Marker on Wood Floor

think that the the 21st street house looks like a good renovation. to promote as a condo alternative is smart.

Posted by: wine lover at November 20, 2009 5:57 PM in response to Open House Picks

don't assume that it's just singles renting here. great school district. could be families.

also, G to the & to midtown is a quick and mellow commute.

Posted by: wine lover at November 20, 2009 3:14 PM in response to Viridian Two-Thirds Rented

it would be interesting to know how the greenpoint house will be used. i just met another couple who bought a house in greenpoint because of their growing family simply to be in the PS34 zone. they set up their place for one rental, and took over the rest.

sometimes these houses covered in siding are renovated inside, or if not renovated, have old details. this place is still probably 100 years old +. can take off the siding and brick it up, etc... there's a place on driggs between N.6th and n.7th that was renovated from siding to bricks. the restaurant, El Almacen is on the first floor. the siding is irrelevant basically.

3000 square feet for under a million in the PS34 zone is a really really good deal for a family. g train to LIC to 7, and in midtown quick. otherwise, B61 to the L to go downtown, or if you're me, just walk to the L.

at 920K, you could put several hundred thousand dollars into it and have a perfect place in a better school district than many park slope areas for like half the price AND live in one of the safest districts in brooklyn. very little crime in district 94.

2 parks and great kids playground on Franklin. also walking distance to the Greenpoint Y on Meserole and Lorimer which is pretty much kid central. Pre-school, summer camp, and every conceivable lesson (swimming especially) for ridiculously inexpensive prices.

Posted by: wine lover at November 19, 2009 3:00 PM in response to Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million

Pete- genius! too lazy to look it up, but believe that overall subway ridership is nowhere now than what it used to be even. everyone forgets that brooklyn emptied out years ago, and have just been witnessing and upper middle class (or whatever) return of residents.

NYC is full of lots of people and crowded. no sh*t! this is the stupidest rant. did you have no imagination? did you not see the development coming?

i walk around rarely seeing what's there, but what will be there and speculating on the change because it's going to change.

Posted by: wine lover at November 18, 2009 9:38 PM in response to Development Watch: 169 16th Street

i think this is a pic of the real place. it's very surreal"ish" in person. anything in north burg near the L will sell better than other areas. street parking is easier a bit north and east for sure. pretty soon street parking will get very tough unless all the new buildings offer parking lots or garages. there are so many new people moving in to north WB. warehouse 11 has a huge parking structure that's half finished. will be interesting to see if that building figures out it's financials and comes back on the market. it's a big place (seems finished!) and although over-priced appeared to be well done. assume it would rent out quickly.

Posted by: wine lover at November 17, 2009 5:16 PM in response to NV Now 85% Sold

without debating new vs. old, it needs to be acknowledged that there are terrible basement flooding problems all over. what is required by the city to get the C of O is not enough to handle actual rain flow, flood zone issues, and a super crappy sewer system.

in my house in PS, i had 2 sump pumps and 2 pits in the basement and still had minor flooding after re-working it 3 times. final solution was deep pits with the pumps protected so debris couldn't short them out, but did not prevent water from coming up in severe rain conditions. had an architect and 2 contractors on that one. have friends with a house in the slope that cannot fix their severe flooding after many years. this is the kind of sh*t that i was happy to leave behind moving from a house to a condo, fyi...

in current space, we added two different french drains to our backyard (we have a yard with our condo) in addition to the drain the sponsor put in. also, our building re-built the pits and put in different sump pumps in the front of the building (sponsor paid for it and managed). the sponsor had followed the law, but it wasn't enough. this was 2 1/2 years ago, and now it's really tight.

meanwhile, flooding from the roof can be gutter oriented and not just a bad roof. had that in my PS place too. took re-doing the gutters to fix that. that problem plagued me for 5 f'ing years! again, had an architect and this time, 3 contractors helping to find/fix leaks. did replace roof immediately after moving in btw. seriously do not miss owning a home! hahaha

basically, water is TOUGH.

Posted by: wine lover at November 17, 2009 4:51 PM in response to Corcoran Found Negligent in Park Slope Condo Sale

i've had wires moved and made neater every place I bought by simply getting a manager to come out. they'll do the work.

good luck.

