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Condo of the Day: 904 Pacific Street, #501
This two-bedroom duplex unit at 904 Pacific Street on the Prospect Heights/Crown Heights border has had a crazy history for a new condo. According to Streeteasy, it was initially listed by Triumph Property in June 2009 for $970,000 and then reduced to $875,000 before being delisted in October; the 1,295-square-foot pad was then relisted by Aguayo & Huebener in May 2011 for $899,000 before being taken off the market in August. Then in February of this year, Apartments & Lofts put the place back on the market for $775,000, where it sat until this week when it received a price hike back up to $875,000. Whip lash, anyone? It actually looks like a nice place to us and the common charges are $692.
904 Pacific Street, #501 [Aptsandlofts.com] GMAP P*Shark
05/03/2012 12:57 PM
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Delays for the Flatbush Avenue Streetscape Project
Looks like the Flatbush Avenue Capital Streetscape project, first presented by the DOT in 2010 but not heard much of since then, has been delayed while waiting for approval from the Public Design Commission. (Sound familiar?) According to an email from the North Flatbush Avenue BID, the PDC first considered the project last April and requested minor changes. The proposal is expected to go back to the PDC before the end of this month. You can view the scope of work here; it includes major upgrades for all the Flatbush Avenue “triangles” at at 6th, 7th and 8th avenues, as well as improved crossings, more open space, more trees and plants, and more cafe tables and chairs. The next meeting on the matter with the DOT and the North Flatbush Avenue BID is scheduled for Wednesday June 6th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
Flatbush Triangles To Get Made Over [Brownstoner]
05/02/2012 9:30 AM
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$4.9 Million $5.1 Million Buy at OPP Sets Building Record: Updated!
A condo sale anywhere near the $5 million mark in Brooklyn is always notable, but it’s especially so in the case of the recent penthouse purchase at On Prospect Park, since it’s far and away the most expensive unit to sell in the building so far. The purchase, which was recorded in public records yesterday, is for “PH16N” in the Richard Meier-designed building, and the buyer is not at all identifiable via public records, having an LLC name of “3GAP.” The completely unsubstantiated gossip we have heard is that the buyer already has another unit in the building. StreetEasy’s listing for the unit says it is 3,274 square feet and has four bedrooms. And, hey, the common charges are only going to be setting the buyer back a mere $3,692. At $4,900,000, this is one of the biggest condo sales ever recorded in Brooklyn, and the next most expensive listing at OPP is for a $3.25 million penthouse. Click through for the floor plan. Update, 5/2/12, 12:06 p.m.: Well, forget about “PH16N”: A deed recorded in public records today shows that “PH16S” sold for $5,100,000. No word on this buyer, either! (more…)
05/02/2012 9:00 AM
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Big Addition in Store for 355 St. Marks Avenue
Over the weekend Brooklynian commenters did some digging on plans for 355 St. Marks Avenue, between Grand Avenue and Washington Avenue, and it turns out the modest townhouse will be replaced by something grander in size and scale. Says one commenter: “Turns out the owner has bigger plans for 355 – MUCH bigger. The zoning diagram filed in January shows a huge expansion to a five-story, four apartment building that’s 20 feet taller and more than triples the building’s floor space from 2,576 to over 8,000 square feet.” When the discussion turns to the architect, the commentary gets even more negative. Tough luck though: DOB has already approved plans for the super-sizing. Not only that, but construction’s already started. See a detail from the zoning diagram after the jump. GMAP (more…)
05/01/2012 12:00 PM
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Hooters in Park Slope? Residents Say ‘Fuggedaboutit!’
Well now! “A move by Hooters to open near the new Nets arena has gone bust so far — but brownstone Brooklyn is melting down at the very thought of the risque restaurant invading their neighborhood. Hooters reps have been trolling through the stroller-friendly neighborhoods of Prospect Heights and Park Slope for a possible storefront — but local moms say they are ready for battle.” So begins a Daily News story about how Hooters, which has three other outposts in the city but none in Brooklyn, has been on the hunt for a space to open in Park Slope or Prospect Heights, near Barclays Center. The North Flatbush Business Improvement District says Hooters ain’t gonna happen in the ‘hood. But let’s have some more quotes from Park Slope residents! “Phoebe McGraw, 62 — who has lived on Bergen St. for more than four decades — described the eatery as ‘trash traffic.’ ‘From here they’ll go to strip joints,’ she said. ‘It’s heartbreaking. They’re destroying something special.’”
BOUNCED! Brooklyn Folks Around Nets’ New Home Say Bra Humbug to Hooters [NY Daily News]
Photo by Elitist Czar
05/01/2012 11:00 AM
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Watch out for Bicyclists: A Haiku
The Department of Transportation retweeted this photo a passerby took of a new sign up at Eastern Parkway at the Brooklyn Museum. A more literary/somber approach to cyclist safety!
04/30/2012 2:40 PM
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Natty Garden Moving to Bigger Digs Nearby
Prospect Heights’ Natty Garden is moving across the street! The current location, on the corner of Washington Avenue and Dean Street, will close to make way for the bigger locale, opening at the garage/vacant lot on the opposite corner of Washington and Dean. The owner didn’t have a set opening date for us, but neon green paint is going up on the building, as well as a new mural. GMAP
04/30/2012 2:00 PM
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Co-op of the Day: 295 Saint Marks Avenue, #4A
This FSBO at 295 Saint Marks Avenue in Prospect Heights just appeared in the Brownstoner Marketplace and, frankly, we like it’s chances. It’s a real two-bedroom in a nice (if not prime) location that’s had a tasteful renovation and appears to show very well for under $500,000. (Not by much–the price is $499,000–but still…) Having three exposures is nice too. The 725-square-foot apartment has a monthly maintenance of $741. There was an open house yesterday. Did anyone go?
