Insurance for Office/Residential space

We just did something similar: moved from a coop in the slope to a house in ditmas. And we haven't regretted it for a second. We haven't experienced the area as "seedy" as premadas claims. Yes, it's very diverse. And that can be a great thing. Since we live right off of Cortelyou, we haven't found the shopping/services to be that bad. It's not the slope, but that can also be a good thing. The vibe is far more mellow, neighborly, and friendly.

Think outside of SWARM. The # streets, like 16th-19th have lots of 2 families. And they tend to be a bit bigger. Because they aren't in SWARM, they also tend to be more affordable. Yet not much difference in terms of quality of life--especially if you stay around Cortelyou, Dorchester, etc. Good luck.

Posted by: lhb at July 22, 2008 9:32 AM in response to thinking of Ditmas Park

Thank you so much zeebee for your helpful advice. We do plan to contact our insurance company...we just wanted a bit of advice before doing so.

Not sure why the prevous poster was so hostile--we did get advice from a lawyer on our licensing agreement...just wanted to know others experience with the insurance question. No fraud planned.

Posted by: lhb at July 13, 2008 3:36 PM in response to Insurance for Office/Residential space

he wasnt hostile. he worked in the insurance industy. that is a pleasanr response for them.

Posted by: slick at July 14, 2008 5:23 AM in response to Insurance for Office/Residential space

SWARM?

Posted by: Bessie at July 22, 2008 10:12 AM in response to thinking of Ditmas Park

SWARM stands for Stratford, Westminster, Argyle, Rugby and Marlborough, the five streets off of CIA. We bought a two family on Rugby a couple of years ago, just finishing a major renovation, and we love the hood. We have an infant and find the area to be kid and family friendly. It is quite diverse, we feel very safe here. True, it definitely helps to have a car and be able to drive for shopping/restaurants, etc, but overall a good quality of life for a young family.

Posted by: mh at July 22, 2008 11:45 AM in response to thinking of Ditmas Park

OP: have you checked out the 2 family for sale on Argyle (listed with both Julie Kestyn and Mary Kay)? We recently moved to Ditmas Park West from Brooklyn Heights and agree it is a bargain compared to Brownstone Brooklyn. I have to say that I couldn’t disagree more with the earlier post, as we moved here precisely because it was a safe, quiet, beautiful, and friendly place to raise a family with decent schools (both PS 139 and 217), increasing amenities, and a diverse population. We have been more than happy with amenities in the neighborhood -- we are a very short walk to Prospect Park, the Sunday farmer's market, two organic grocery stores, two coffee shops, two great restaurants with more on the way, a great little wine store, an awesome artisanal Italian ice shop, several yoga classes, a great old-school watering hole, and much more. We also love the interaction with people of many different cultures and try and take advantage of the ethnic markets, bakeries and restaurants in the area (not only Mexican and Pakistani/Bangladeshi but also Tibetan, West Indian, Jewish, Turkish, Eastern European, and more). We frequent many of these establishments for groceries and cheap, delicious food and find them to be perfectly “clean” and inviting by our relatively high standards. Contrary to being “seedy” or “deserted” we think that this neck of the woods has some of the most beautiful blocks in Brooklyn, if not all of New York City, and some very active neighborhood associations, and we love sitting on our porch and watching the children play in the street and the parade of passersby, young and old. To the OP, best of luck with your search, and let us know if you have any more specific questions about the neighborhood!

Posted by: westminster at July 22, 2008 12:26 PM in response to thinking of Ditmas Park

I would disagree with premadas about the neighborhood's seediness. Twenty-five years ago Flatbush was a much different place than it is now - but you can say the same for Brooklyn in general.

I live in West Midwood. There are many great Pakistani/Afghani/Bangladeshi restaurants on CIA, as well as a handful of more yuppie spots on Cortelyou, and now at Newkirk and Argyle. You can make the trip down to Avenue J for some excellent Kosher bakeries.

The Kent movie theater at CIA and Avenue H is a very convenient walk. Brooklyn College sometimes has some pretty interesting live music, dance, and theater. We have an OK Key Food on Foster and Rugby, and Shop Rite on McDonald is a short drive or bus ride, with plenty of indoor parking. The basics like bank branches, hardware store, wine store, diner, bagel place, Mexican, pizza, and Chinese restaurants are all at Newkirk Plaza. And plentiful fruit stands on CIA.

From this end of the neighborhood, Prospect Park is a pretty good hike or bike ride away, which is a drag. I'm looking forward to the opening, by year's end, of Brooklyn College's new athletic center. Having a brand new gym, including indoor pool, in the neighborhood will be nice.

In some ways it's a much more suburban vibe than brownstone neighborhoods, but it has an ethnic diversity you won't find there. I don't think you can stand on a subway platform in Park Slope and overhear conversations in Urdu, Bangla, Yiddish, Haitian Creole, Russian, and Spanish, the way you do here.

The truth is that most of the nicer housing stock is better suited to a family of seven than a family of three, but there are some two-families available. Or do what a lot of my neighbors have done, and open a bed and breakfast.

