Nice house, unfortunately done in Crayola. Everyone complains about the two-tone brick color of the buildings on 4th ave. What a joke.

Posted by: ou812 at November 17, 2009 8:31 AM in response to Ditmas Park Gets the 'Living In' Treatment

Only blond haired blued eyed people are allowed to live there, so that leaves all of you out.

Posted by: ou812 at November 13, 2009 12:48 PM in response to 574 4th Avenue: The Full Monty

I don't understand the distinction between FAR and non-FAR area. My understanding is the formula determines the maximum allowable floor SQF of buidable home based on the SQF of the entire lot. What's left is still part of the equation and does not become non-far. You are trying to assign equal value to the remaining SQF but If the deepest lot has unused FAR (Buildings all being equal), that would make that land more valuable per SQF. This does not just apply to the Scaranos of the world doing teardowns. People do put additions onto their homes for many reasons and sometimes they even do it legally. If you want a expert opinion, ask an architect and give them the lot numbers.

Posted by: ou812 at November 3, 2009 2:22 PM in response to Value of a Backyard?

Assuming you have not maxed out the FAR and regardless of whether or not you ever plan to build/extend, a bigger lot means a larger allowbale SQF home and it should be valued based upon the remaining potential to add SQF to the home.

Posted by: ou812 at November 3, 2009 10:22 AM in response to Value of a Backyard?

Renters/Buyers on 4th ave have a choice. These developments are consumer driven and if end consumers say no to either purchasing or renting at a price that makes it economically viable for the developer, they wouldn't proceed to continuouslly building them (In at least that fashion). Who's to blame here, the developer who keeps putting it up or the consumer who keeps buying it?

Posted by: ou812 at October 22, 2009 11:49 AM in response to Development Watch: 574 4th Avenue

Yup, the one story mechanic garages and dilapidated wood frames that previously occupied this space were much nicer. Nope, the recovering drug addicts will be residing up the block on 5th ave and 16th, which eveyone seems to be okay with. Must be the choice of brick color and lack of balconies, that's it!

Posted by: ou812 at October 21, 2009 3:44 PM in response to Development Watch: 574 4th Avenue

When you have to go!

Posted by: ou812 at October 13, 2009 4:41 PM in response to Closing Bell: Two beds, 11 Baths?

The building in the first picture clearly has fire escapes attached to it and would appear to be an older apartment building and not a condo development. That would make the shack above the entrance a bit of a problem assuming that is also a fire escape with a scuttle ladder.

Posted by: ou812 at October 12, 2009 1:12 PM in response to Last Day of the Sukkahs

I don't see any permits for those structures!
Certainly the ones on the fire escape pose an encumberance and should be violations!

Posted by: ou812 at October 9, 2009 4:00 PM in response to Last Day of the Sukkahs

As of Oct. 1 you the LL one months' rent. Move by tomorrow and that's another story as you don't have a lease. Anything else is negotiated between you and the landlord. "Potential" is your opinion and by the time you actaully get an inspector in, you still owe Oct. Sounds like poor planning on your part. You should have planned to move at the end of whatever month you were ready and not look for a 7 day rent deal after the fact.

Posted by: ou812 at September 29, 2009 12:50 PM in response to 30-Day Notice Req'd?

Why don't we just agree. They are blow hards!

Posted by: ou812 at September 14, 2009 4:52 PM in response to Closing Bell: DDDB's Letter to SHoP

NJ currently doesn't support their team, you think they will travel to Brooklyn? Wake up, that's why they are leaving in the first place. They couldn't sell out the Meadowlands when the NETS made into the playoffs. There will NOT be 1000's of Honking NJ drivers. There will be 1000's of people walking to the stadium. There will be 1000's of people taking "how many local trains and busses actually pass through there already?" mass transit, and conveneiently the LIRR. For that matter, make it practically impossible to park there for the Arena and force the mass transit option if that makes you happy. It will still sell out. The arguments against the Arena itself are BS.

Posted by: ou812 at September 9, 2009 1:26 PM in response to New Barclay's Center Design Revealed

DDDB should re-arrange the words in their acromym to "Don't Develop and Destroy Brooklyn".