Posted by: wine lover at November 17, 2009 4:29 PM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?

dude did it for publicity, ego, to elevate his sad life - who knows. i don't understand people like this, but they are everywhere. have one on our parents group just like this. taking up strange contrarian causes fueled by conspiracy theories. usually on the wrong side of something that has obvious benefits to many. motivation to be determined by their therapists i guess.

of course the hood sucks (projects and low income housing meet abandoned train tracks) AY would bring real life and legitimacy to the area and Brooklyn as whole. puts Brooklyn out there for the whole country to see. takes Brooklyn out from the shadow of Manhattan. anyone who takes this major project on should be rewarded and helped - obviously! when i first heard of the AY project i was so thrilled that i couldn't believe it was real. i've been investor in Brooklyn for a long time, and this was just the kind of thing that i've been hoping and waiting for. Goldstein's the enemy to me.

guy is a major ___ (pick your own negative adjective). hope he takes a financial bath. Karma's a bitch!

Posted by: wine lover at November 16, 2009 3:11 PM in response to Goldstein Offered Less Than What He Paid for Condo

oh just the marks bobjohn. fond of both kid and neighbor!

Posted by: wine lover at November 13, 2009 2:20 PM in response to Marker on Wood Floor

BHO - man you are not living in my world brother. spouse has job offer for 2x current salary. my firm had our best month in a year and half last month. and my condo was just appraised (for a re-fi) for $100k over what we paid for it 3 years ago. we now pay a fixed mortgage with minimal taxes and cc charges. we are in for the long haul (15-20 years) and feel incredibly happy that we have a fixed overhead (our condo charges could change but will never increase like rents will). let's talk 3 years, 5 years, 10 years from now and see where rents are vs. my mortgage payment. sure, we have money buried in our house, but our mortgage payment is low. right now, today, we could not rent our place in a similar good location for even close on a monthly basis.

this shell was a good deal even figuring in $400K in construction if owners plan on living there. dumb to compare to rent roll!

Posted by: wine lover at November 13, 2009 11:48 AM in response to Big Turnout for 437 Waverly Auction

tax is obscene and doesn't exist most places (i don't know that exists anywhere else). if you are buying a new condo and are paying the transfer taxes yourself, then i was under the impression that the taxes are included. i looked hard to get under this thresh hold. i had to pay the transfer taxes 2x - as a seller of my house and as a buyer of my condo. it's gross.

i pay city income tax, corporate tax, state income tax, sales tax blah blah blah this city is taxing us to death

Posted by: wine lover at November 11, 2009 3:52 PM in response to Mansion Tax

i think this is a real problem that the city needs to address. bigger boats and subsidizing service is needed to help brooklyn grow and to provide alternatives to crowded arteries. you have so many changes all along the waterfront areas, and not just WB. thinking from bay ridge, sunset park, dumbo, etc... if they made it really efficient and reliable, then more would use, then more would pay, and then it could make a profit eventually.

FYI -schaeffer landing is not near the L train (it's quite far south), but walking distance to the JMZ. not really understanding their 35-40 minute savings time with the water taxi. the JMZ either takes you downtown directly or connects to the 6, N,R,W or F for uptown. 3 trains, come one right after another in the mornings. hard to believe the entire trip would be 35 or 40 minutes.

Posted by: wine lover at November 4, 2009 12:11 PM in response to East River Ferry Service in Jeopardy—Again

when i was looking to buy in park slope and was only considering center slope, i thought it basically between union or a bit north and N. 3rd. the 321 district. i wanted access to the most stores and restaurants on 7th and 5th, and i also only looked on the western portion because i wanted to be able to quickly walk to smith street which to me meant near carroll or union. i sometimes walked to the carroll street f train even - i walk very fast...

one reason i made so money selling was because i was zoned for 321 even if i didn't care about it - agree with 11217, that it's got built in hype for the outsiders, but not necessarily better than other options if you do your research.

Posted by: wine lover at October 30, 2009 7:35 PM in response to Open House Picks

noklissa, excellent info. you have to wonder the thought process of these folks that they didn't get this worked out within 24 hours. people this far off the grid in terms of their ability to access information through technology and problem solve and navigate life issues, are not going to ever do well.