Posted by: Flatbushwhacker at July 22, 2008 1:51 PM in response to thinking of Ditmas Park

I can see why my old neighborhood would be enticing to some since the homes are huge and affordable. When I was there it was all Italian, Irish and Jewish, with shops catering to the likes of those groups. I don't feel comfortable or welcome in the Pakastani shops. I guess because I lived there when it was in was a newer, more vibrant area, I see the changes as bringing down the areas atractiveness and safety. There is not one store that was there in the 60's-80's that still exists...unless you count the Kent theatre. There used to be a bowling alley on CIA off Newkirk. The Jewish delis, bakeries and Grillos seafood are long gone. There were hardware stores, butcher shops, dress shops and shoe stores along Foster Avenue. I know comparing then and now is in vain, but knowing how it used to be I find it very depressing to visit the area now.

My mother did say that a French restaurant opened on Newkirk and Rugby. She ate there and said it was very good. But be careful of the Key Food on Foster off Rugby, the food there is often sold beyond its expiration date. Her house is on Glenwood btw Argyle and Rugby, you must live very near to that, Flatbushwhacker. Did you know there used to be a large stone overpass with 2 staircases on either side that went over the train tracks on Glenwood and connected both sides of the neighborhood? It was so easy to walk to Midwood HS and Bklyn College that way. When the stairs collapsed in the 80's the residents decided not to rebuild in order to try to keep out the crime wave coming over from Ocean Avenue at the time because many of the homes were being burglarized.

Posted by: premadas at July 22, 2008 11:52 PM in response to thinking of Ditmas Park

Thanks premadas -- as a newcomer to the neighborhood, it's always interesting to hear the opinions of those who lived here in the past. I really love how many old-timers still live in the neighborhood, but I also appreciate the mix of continuity and change. We recently met someone who was born and raised on our block but who had moved away a while back (although her family still lives in the same house) and she, like you, was expressing her astonishment at how much the neighborhood had changed in recent years -- but from her perspective, for the better! – with the recent influx of yuppies and amenities, decrease in crime, restoration of houses, etc. It's also interesting to think of the neighborhood as "newer" and “more vibrant” when you lived here in the sixties, since I would guess that the WASPs that colonized the area when it was first converted from farmland to suburban housing at the turn of the century would have viewed the next wave of Jewish, Italian, and Irish inhabitants as suspiciously as you do the recent waves of immigrants. By the way, the Jewish stores still abound, just a little farther south, and Pomme de Terre (the bistro on Newkirk) is excellent -- I recommend you check it out next time you're in the area!

Posted by: westminster at July 23, 2008 12:36 PM in response to thinking of Ditmas Park

According to some of my neighbors who've been there for decades, the neighborhood was headed in a bad way back in the 1960s and 1970s. They say that banks redlined anything north of the LIRR cut, assuming it would all turn into slum.

I'm told the pedestrian bridge on Glenwood was a good place for kids to hang out, smoke and drink away from prying eyes. But also an easy place for muggings.

I agree the Foster Avenue commercial strip is hurting, and has been for a long time. But Key Food under its current ownership is a lot better than it used to be. It no longer smells like something crawled into their ventilation system to die. There's definitely still a ways to go in terms of commercial amenities. I think the relative lack of services is because the houses all have driveways, and it's so easy to jump in the car to do your dining or shopping in other neighborhoods. You don't have to spend your money locally. It's not like in brownstone neighborhoods where even if you have a car, you're reluctant to take the car and risk losing a good parking spot.

Posted by: Flatbushwhacker at July 23, 2008 1:43 PM in response to thinking of Ditmas Park

Thanks all for your feedback.
Westminster, yes, I've seen the 2 fam on Argyle. There is a slope in middle of it, visible from the outside as well, that does not seem too repairable, of course I am not an engineer and I expect all old houses to settle, but I think this sort of visible structural problem is beyond what I'm comfortable getting involved with.
There were a few one families listed just under one million, one of which on Argyle/glenwood was fairly renovated.
I don't seem to feel as comfortable in W. Midwood as I did in Ditmas Park West. I do like the newish stuff on Cortelyou. However, as flatbushwhacker mention, I am not overly concerned about local amenities since I'll have a car and my own driveway-big fantasy in itself.
I also read in the forums that South Midwood did not have as strong of a neighborhood association. Please comment about the various neighborhood groups if anyone has any opinions.

Posted by: bqe1970 at July 23, 2008 2:32 PM in response to thinking of Ditmas Park

The West Midwood Association is pretty busy. They sponsor a bunch of annual get-togethers and put out a quarterly newsletter. There's a core group of people there who make newcomers feel very welcome. http://www.westmidwood.org/index.htm

That house at Glenwood and Argyle looks pretty sweet from the outside, but I have no idea about its interior condition. The LDS church across the street is pretty quiet as churches go - not a very raucous style of worship. And the missionaries are so cute, always walking around in pairs.

One thing I'd warn you about is that these houses are as much hobby as shelter. They're best for people who are into the whole This Old House thing.

Posted by: Flatbushwhacker at July 23, 2008 4:07 PM in response to thinking of Ditmas Park