Posted by: ou812 at September 9, 2009 11:47 AM in response to New Barclay's Center Design Revealed

If you want authentic polish, just go two blocks over to the tiny little Jubilat Provisions in between Prospect Ave and 17th on 5th. They focus purely on polish provisions and lots of smoked pork. White Eagle is terrible in either case, polish or standard proivisions. How they are still in business is mind boggling.

Posted by: ou812 at August 31, 2009 4:49 PM in response to StreetLevel: New Bakery in the South Slope

I'm sure the Dolan family doesn't support AY for the same reasons. It will compete against them, even in Brooklyn.

Posted by: ou812 at August 26, 2009 12:12 PM in response to Bloomberg Opines on Atantic Yards, Coney Island

Have it designated as a wetland and make it un-buidable.

Posted by: ou812 at August 26, 2009 11:29 AM in response to The Hole: Cowboys and Bodies in Brooklyn/Queens

Instead of referencing some other building when being crticial, I believe you should post pictures of your own buildings so we may critique them.

Posted by: ou812 at August 7, 2009 10:03 AM in response to Aesthetically-Challenged on Columbia Street

Looks like a strip mall office building that belongs in Long Island somewhere righ off an LIE exit ramp.

Posted by: ou812 at July 27, 2009 11:25 AM in response to Battle Over Carroll St. Norten Build Heats Up This Week

Euro Trash. Prefer the Fedders.

Posted by: ou812 at July 27, 2009 11:22 AM in response to Checking In On 268 Wythe Avenue

And why are you changing yoru C of O?

Posted by: ou812 at July 16, 2009 10:12 AM in response to Unpermitted Extension

Nice Dodge!

Posted by: ou812 at July 15, 2009 10:53 AM in response to Wednesday Links

They need to increase the doseage of their meds. They obviously aren't working. Oh wait, that is what got them there in the first place. It is the parents fault! They should be ganging up on bodega owners and stealing juices like normal kids.

Posted by: ou812 at June 23, 2009 4:51 PM in response to Closing Bell: Quidditch in McCarren Park

I see a-holes!

Posted by: ou812 at June 15, 2009 6:23 PM in response to Development Watch: 330 Clifton Place

Is it really worth the headache over one month? You'll lose more that just fighting it unless you have nothing but time on your hands. See if they are willing to forgoe return of thier deposit and pay July. Assuming you have no damage, you are even. Call it day and start looking for new tenants. If your lucky, you'll get some before the original lease would have expried and consider yourself ahead of the game at that point. Keep in mind, if they stayed throughout the lease and then moved, you would probably had it vaacnat for at least a month. By having them pay July and forgoe the deposit, that bascially pays for August and during that time you can paint and show it. Don't ask them to find you a tenant as mentioned earlier. That's just looking for trouble. One final thing, holding out for higher rent vs. renting right away negates any increase if you find yourself with a vacant apartment past August. One month of not getting rent negates any potential increase. Take what the market gives you.

Posted by: ou812 at June 15, 2009 12:03 PM in response to Tenant Breaking Lease?

I think the point is that Brooklyn has over well 2 million people as a Borough (larger than most cities) and not only deserves but can support a venue llike this on it's own. It doesn't need outside people to come to see it.

Posted by: ou812 at June 10, 2009 11:34 AM in response to More Renderings of New Arena Design

Please explain what would represent your diversity?
It's a glorified basketball court with lots of seats. Granola, Beef Patty, Organic Falafel, along with beer, Hot dog, and burger concessions are not relevant to the building. "Represent your Diversity"? How exactly does a brick and mortar (or in this case steel and glass) shell of a building do that?

Posted by: ou812 at June 10, 2009 11:31 AM in response to More Renderings of New Arena Design

A pedestrian Mall maybe?
Bunch o' A-holes!

Posted by: ou812 at June 9, 2009 10:33 AM in response to Ouroussoff, Tell Us How You Really Feel

Blah, blah, blah, blah!!! It is getting old already.

Posted by: ou812 at June 9, 2009 10:31 AM in response to Ouroussoff, Tell Us How You Really Feel

Buld your deck over it with a trap door. Drop a keg in there and fill it with ice and just have the tap sticking out for your summer parties.

Posted by: ou812 at May 15, 2009 10:46 AM in response to Backyard Reno Unveils Old Well in Fort Greene

It's not racist if the owner is African American, it's only racist for everyone else.