Posted by: wine lover at October 30, 2009 2:21 PM in response to Waterless in Bed Stuy

the building on N.8th and roebling that was meant to be a condo, but went rental filled up in like a month. DH is right, rental demand appears strong.

Posted by: wine lover at October 29, 2009 7:55 PM in response to Development Watch: 260 North 9th Street

make sure that whatever you choose has the same under-lying tone of color for the rest of your paint and any trim. we had an interior designer and our architect pick paints that all have a gray base. the colors of the whole place really work together, and is paired with roman shades made out of fabric with the same gray under tones in a couple of rooms. it's noticeable to even people who you wouldn't think would care about this type of stuff. we actually have a light yellow/gray for our kitchen/dining room, and it's the best color of our whole place.

Posted by: wine lover at October 29, 2009 7:52 PM in response to Yellow With Wood

well, this site needs to narrow or expand. Brownstoner was started to talk about purchasing and renovating, etc.. brownstones. Most buying brownstones do so to fit growing families. Hence, when evaluating brownstones or townhouses, it's an assumption to think they are for families.
Regardless of who reads this, a family sized home or apartment will always be very valuable.

the question is, who wants to read this for information, and is it now information about all of gentrified Brooklyn? or still, brownstone focused?

clearly people are on this for entertainment, and aren't owners or in the market. i don't know what that means, but those people are in the survey.

Posted by: wine lover at October 29, 2009 2:51 PM in response to Brownstoner 2009 Survey Results

greenpoint has lots of old buildings like those and has 2 killer schools - ps31 and ps34, plus ps110 right on mcgolrick park is decent and getting to be quite good as well.

will see more townhouse purchases like this to families with little kids. a work friend with 3 kids recently bought a townhouse just to be in the PS34 zone.

Posted by: wine lover at October 29, 2009 1:25 PM in response to Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million

i usually just put everything on dimmers regardless. you can add in more lighting later if you do do the recessed lights - like have them for convenience, but at night, you can dim down and then turn on a table lamp for nicer feel.

i don't have recessed lighting now, but i don't mind it.

Posted by: wine lover at October 29, 2009 11:51 AM in response to Thoughts on Recessed Lighting

brooklyn bowl is a bunch of crazy - what a mix of too many different things. it looks great and it is unexpected.

Posted by: wine lover at October 29, 2009 11:16 AM in response to Report: IBZ's Not Entirely Industrial

rob - your comments make me laugh too! without resorting to the adjectives used by others to describe your comments, i will say you appear to live in a very negative head space.

at least I am a proponent for growth and expansion and change into more housing for our city. i am a dreamer and an optimist and very happy. you sound miserable. Maybe you're not miserable - i don't know. You criticize me, but what are you fighting for? Enlighten me, and I might fight for it too. Many on this board are also optimists and have a love for their nabes and their real estate purchases like DIBBS and MM. Even if their point of view is different from mine, i can understand where they are coming from. you just are barking out stuff for your own entertainment. which is fine, but not helpful in describing our changing urban landscape.

BTW - i didn't just wander around one sunday and buy the first condo I saw. you have to understand that i have an investment here in WB which i made after shopping constantly for a place for TWO YEARS! And, prior to buying my CH brownstone, i looked at 57 townhouses/brownstones in CH and CG. I looked all over for a year and half before buying in Park Slope. I have an informed point of view about purchasing real estate in gentrified Brooklyn that comes from seeing hundreds and hundreds of properties in many different areas. i have purchased wisely each time i bought (Cobble Hill in 1997, off of Fifth Ave on a named street in Park Slope in 2000). my record for predicting great investments in neighborhoods, is right on. i sold my PS slope place for 110% more than I paid for it.

when i say something about brooklyn real estate i know something about what i'm talking about. what you or anybody else thinks doesn't matter to me. i am not about to start doubting my opinions because a guy who rents says something dismissive.

