009 10:17 AM in response to Busy Chef Space to Get Busy Again

"My friend from Oklahoma called it "Taco Hell." Never eaten there."

That's like in West Philly - there was a McD's and a BK on a very sketchy corner that everone called "McDeath" and "Burglar King".

Posted by: columbiatch at March 12, 2009 12:40 PM in response to Confirmed: Arby's Planning to Take Gage & Tollner Space

so sad - I was really getting my hopes up about Cheesecake Factory.

and as a native NYer - I grew up on the Lower East Side when it was dangerous and scary - totally agree with *Rob* - not thrilled with over-saturation of chains, but was so psyched to get a Red Lobster and would kill for Cheescake Factory (I really have a minor obsession with this place). I love that Target is just 2 subway stops away. Ikea is a good walk on a nice day. Admittedly I was even excited when Starbucks first arrived.

Posted by: columbiatch at March 12, 2009 10:21 AM in response to Confirmed: Arby's Planning to Take Gage & Tollner Space

Park Plaza Diner has the best pancakes - yum yum yum.

Posted by: columbiatch at March 10, 2009 5:19 PM in response to High Rents Killing Montague Street

Turn the maid's room into a dining room, take down the partition between dining room and living room and if you ever need a third bedroom, carve it out from the right end of the living room and you've got a solution to the guest bathroom issue. I'd also knock out the divider between the foyer and dining room and maybe a closet or two to open the space up a little.

Otherwise it's a great space at a very reasonable price for a prime PS location. A year ago there's no way it would have been priced at under a milllion and if you intend to stay for awhile, when the market goes back up eventually you will definitely be able to sell at a higher price.

Posted by: columbiatch at March 10, 2009 1:32 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 39 Plaza Street West

We are in our 30s and no kids yet and live a block from Montague street. I think we'd go out during the week way more often if there were places to go. That's why the Tea Lounge thing is particularly exciting. When we have friends over we almost always take them to Jack the Horse or one of the places on Henry in the ruit street area or go up to Smith/Court street. Inevitably such friends ask why don't we go out on Montague b/c it's right there - but most of the places are unappetizing or not suited for just having a drink. The only stores I shop in there are Tango (which is pricey but has all of the jeans and T Shirt basics that I'd otherwise need to hike to SoHo for) and the hardware store.

Posted by: columbiatch at March 10, 2009 11:26 AM in response to High Rents Killing Montague Street

Please let it be a Cheescake factory!!!!!!!

Posted by: columbiatch at March 6, 2009 10:30 AM in response to Another Rumor: Fast Food for Gage & Tollner Space

"Just like the little hardware store across from the Grand Canyon. He owns the building so the odds of him closing are slim."

I freaking LOVE that hardware store - they have everything you would ever need for your home and they are so helpful and knowledgeable about home repairs. Mr. biatch and I talk all the time about trying to join the Montague BID b/c the mix of stores is atrocious: banks, cell phone stores and real estate firms oh my! The food options are terrible. I never went into Spicy Pickle - it looked unappealing.

Posted by: columbiatch at February 23, 2009 4:37 PM in response to Spicy Pickle Loses Its Crunch

Mr. biatch and I like to walk around Fort Greene, look at the pretty buildings and have dinner in some pretty good restaurants. We would never in a million years live there.

Although the people are diverse and interesting, the schools aren't good, I never feel safe walking around there at night and I grew up next to the projects - have no desire to live anywhere near them now. I think it could be great place to live until you have kids...

Posted by: columbiatch at February 17, 2009 2:58 PM in response to Fort Greene: City's Best Nabe?

you can have dishwashers - just not washer / dryers - there's a laundry room in the basement, so for me that's no big deal. does anyone know the apartment number?

Posted by: columbiatch at February 11, 2009 3:54 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 70 Remsen Street Studio

Does anyone know what the apartment number is?

Posted by: columbiatch at February 11, 2009 2:02 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 70 Remsen Street Studio

No *rob* it will mean that only wealthy families who can afford to send their kids to private school will have the opportunity to live in Brooklyn and allow their children to get an education at a school without metal detectors.

I'm all for this development - as opposed to most developers, the Walentases actually seem to give a crap about the community and not just making a quick buck.

Posted by: columbiatch at January 14, 2009 10:44 AM in response to CB2 To Vote Tonight on Dock Street

I like to go after work - at like 8pm on a Tuesday it's fully-stocked and pretty empty. Would never go near the holidays or on a weekend.