Posted by: ou812 at April 1, 2009 3:24 PM in response to Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up

In this area, contextual is the only point you have besides the one on your head. I agree if it were vinyl sided and sagging, you wouldn't even have that. What is the point?

Posted by: ou812 at March 16, 2009 4:43 PM in response to Development Watch: 805 5th Avenue

"The New Brooklyn" reminds of Woodstock 99. People attempting to re-live what can only have been experienced at a spontaneous point in time. These things are not invented; they just happen, thus cannot be recreated. Anything else is just a poor facsimile. Call it the "New Philly" or anything else for that matter, but get your own identity.

Posted by: ou812 at March 16, 2009 2:17 PM in response to Where Is The New Brooklyn?

Greenwood Heights was 7th!

Posted by: ou812 at March 10, 2009 3:16 PM in response to Explore Old Brooklyn with Brooklyn Revealed

Dave,

I'm not off track and nor did I make any mistakes "Originally" that required any realization. But I can see how you can might think that by missing my first post and not understanding the nature of the second. Whilst your studious endeavors in reading contigous streams of verbiage are commendable, putting together disparate strings within appropriate context does not appear to be your forte. :)

Posted by: ou812 at March 6, 2009 4:22 PM in response to Department of Sanitation 1, Tree 0

I didn't misread the story. Our illustrious NYC Parks Department should take care of the trees they plant and make sure limbs don't grow into oncoming traffic. Plant all you want, just make sure they grow up and not out. The truck didn't jump the curb and hit the tree, now did it?

Posted by: ou812 at March 6, 2009 1:10 PM in response to Department of Sanitation 1, Tree 0

News Flash! A Tree Falls in Brooklyn! No one was hurt except the tree! I was expecting to NOT hear about it.

Posted by: ou812 at March 6, 2009 11:55 AM in response to Department of Sanitation 1, Tree 0

OMG, STOP THE PRESSES!

Posted by: ou812 at March 6, 2009 11:00 AM in response to Department of Sanitation 1, Tree 0

I'll take the 17th St. one in "GWH" instead.

Posted by: ou812 at March 5, 2009 4:30 PM in response to House of the Day: 17 1st Street

Lovely furniture, not sure I got a good look at the house though. Seems the furniture and artwork were more the focus here.

Posted by: ou812 at March 5, 2009 4:28 PM in response to Closing Bell: Brownstone Voyeur

Pluvious,
Please post up one of your historical maps. I would like to see GW or GWH on the map. Being someone not born in the 70's and not fitting your description of "Young Lives", you comment about "Long Before Then" and "Old School" has piqued my interest. In other words, I never heard of it!

Posted by: ou812 at March 5, 2009 1:39 PM in response to House of the Day: 216 17th Street

The Official NYC Bus Map has all of the neighborhoods listed on it's map. Zoom in and they appear in Blue.

http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/busbkln.pdf

I don't see "Greenwood Heights" on the map. Are the "Heights" not quite the Slope but better than Sunset Park?

Posted by: ou812 at March 4, 2009 3:23 PM in response to House of the Day: 216 17th Street

Street parking sucks regardless of boundaries. Walk along 4th and you will see the same high rise condos going up as on 4th street. (Excuse me "Gowanus") The one on the corner of 17thand 4th is a prime example where the old Wig Factory used to be. Look further south and you'll see even more. It will get worse when these buildings all come on line. The inside parking ratio is not 1:1.

Posted by: ou812 at March 4, 2009 2:52 PM in response to House of the Day: 216 17th Street

The upper part of the block is very nice as well as the south side this house is one. The on ramp is a sharp left immediatley covered by the houses on the north side. The train is 25 minutes to mid-town via Pacific ST. Express, the only real nuisance is the traffic just before the on ramp coming off of 4th ave or up from 3rd. It is heavy, but you will notice most traffic enters the on-ramp. No opinion on cost. It's worth what someone is willing to pay.