And, I think that know way more about the WB condo market than most who have never even seen any of these developments! People comment off of pictures and mess up the geography of WB completely even. yes, there are ugly, poorly made places, but when people bust on the Edge or 80 Met or 125 N. 10th, then they are exposing themselves to being clueless. They are looking at modern architecture and dismissing it without really knowing anything about these buildings except that they aren't pre-war. it's ridiculous. people on this board probably think that the Mill is a better development because it has an old shell - it's not! all 3 developments i just listed are way better.

rob, i would totally have a laugh and a drink with you though - did you say you smoked? i do.

finally (for now) anyone who says that they wouldn't be happy swimming in a pool overlooking a park like setting, watching boats going down the river with the manhattan skyline in the back is lying. the views in WB are killer! sorry, you can't get that from the parlour floor of your brownstone "dripping in details."

Posted by: wine lover at October 28, 2009 2:10 PM in response to The Edge Is Making a List, Checking It Twice

the location is pretty solid - next to Toll and the state park and across the street from nice buildings - all the fun stuff on N. 6th, walk up N.7th to subway. there's no industrial anything around there. tons of restaurants, shops, bars on wythe and berry bet. N.4th and N.10th. berry and wythe around there are extremely residential. hoping that the "industrial wasteland" comment was satirical.

without being ridiculous, think for a moment what this places offers. it will have a completely done pier/park area right on the river. tons of apartments will have never to be ruined manhattan views. the northside piers pier is FANTASTIC. it goes way way out into the water and features this giant bird like sculpture that goes down to become a giant bench.

Also, go to the Edge site and see what the pool area looks like. crap. cool!

i am saying that if they do slash prices, the demand for this place will be high. it's very very nice. and waterfront in NYC has a long term value that cannot be undone by snarkiness on brownstoner.

Posted by: wine lover at October 28, 2009 11:56 AM in response to The Edge Is Making a List, Checking It Twice

place is over the top for cool, and will be a good long term bet, but there probably are simply not enough buyers out there. i have no idea how far that can cut prices while still being profitable. if prices were to drop substantially to something that equals an incredibly good deal think that demand for the property is there.

and, if anyone buys there on this board, we are now best buddies, and I'm coming over to use the pool.

Posted by: wine lover at October 28, 2009 11:06 AM in response to The Edge Is Making a List, Checking It Twice

sorry dirty - the B61 has been my friend. find it crazy reliable.

Posted by: wine lover at October 28, 2009 11:01 AM in response to Breaking Up the B61

as much as i don't love brownstones, i'm a sucker for big ol red brick buildings. admire this place every time i'm driving up meeker to go to the BQE. it's a fine location because graham is adding restaurants and amenities daily. school situation is fine and walking distance to both mcgolrick and mccarren parks. subway access is good and parking around there is probably ok. also, there's still tons of italian hold over biz's - butcher, fish shop, barber, bakery and a ravioli place. banking on metropolitan and the new 3rd ward building on metropolitan which has been reaching out to the community with stuff for everyone including kids.

Posted by: wine lover at October 27, 2009 10:28 PM in response to Humboldt Police State Finally Making Progress

ROB - get a kid, go to a pediatrician, and see if you they are perverts. many many are women, who as a gender are not typically known for having perverted feelings towards babies, toddlers and kids! and anyway, the mom or dad is always in the room. also, a lot of gynecologists are women, many with their own families. geez! what the hell?

Posted by: wine lover at October 27, 2009 3:50 PM in response to StreetLevel: Pediatrics Office Coming to 4th Ave

impossible to evaluate without knowing how really renovated this space is. it's just so not nice as is, so if it needs decorating help, fine, but if it's not waterproofed and not truly updated, then ick and double ick.

Posted by: wine lover at October 26, 2009 2:06 PM in response to House of the Day: 291 8th Street

i think that this article like so many in the RE section takes a bit of something and then runs with it as if it applies to everything. the Time's does this constantly - so does NY Magazine.

anyone who buys property without an inspection is NUTS!

and, property comes with problems. always has always will. get the sponsor to do more when the board gets set up. get your punch list items taken care of. great if it's perfect, but expect some issues.

i do know that my new condo is a million times easier and cheaper to deal with then my last property - 100+ years old home. besides the fact that i do zero building maintenance which saves me time that i couldn't spend on doing it anyway, it's just way way cheaper. i happen to live on the first 2 floors which is all that i considered (only looked at duplexes), so chose a non-elevator building, and have low low CC's - (under $250). combine with tax abatement and that tax refund program (last year paid like $275 in taxes for the entire year) and presto! very cheap yearly costs.

