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So Long, Slope Socksmith
A construction fence recently went up in the gutted building on 5th Avenue between Degraw and Sackett that’s hosted the Socksmith—that guy who sold socks, belt buckles and other stuff—for some time now. (Here is Park Slope had an interesting writeup about him a few months back.) We’re not likely to see the Socksmith in that location again because DOB permits show the space is being renovated, and a person working in the vintage shop next door, which is called Monkey Whistles and Motor Bikes, said they’d be moving into the fixed-up digs when construction’s complete. GMAP DOB
10/09/2009 10:01 AM
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280 Hicks Up For Auction
As Curbed reported last week, the rundown but beautiful carriage house at 280 Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights will go up for auction next Tuesday. The house belonged to Alfred Palmer, who also used to own 135 Joralemon Street and was something of a neighborhood character. The starting bid for the 2,875-square-foot house is $2,000,000, which might be a little aggressive considering it’s a candidate for a complete gut renovation. (Does anyone know what happens if it fails to sell?) Other properties up for sale that day include a Remsen Street co-op and a couple of Bed Stuy townhouses. GMAP
10/05/2009 11:00 AM
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Ceiling Collapse Shuts Down Slope Synagogue
On Thursday night a section of ceiling collapsed inside Congregation Beth Elohim’s synagogue on Garfield Place and 8th Avenue, and the structural damage closed down the house of worship’s sanctuary for high holiday services this weekend. The congregation held most of its weekend services at the Old First Reformed Church on Carroll and 7th Avenue. The following email was sent out on Friday about the collapse: “Sometime last night, a large section of our Main Sanctuary’s balcony ceiling collapsed. The pieces of plaster are large and quite heavy. We are all so extremely lucky that no one was hurt. After House Committee Co-Chair Susan Doban called in a structural engineer for a full assessment and recommendations for next steps, we were advised that several other sections of the ceiling are compromised and that it is unsafe to sit in certain sections of the Sanctuary until repairs have been made.” A Daily News story on the collapse noted that after the holidays had passed, services at Beth Elohim would be held in the synagogue’s other two buildings on 8th Avenue. Beth Elohim’s website says its sanctuary was completed in 1909.
Old First Reformed Church to House Congregation Beth Elohim [NY Daily News]
Congregation Beth Elohim [Official Site] GMAP
09/28/2009 11:00 AM
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Whole Foods Lot Now a Tagger’s Paradise
[Gallery not found]
While the Whole Foods will-they-or-won’t-they drama continues, the grocery’s lot on 3rd Street and 3rd Ave has seen some large-scale beautification over the past several months. GMAP
07/31/2009 10:00 AM
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Brooklyn Heights Montessori School Expanding
The Brooklyn Heights Montessori School is expanding its campus to include the old fire patrol station at 12 Dean Street. The school paid $1.9 million for 12 Dean in a deal that was recorded in public records this week. According to a press release sent out on the expansion, “the fire patrol station sits directly behind BMHS’s existing Bergen Street property. It is expected that the new property will be open and ready to admit as many as 40 to 50 new students in the next two years.” The fire patrol building has an interesting history that the Eagle wrote about recently: “The Brooklyn firehouse was, in fact, one of three remaining fire fighting operations of what was once a large network belonging to the New York Board of Fire Underwriters. Fire Patrol members acted as an auxiliary force in the city for over 200 years…Despite its union’s claim that it saved $80 million worth of assets annually, the consortium of insurance companies that paid for its operation, decided it was too costly to maintain and voted to disband the last three units of the Fire Patrol in 2006.” GMAP P*Shark
Photo from Property Shark.
07/17/2009 2:00 PM
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Red Hook Townhouse Project Not Flying Off Shelf
Apparently buyers are not willing to pay a kingly sum for the new Tuscan-style townhouses in Red Hook. Four of the newly-constructed homes at 93, 95,97 and 99 King Street hit the market last August at $1,300,000 while a fifth was priced at $750,000. None of them have sold to date, prompting two price cuts in the last three months that, Curbed noticed earlier this week, have brought the asking price on the four larger properties down to $999,000. The main living spaces with the concrete floors look kinda cool (as long as you don’t place a premium on natural light) but the upstairs bedrooms aren’t cutting it in the looks department for us. Plus, these houses are only 2,000 square feet, so the new asking price only brings the cost down to $500 per foot.
146 Richards Street [StreetEasy] GMAP
Red Hook Townhouse Project On the Market [Brownstoner]
“Tuscan” Townhouses Coming to Red Hook [Brownstoner]
07/10/2009 10:31 AM
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59 Orient, Half-Butchered, Is Back on the Block
The story of 59 Orient Avenue is a sad one. The 6,000-square-foot former squat had never been landmarked when it came up for sale a couple of years ago and the house came with the kind of lot size and accompanying FAR that makes developers drool. Ultimately, someone ponied up $1,725,000 (a good deal less than the asking price of $2,500,000) and started ripping it to shreds, though it’s unclear what the ultimate goal was because only a single building permit was filed and it only referenced relatively minor renovation activities and did not seek to change the C of O. Regardless, the owner managed to do a world of damage before losing his mojo. Now, notes the blog Flavorwire, the house is back on the market with a broker named Capri Jet. The asking price is $1,389,000 and, according to the broker, it needs a total gut.