Posted by: columbiatch at January 6, 2009 6:15 PM in response to Closing Bell: FIPS Goes Undercover

Will we need to pay a toll to WALK over the bridges too?

Just ridiculous that they would want to make the outer boroughs pay for the stupid Second Avenue Subway that will only make live easier for rich UES dwellers.

Posted by: columbiatch at December 4, 2008 12:37 PM in response to Adding Tolls to Brooklyn Bridges?

They don't call this site Brown"stoner" for nothing

Posted by: columbiatch at December 3, 2008 3:38 PM in response to Condos of the Day: 24 Remsen Street

one more point on the walk-up issue is that if you are planning to have babies in a walk up, make sure that there's stroller parking in the lobby...

Posted by: columbiatch at December 3, 2008 3:25 PM in response to Condos of the Day: 24 Remsen Street

Lived in a doorman building from age 22-26 and I was embarrassed about how un-promiscuous I was...

Then lived without one for a few years (in the Villlage) and was no big deal, except for when my apartment got broken into and I had to put bars on my windows and extra locks on the door. Also one of my neighbors tried to kill herself by throwing herself down a flight a stairs and slashing herself with bottles found in the recycling bin. A doorman would have been nice that night...

Most buildings in Brooklyn are relatively leanly staffed (like 5-6 doormen and a super) as opposed to giant Manhattan high rises where there are like 20 people on the tip list each year!

Posted by: columbiatch at December 3, 2008 3:23 PM in response to Condos of the Day: 24 Remsen Street

These apartments are gorgeous, but super-pricey. The co-op of the day about a month ago at 70 Remsen (1 block up on an equally lovely street) is like half the price for like 200 less sq. feet and at least you get a doorman and an elevator thrown in...

Posted by: columbiatch at December 3, 2008 2:00 PM in response to Condos of the Day: 24 Remsen Street

H&M is a huge step above Strawberry, Boltons and all the hoochie mama stores! I have fantasies about the Fulton Mall becoming a decent place to shop someday and have my fingers crossed that H&M will draw in the likes of similar chains and make the area comparative to lower broadway (but without the crowds). Trust me i'll be much more excited if Barney's Co-op or Anthropologie came to Downtown Brooklyn, but H&M is a decent start.

Posted by: columbiatch at November 13, 2008 10:42 AM in response to H&M Setting Up Shop in Downtown BK

we looked at some apartments in this building about 8 months ago. The building is nice, but it's in a weird area for the following reason - a lot of the warehouses in Vinegar Hill that could be developed into really cool apartments are sitting vacant right now until the zoning laws are determined for the neighborhood - therefore, the buildings surrounding this one may sit vacant for a few years or may be knocked down and turned into big glass towers. It was hard for us to justify making an investment in a neighborhood that we might not like in 2 or 3 years. It's also pretty desolate around there, which is something we weren't entirely comfortable with.

Posted by: columbiatch at November 10, 2008 1:22 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 50 Bridge Street

We bought a 2 / 2 in a pre-war doorman building on a similarly attractive BH street a few months ago for much much less. Same sq. footage. same maintenance. We had some cosmetic renovations that need / needed to be done, but certainly not over $350K worth!!! Gives us hope for resale value.

Posted by: columbiatch at August 25, 2008 3:29 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 24 Monroe Place

I tried yogomonster yesterday - it was pretty good. i think Red Mango is better, though. At least it tastes like yogurt, rather than Pinkberry, which tastes like poison. I had the banana flavor with blueberries and mochi.

If Rita's comes to Downtown Brooklyn Mr.biatch would have a coronary - it's like his favorite thing in the world - and he calls it Water Ice.

Posted by: columbiatch at August 11, 2008 5:28 PM in response to Red Mango Marches Into Court Street Yogurt Wars

*Dance of Joy* This one is the best!!!

Posted by: columbiatch at August 5, 2008 11:54 AM in response to Red Mango Marches Into Court Street Yogurt Wars

Pinkberry is nasty. I would kill for a Red Mango somewhere in Brooklyn Heights / Cobble Hill. As a friend of mine said - Red Mango is like sex in a yogurt cup.

Posted by: columbiatch at August 4, 2008 6:04 PM in response to Streetlevel: Silver Spoon Yogurt Coming to Fulton

This is one of the few apartments that I've seen listed since we started looking at 2brs in Brooklyn last year that i've been a little jealous of (we love the place that we bought but it needs some work). I was curious so I clicked on the mortgage calculator and it seems like you can only put 100% down!!!

Posted by: columbiatch at July 22, 2008 2:12 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 44 Cheever Place