Posted by: wine lover at October 26, 2009 1:30 PM in response to Faulty Towers: Complaints About Condos on the Rise

in order for 3 hours a month to even begin to make sense, you have to also figure out the opportunity cost. if you make $75 per hour lets say, then 3 hours there costs $225. how much can you really save?

Posted by: wine lover at October 26, 2009 11:18 AM in response to NYT: Food Co-op Exile's Story Demands 2,000 Words

i have different issues with the 17th street house. sharing your bathroom on a floor with your own kid isn't a big deal. someone can always go to another bathroom, and our kid bathes at night and not in the morning anyway.

also, I think that although the basement is not "liveable" space it is useable space. how ever much storage it provides is worth something for sure. also, if the laundry is down there, then that's good too.

my main beef is the flooring. is that the old sub floor? i had an old apartment with that once, and it was loud. the people below me were constantly complaining even though i had rugs.

also, overall, doesn't look like much has really been done? no working fireplaces, radiator heat, no central air, and old appliances.

Posted by: wine lover at October 23, 2009 3:25 PM in response to Open House Picks

i love the gretsch, but this nabe is better for many reasons if you have kids, and i still think that many buyers are couples with kids or thinking about it.

north williamsburg in the 94th precinct west of the BQE is always going to be priced highest per psf although i'm not saying that this price won't come down - it will.

Posted by: wine lover at October 20, 2009 8:32 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 55 Berry Street, #5D

CG ups - yes, you can do something besides stainless. i think that the whole over the top appliance thing can make sense but typically unnecessary. white, btw, can be great - a friend bought a condo with fairly high end stuff, but all white, and really it looks terrific. if i had to do my own kitchen, i would try to find bargains because i don't care that much. some of this high end thing seems more about resale than actually cooking.

Posted by: wine lover at October 20, 2009 8:26 PM in response to Another Post on the Bed Stuy Reno Blog

click thru to the fixers article. i subscribe to brooklyn based and saw it this morning. it's the coolest thing. i love it. if i had any kind of time, i'd be there.

Posted by: wine lover at October 20, 2009 8:23 PM in response to Tuesday Blogwrap

@ $650 psf, it's $759,200. apparently no central air, so points off for that. great location, so add back a couple of points. not a real 2 bedroom, points off again. pics look nice though.

Posted by: wine lover at October 20, 2009 1:08 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 55 Berry Street, #5D

i used to live right near AY and this last year had to go around the corner once a week. while i'll buy that there was some uptick in the hood prior to ratner, nothing but something big was going to fix empty railroad tracks and desolate streets. the area is just a big nothing. it looks like some movie version of an inner city wasteland. living around there was somewhat scary - threats weekly or more and it was just unpleasant.

totally agree with Benson that few if any could manage to get through the city nonsense to change this area to something positive. there's nothing to save there - it's crap.

ratner plays the system well, that's part of the deal - knowing people, getting favors, whatever. i just don't care! i wasn't gonna do it and few could.

let progress continue. bring on new buildings and the stadium! this will put Brooklyn front and center in the national mindset and it will help all our property values.

Posted by: wine lover at October 19, 2009 8:35 PM in response to DDDB Holds Fifth Fundraiser Against the Yards

trust fund is totally misused as a term... thanks for trying to clarify ysabelle. real trust funders have the money! that's what a trust fund does - gives the next generation or two down the line actual cash. i went to college with real trust fund kids, and they are seriously rich when the fund starts paying- differs at what age it comes into play. their own financials would get them anything they wanted without a co-purchaser.

i don't think someone's parents helping them out is any different now then any other time. NYC is a tough place to buy in to, and I don't thing that a young person who needs family help would necessarily make a bad neighbor.

there's a young person a couple of stories above me who I know had help from her parents, and she's been a terrific neighbor in every way and absolutely has a real job.

my hardest working employee, who is amazing, just bought a coop with the help of her Dad, and I can't imagine her causing anyone any problems.