59 Orient Avenue Listing [Capri Jet]
Open Letter to Michel Gondry: Buy This House [Flavorwire]
Another One Bites the Dust? [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark
House of the Day: Endangered on Orient Avenue [Brownstoner]
07/07/2009 10:00 AM
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532 Clinton Avenue Is In Fact For Sale
We’ve been curious about the woodframe mansion at 532 Clinton Avenue since we moved into the neighborhood (we wrote about it back in 2006). A few weeks ago we noticed a sign that looked like it was from a realtor but it wasn’t very clear and we couldn’t track down a listing online. So we were excited to get a tip from a reader who had come across a listing for the property. In addition to the 18 (!) bedrooms, the 6,780-square-foot house has side parking and a front lawn. Of course, we were disappointed that there weren’t any interior photos, which always makes us skeptical about what kind of shape the place is in. As for the asking price of $3,500,000, we’ll believe it when we see it. After all, the better-located mansion at 275 Washington Avenue failed to find a buyer last year at its reduced price of $3,200,000.
532 Clinton Avenue [FRS Realty] GMAP P*Shark
Head-Scratching at 532 Clinton Avenue [Brownstoner]
07/07/2009 9:30 AM
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This House Is Getting Cheap
This three-story house at 582 Lexington Avenue (at Lewis) just had its price reduced by $100,000 to $375,000. This ain’t the greatest block in Bed Stuy (there’s a long stretch of newish two-story homes just to the west) and we’ve got no idea what the interior is like but the house appears to be intact and perfectly well cared for. Unfortunately for the seller, it was purchased two years ago for $595,000. How low can something like this go? GMAP
04/07/2009 11:15 AM
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A Walk Through 72 Hicks Street
New York Magazine takes a video tour through the 1820s Federal townhouse at 72 Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights. As you may recall, this was a House of the Day back in November 2008.
Walk-Through: 72 Hicks Street [New York Magazine]
House of the Day: 72 Hicks Street [Brownstoner]
72 Hicks Street [Corcoran] GMAP
72 Hicks Street [Kevin Carberry] P*Shark
03/19/2009 10:31 AM
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Liebman Mansion Interior Revealed
When we posted the news of the Julius Liebman mansion at 380 Clinton Avenue hitting the market last month, there was much speculation about the state of the interiors. Well, now that there’s an online listing, we can all see for ourselves. Personally, it looks much nicer than we expected.
Listing: Landmark Mansion Carriage House [NY Times]
Julius Liebman Mansion Hits the Market [Brownstoner]
03/17/2009 10:30 AM
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Slave Theater Hits The Market
The historic Slave Theater at 1215 Fulton Street at Bedford Avenue in Bed Stuy has had a rocky road of late, what with the legal complications surrounding the tragic final years of its former owner Judge John Phillips; Phillips was declared legally incompetent in 2001 and his affairs were placed in the hands of court-appointed guardians who then proceeded to display their own brand of incompetence by racking up close to $2 million in tax debts to the U.S. Government and helping themselves money they were not entitled to. Phillips died last year and an Ohio-based nephew is now in charge of settling his estate. Now the Slave Theater is on the market through Massey Knakal for $2,950,000; the Phillips-owned Black Lady Theater is also currently available. The Slave Theater never received landmark protection, so let’s hope that whoever buys it doesn’t go nuts with the 25,000 square feet of buildable space that’s now allowed because of a recent rezoning. Interestingly, Massey Knakal also is marketing the property to the rear of the Slave Theater owned by the Cush School. Who would be the ideal buyer of this place? Are there any artists who got their start here who’ve gone on to make a ton of dough who could step up to the plate?
1215-17 Fulton Street [Massey Knakal]GMAP
Slave Theater in Court, Preservation Effort Weak [Brownstoner]
03/16/2009 10:31 AM
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110 Amity Price Revealed, Buyers Circling
When we broke the news earlier this week that 110 Amity Street and four adjacent lots had been put back on the market by the developer, the price of the Lamm Institute building itseld had not been posted. Now it is: $4,500,000 gets you the 14,000-square-foot French Renaissance mansion. The five properties are asking a combined $9,535,000; the developer paid a total of $6,125,000 in ’07. Judging from this photo from yesterday afternoon, though, the listing is already generating some interest. No surprise: This would make a pretty killer single-family home!
