Mr Joist,

While I admire your positive attitude towards living across from a school, and several of your points are right, there are some flaws. In the case of 321, the larger schoolyard that this property faces stays open until sunset I believe, and I don't recall if the schoolyard is left open for recreation on weekends. The other schoolyard, the playground, is open all the time, and hosts the Flea Market on weekends. My next point is that while students are in school there is probably no drug issues, the 321 schoolyard is a favorite place for Slope teenagers to congregate at night and smoke and drink.

As for the property itself, its a nice triplex, the parlor floor looks nice, as always, more pictures are appreciated. But from the listing, its nothing special, as far as we can tell, its the fact that you're steps from 7th Avenue and in the 321 district. Granted, I'm of the opinion that 5th Avenue is the now better commercial strip, for families 7th probably still has the edge.

The rental unit is generous everywhere but the bathroom and that joke of a second bedroom. Most garden units that I've seen are one bedrooms, so I wouldn't be surprised if the new owner replaced the second bedroom with a more roomy bathroom (there's a half bath one floor up, so it should have the necessary plumbing).

Posted by: thetycoon at June 26, 2009 2:49 PM in response to House of the Day: 460 2nd Street

I wish this listing had a better floor plan on the website, would be nice to see dimensions on the house. I could tell that it was an owners triplex with a garden rental. I don't think it would be worth converting the parlor floor into part of the rental unit, a house on my block just did that, the owner is asking for 4-5K for the duplex rental. Thats tougher to move compared to a 1 bedroom simplex.

I'm not a big fan of the sloped roof in the front rooms on the 4th floor, but I know thats the style in a lot of the houses near the park. But the rest of the layout is ok, the 3rd floor being used as the Kitchen/Dining Room space is awkward, but not too out of the ordinary.

Posted by: thetycoon at June 23, 2009 8:23 PM in response to House of the Day: 641 10th Street Revisited

Does this price make sense. It looks like big house, and from what I read there are two rental units, the garden and parlor floors, which has its pros and cons. I'm trying to make sense of the price compared to the carriage house listed as yesterday's House of the Day, these two houses have a price difference of 50K, but this property seems to have much more to offer, except the garage in the carriage house.

Posted by: thetycoon at June 17, 2009 2:18 PM in response to House of the Day: 385 Grand Avenue

I can't wait to see this property when it's renovation is finished. The renderings make a beautiful impression, and if the results match then I think this property would go for ask. Having the background (the sunken back patio could be nice, plus the big backyard if Sam is right on the lot size) and the garage make it like living in a less dense neighborhood. The bedrooms are small, but still good sizes. We have a half bath on the first floor, always a plus. The building hopefully will match these renderings, and it will be close to perfect. I admit I don't know the neighborhood very well, or stuff like schools, but the fact that its off the G is slightly a turn off, but you're not far from the transfer to the A and C, its still as a whole a good property.

Posted by: thetycoon at June 16, 2009 9:44 PM in response to House of the Day: 244 Hall Street

I agree with RinTinTin and Miss Muffett, the bathroom situation is just weird. I get trying to maximize living space, and its on the narrow side (but not like that S. Oxford street house, its really night and day), but I think no WC on the parlor level in the owners duplex, plus the garden rental having its bathroom in the basement are real drawbacks to this property. Despite a beautiful renovation, I would have work crews inside putting a half bath somewhere on the parlor floor, though for the life of me I can't figure out a place for it yet.

Aside from this glaring problem, I can see people paying the price listed for this house, it is beautiful outside and in. I wish I could see pictures of the garden and the back deck, as both can increase the value, the back deck is a luxury addition for many in Park Slope, and the fact that its built over the garden rental bedroom is nice, so that the deck doesn't block light from entering the bedroom down there. I'm stymied how the website suggests that the garden rental is getting $1,900 in rent, but I digress, its in a decent area near trains, thats a lot for many renters and even homeowners. Plus Atlantic is getting better all the time, and there are some nifty shops that dot that neighborhood east of Smith Street.

Posted by: thetycoon at June 4, 2009 11:40 AM in response to House of the Day: 240 Dean Street

The biggest drawback might be living in the shadow of the Court Street theater, and being near the least desirable section of Court Street (between Joralemon and Schermerhorn).

The house itself has no faults that I can see. As someone who isn't adverse to being able to rent out part of a house (usually the garden floor), I'm not the world's biggest fan of the garden unit having the kitchen, but its all very nice looking. I think the price is fair, or close, maybe 2.5 at the low end. I don't have a good read on how much prices have come down in Brooklyn Heights.

Posted by: thetycoon at June 2, 2009 5:08 PM in response to House of the Day: 169 State Street

I actually think the renovation is very nice, and the use of space in many instances in quite clever. What throws me though is the top floor, with having to walk through a walk in closet or a bathroom to enter the bedrooms. Also, I can't figure out which half bath has the plumbing to become a full bath, I would hope its the bathroom that's in front of the office or future bedroom, but that looks to small. I think the future owner would probably need to expand that bathroom if they planned on using the office as a bedroom. Asking more than four people to share a single bathroom gets difficult.

I do wish this was on the other side of Fulton, just because I wouldn't want to live near Atlantic Avenue, but the property isn't too bad. I think 1.1-1.2 is probably where this will fall.

Posted by: thetycoon at June 2, 2009 4:49 PM in response to House of the Day: 130 South Oxford Street