Posted by: wine lover at October 19, 2009 8:13 PM in response to Co-Purchaser vs. Guarantor

while people can debate open kitchen or not endlessly, i'd say that it is desirable now/in fashion and probably good for re-sale.

families with small kids probably want open, and that's a huge demographic for houses or big apartments.

when your kids are really little, there's no way you can be working in the kitchen and leave them somewhere where you can't see them.

Posted by: wine lover at October 16, 2009 3:43 PM in response to Open House Picks

full time home business?
?
well, apt sold for about $750 psf, so that's good.

Posted by: wine lover at October 15, 2009 3:18 PM in response to Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million

mcgolrick park is fantastic and 110 is indeed becoming a more well regarded school. it's very picturesque sitting right on the park. also, you can pick the Greenpoint Y for preschool and prek and summer camp and then start the full day K @ PS31 which is a 5 star magnet school. Or, PS34 which is not a magnet school, but still possible to get into if in the district. Remember, 31 and 34 are among the highest rated schools (by both the DOE and insideschools.org) in the entire city.

greenpoint is a solid hood for raising kids, and now has the restaurants, venues, bars and shopping, etc... for both the hipsters and the gentrifiers.

bear in mind that midtown bound folks would take the G to Queens then change to E or 7 into Manhattan. it's quick and easy.

Posted by: wine lover at October 14, 2009 1:57 PM in response to The Locale: Greenpoint Condo Auction

these buildings seem to compete for a wall street renter i suppose against the financial district. it's a non neighborhood although somewhat walking to BH or FG or dumbo. they will lower prices to compete. seems like a sad existence to live there.

Posted by: wine lover at October 13, 2009 11:10 PM in response to 1,500 Rental Units for DoBro

i agree that these were over priced - even by 2006 pricing. too bad because if these townhouses were on the market in 2005 and priced correctly, i would have bought one. i really really like this development. caught up in bad pricing and bad timing.

too far from the subway is silly. williamsburg blocks are tiny. great short walk down bedford to the L - stop at Verb on N.5th for coffee (one of the best IMO), and happy commute.

if you can't walk this in 5 minutes, you are in disabled. that was a dumb comment.

Posted by: wine lover at October 13, 2009 11:05 PM in response to 80 Met Makes it Official

ok, not blight, but just bloody f*ckin awful and pointless!
dirty, ugly, scary and little to attract anyone to the area.

seriously!

let's get our stadium.

Posted by: wine lover at October 13, 2009 12:36 PM in response to Atlantic Yards Court Case Begins Wednesday

carrollgardened - i agree about the verandah place. in 1996 i did indeed pass up similar on that block that needed full reno for $500K and thought that it was too small, no yard.. etc... clearly some liked it then and some like it now. fyi, bought a small completely renovated 4 story that i thought was way better for the money.

on the whole tho, feel that CH is a great hood for convenience to city, restaurants, schools, beauty, and love the mix of brick houses vs. all brownstones, and can understand dropping bucks there.

Posted by: wine lover at October 9, 2009 9:03 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

that's a really interesting picture. at first glance the color and ramshackle-ness of it made me think it was a picture of somewhere in the islands.

Posted by: wine lover at October 8, 2009 10:16 PM in response to Inside Third & Bond: Week 104

in my contact with hipsters the link that holds them together is a combination of age (young 20's) and intense following of the indie music scene. throw in some of kind of job that doesn't require a suit.

recently met the owner of an incredibly successful restaurant here, and he told me that all of the 20 somethings that work for him in Wburg are the hardest working people he's ever worked with in any restaurant, and this guy has a solid 20 years under his belt. was nice to hear. the hipsters are fine, really. just young.

this guy is a bit too old and if anything, more hippie than hipster!

sounds like a character. good for him.

Posted by: wine lover at October 8, 2009 6:22 PM in response to Closing Bell: a Bike, a Voyage

I can recommend The Shutter Store a new wood shutters company if you need diy plantation shutters shutters and I think they look great with brownstone buildings being classic whether cafe style or contemporary with no push rods they give a great clean line...

Posted by: nickshutters at November 18, 2009 10:54 AM in response to Shutters or Shades?

When they bury the wires, how do they do that? Do they dig up your yard?

Posted by: BB at November 18, 2009 11:38 AM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?