110 Amity Back Up for Sale [Brownstoner] GMAP
110 Amity: LPC Says Yes to Lamm, No to Townhouses [Brownstoner]
110 Amity Proposal Takes a Drubbing at LPC Hearing [Brownstoner]
Cobble Hill Association: 110 Amity Plan ‘Unacceptable’ [Brownstoner]
Opposition to 110 Amity Plans Grows [Brownstoner]
CB6 Tries to Avoid Amity Street Horror [Brownstoner]
03/13/2009 11:01 AM
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Price Cut at 615 3rd Street
Sex doesn’t sell these days—at least not without a price cut or two. The glorious 4,500-square-foot brick-and-limestone house at 615 3rd Street in Park Slope started out asking $3,800,000 back in February (when it got the HOTD treatment) but scaled back its expectations with a $400,000 trim yesterday. What’s it gonna take to get this deal done? If you had this kinda dough, what would you buy right now? GMAP
03/10/2009 10:01 AM
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38 Putnam Cleaning Up Its Act
As those in the area have probably noticed, the abandoned lot at 38 Putnam Avenue in Clinton Hill has been getting cleaned up lately. Long a dumping ground and sometimes campground, the 52-foot-wide property’s changing looks are the result of a City order to the neglectful owner, according to a friendly resident of the building next door. (This explanation makes since given the lack of any DOB filings on record.) It’s too bad people don’t have enough respect for their communities to keep their properties presentable without legal threats. Then again, it doesn’t look like the owner lives nearby—at least judging by addresses on the slew of insider deed transfers in recent years. GMAP P*Shark
03/02/2009 11:29 AM
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Julius Liebman Mansion Hits the Market
The 1909 neo-Federal mansion at 378-384 Clinton Avenue in Clinton Hill has just hit the market with an asking price of $5,500,000. The 9,200-square-foot house is located on a 13,500-square-foot lot and comes with a carriage house fronting on Vanderbilt Avenue. Called “one of the most beautiful houses in Clinton Hill” by Landmarks Preservation Commission, 380 Clinton Avenue was built for Julius Liebman, an heir of the brewing company that later became Rheingold, by the architectural firm of Herts & Tallant, which also designed the Brooklyn Academy of Music. There was a small fire on the second floor last spring. The listing broker is Crosstown Companies; there’s nothing on the firm’s website, but you can call 718-937-8100 if interested. GMAP
02/26/2009 11:01 AM
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Clinton Avenue ‘Haunted House’ in Contract
We have been, with good reason, on the edge of our seats wondering about the future of 405 Clinton Avenue, the turn-of-the-century William Tubby design that came on the market last September after many years of neglect. Given the shape of the house and the state of the market, the initial asking price was laughable at $3,995,000. By November the price had been reduced to $2,995,000, a price that still seemed unrealistic—one person we spoke to who toured the house told us that it couldn’t be worth any more than $1,500,000. Now comes word, via a tipster, that the house, which was originally built by a former mayor of Brooklyn, has gone into contract at an all-cash price “significantly less than ask.” If you know the price and care to drop us a line, please know that your anonymity will be protected!
Update: We just heard from someone familiar with the deal and, while we didn’t get a contract price, we did learn that it is being purchased by a preservation-minded couple that plans to restore it and keep as many details as possible; they will live in the house and create one rental apartment. Great news!
Update II: Another tipster tells us that they buyer is a couple from Manhattan and that the purchase price was somewhere in the $1.7 to $1.8 million range.
405 Clinton Avenue [Brooklyn Properties] GMAP P*Shark
Clinton Avenue Haunted Mansion Now 25% Cheaper [Brownstoner]
House of the Day: 405 Clinton Avenue [Brownstoner]
Serious Dumpster Action on Clinton Avenue [Brownstoner]
02/24/2009 9:00 AM
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What $2.7 Million Gets You in Kingston
Following up on yesterday’s post about a beautiful but slightly rundown turn of the century house in Kingston, NY, we thought we’d take a look at what’s on the market in the former state capital. The most eye-popping property on the market right now, as far as we can tell, is the Cordts Mansion, a 30-room, Second Empire house on 13 acres overlooking the Hudson River. You’ve gotta click thru and check out the photos in the listing. It’s insane! And the price? $2,700,000, slightly less than what the Carroll Gardens Atrocity is listed for. Drool.
John H. Cordts Mansion Listing [OldHouses.com]
02/20/2009 11:10 AM
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Price Cut at 298 Dekalb Avenue
Three weeks after hitting the market for $1,795,000, the four-story brownstone at 298 Dekalb Avenue underwent a price cut of $200,000 yesterday, bringing the asking price down to $1,595,000. The hallways have some beautiful original woodwork but most of the three apartments have mediocre updated finishes. This will be an interesting gauge of the market. There’s an open house this Sunday from 1 to 3.
298 Dekalb Avenue [Fillmore]. GMAP
02/19/2009 11:15 AM
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High Winds the Last Straw for 194 Columbia Heights
163 Washington wasn’t the only property that suffered at the hands of mother nature yesterday. According to a tipster who snapped these photos, Columbia Heights had to be closed off yesterday because the high winds caused parts of the roof at 194 Columbia Heights to fly off yesterday. The accident came as no surprise to neighbors: Ever since getting caught up in a divorce dispute in the 1980s, the property has been neglected, DOB orders ignored and fines unpaid. Perhaps there will be a silver lining to yesterday’s accident and the owner will now be forced to bring the building up to snuff. A recent close-up photo of the building can be seen here. The winds resulted in one worker death on Staten Island and lots of other destruction around the city. GMAP
02/13/2009 9:31 AM
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ruth2989
May 29, 2012 | 11:02 AM