Posted by: ou812 at March 4, 2009 2:41 PM in response to House of the Day: 216 17th Street

A long time ago, "North", "Central", "Prime", "South", and "South South" Slope never existed. All realtor creative writing. We had but simply "Park Slope". Never heard of "Greenwood Heights" either, it was Windsor Terrace. After the highway, it was Sunset Park, just before Bay Ridge. That was the extent to which the neighbors hoods were divided, unless you wish to venture West to Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, and the only "Heights" Brooklyn Heights. Collectively, known as SOUTH BROOKLYN. Hence the old "SO"8-1234 in your phone numbers for "South" before area codes were required. You are correct snappy, in the end it matters not except for maybe the newbie wanting to impress their collection of friends by wanting to be able to claim a residence in Park Slope these days and the realtor trying to squeeze dollars.

Posted by: ou812 at March 4, 2009 2:14 PM in response to House of the Day: 216 17th Street

Don't under estimate Sunset Park. As you go further out into the 40's and 50's, entire blocks are Brownstone, Limestone, and Brick. Next wave (who knows how many years) will get there as well. They won't be pretending to be anything else at that point.

Posted by: ou812 at March 4, 2009 1:55 PM in response to House of the Day: 216 17th Street

Greenwood Heights? Never existed until the realtors got involved. "The Heights", please.

Posted by: ou812 at March 4, 2009 1:50 PM in response to House of the Day: 216 17th Street

Sunset Park. At least the beginning of it.

Posted by: ou812 at March 4, 2009 1:47 PM in response to House of the Day: 216 17th Street

"What are tental rates today?"

I get a great rate from Cobble & BH on my tent. (Just sayin')

Posted by: CarrollGardened at November 3, 2009 11:21 AM in response to Value of a Backyard?

thanks for the replies.

Bklnite thanks for the VF appraisal numbers. Wow, you're right those are really low. Even if one tripled those figures its still seems very low. northsloperenter it was for purchase price, and i've got couple of pooches that would be more than willing to "maintain" any backyard size.

maly, interesting, approach. is that your back of the napkin approach with comps?
that is indeed a lot of coin ($450k) going from no backyard to large backyard. if you were to look at that number just on the yard itself, assuming all else was the same, that would be around 150 -180 psf for the yard value for something like a 17'-20' width. given that many lots aren't usually zero or 200, but that "yard psf" is interesting number. could be even higher if you scaled down the yard range.

ou812 - in R6B land i haven't seen too much FAR squeeze broker babble being advertised today. The only people i usually see doing this are the scaranos of the world doing teardowns, or conversions, which are moving zero inventory right now. i'm referring to less than 3-family if that makes any difference. is this method being used to back into maly's napkin approach, and if so where would that leave the rest of the non-far area?

Posted by: invisible at November 3, 2009 12:04 PM in response to Value of a Backyard?

Try this as a basis:

Cost of designing and building typical 4-level 20 ft x 45 ft townhouse on 20 ft x 100 ft lot (which probably get you close to allowable FAR): 3,600 SF x $350/SF = $1,260,000

Likely selling price of house including land: $1,600,000

Land value: $1,600,000 - $1,260,000 = $340,000

Value of land per SF: $340,000 / 2,000 = $170/SF

As a cross check; assuming a R6B FAR of 2 (allowing a 4,000 SF building)the land value equates to $85 per buildable SF which seems about right in these days (though a far cry from the over $150 per buildable SF sites were fetching in the frothiest days of the bubble).

Posted by: johnife at November 3, 2009 12:30 PM in response to Value of a Backyard?

Definitely a back of the envelope calc, and although it seems like a large difference, in my experience it bears out, as perfectly fine houses with tiny backyards take forever and a day to sell. I have been looking at carriage houses, which I personally love for their rustic looks. Some end up without any backyard, or with less than 15 ft clearance, which inevitably lands them at the bottom of their relative value scale.

Posted by: Maly at November 3, 2009 12:38 PM in response to Value of a Backyard?

I don't understand the distinction between FAR and non-FAR area. My understanding is the formula determines the maximum allowable floor SQF of buidable home based on the SQF of the entire lot. What's left is still part of the equation and does not become non-far. You are trying to assign equal value to the remaining SQF but If the deepest lot has unused FAR (Buildings all being equal), that would make that land more valuable per SQF. This does not just apply to the Scaranos of the world doing teardowns. People do put additions onto their homes for many reasons and sometimes they even do it legally. If you want a expert opinion, ask an architect and give them the lot numbers.

Posted by: ou812 at November 3, 2009 2:22 PM in response to Value of a Backyard?