295 St. Marks Avenue, #4A [Corcoran] GMAP P*Shark
04/30/2012 12:56 PM
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Open House Picks
Park Slope
117 Berkeley Place
Corcoran
Sunday, 3:00-4:30
$1,900,000
GMAP P*Shark
Prospect Heights
218 St. Marks Avenue
Brown Harris Stevens
Sunday, 12:00-1:30
$2,999,000
GMAP P*Shark
Boerum Hill
270 Dean Street
Realty on the Greene
Sunday, 1:00-3:00
$1,800,000
GMAP P*Shark
Boerum Hill
108 Bergen Street
Douglas Elliman
Sunday, 12:00-1:30
$1,495,000
GMAP P*Shark
04/27/2012 12:57 PM
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The Insider: Uber-Stylish Townhouse in Prospect Heights
The Insider is Brownstoner’s weekly interior design and renovation column. It’s written by Cara Greenberg, also a contributing editor at the newly launched New York Cottages & Gardens, from which this post is adapted. Find it here every Thursday at 11:30AM.
SO MANY BELOVED SHELTER MAGAZINES have folded in the past few years that it’s especially heartening when a new title arrives on the scene. This spring marks the inaugural issue of New York Cottages & Gardens, a sibling of the existing Hamptons Cottages & Gardens and Connecticut Cottages & Gardens (you can pick up a copy at the Brooklyn stores listed at the end of this post, or subscribe by clicking here).
If you’re wondering what constitutes a New York “cottage,” editor-in-chief Kendell Cronstrom lays it out in his introductory letter: “Our brand’s notion of the term champions an overall contentment and satisfaction with where one lives,” he writes. Any housing type can qualify, “as long as the décor is good.”
Certainly that describes the sophisticated 1870s brownstone belonging to Mariza Scotch, an accessories designer; Diery Prudent, a fitness trainer; and their 12-year-old daughter. Converted with meticulous attention to detail by Murdock Solon Architects from a 3-family to a single-family home, the house is sparely but stylishly furnished with pieces individually sourced from mostly local artisans and suppliers.
Highlights include a professional-style cook’s kitchen and a backyard with a fitness system, designed by Prudent, that can be disassembled and stored away when garden parties are planned. The renovation contractor was Amaro Construction of Staten Island.
See the house in all its chic glory after the jump.
Photos: Tria Giovan
04/26/2012 11:30 AM
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Details Emerge for Golf-Themed Gastropub on Vanderbilt
Yesterday we asked readers for details on the new “Back 9 Grill” space at 635 Vanderbilt Avenue, and a tipster delivered, in the form of this Craig’s List post. We got in touch with the owner via the posting, who said this of the restaurant: “We will be serving tasty American comfort food with fresh ingredients made from scratch. You will be able to enjoy a good burger, awesome wings, a fresh roasted turkey sandwich, or a tasty homemade mac and cheese with a beer or glass of wine. We are shooting for opening in early May.” A commenter in yesterday’s thread also heard that the place would be geared towards golfers and that there’s a lot of “golf kitch” inside. Sound promising?
The Back Grill Gets Signage on Vanderbilt [Brownstoner] GMAP
04/25/2012 2:00 PM
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Building of the Day: 375-379 Flatbush Avenue
Brooklyn, one building at a time.
Name: Commercial/residential building
Address: 375 379 Flatbush Avenue
Cross Streets: Corner Sterling Place
Neighborhood: Prospect Heights
Year Built: 1885
Architectural Style: Neo-Grec with Second Empire details
Architect: William Cook
Other Buildings by Architect: 185-187 Sterling Pl. around the corner
Landmarked: Yes, part of Prospect Heights HD (2009)
The story: We know our historic neighborhoods have beautiful residential blocks, but often, the commercial blocks get neglected, in landmarking, as well as in just pure appreciation for good architecture. This is often for obvious reasons, as commercial spaces such as retail stores can be altered and renovated so many times that the original look of the façade is long gone. Sometimes a building seems to go through a completely new façade and interior every other year, especially if it is a restaurant. But sometimes, they manage to stay more or less intact, and that can be a visual treat, indeed.
Take this building, for instance. It’s a classic Victorian corner building with retail on the bottom floor, and apartments above. Unlike most corner buildings like this, which have a store entrance in the center tower, this one reserves the center doorway for the tenants above. But then, this one is a bit different from many other corner buildings. (more…)
04/24/2012 3:30 PM
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The Back Grill Gets Signage on Vanderbilt
Signage popped up at 635 Vanderbilt Avenue, the space formerly occupied by Eton in Prospect Heights that closed last October. Apparently this new joint will be called “The Back Grill,” although we don’t have any more details for you. If you’ve heard any information, feel free to leave it in the comments! GMAP
04/24/2012 2:00 PM
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Manhattanite Marisa Tomei Does Make Pilgrimages To Her Native Flatbush, Mostly For The Pizza
Seeing as Marisa Tomei was the honorary chair of the Brooklyn Artists Ball at the Brooklyn Museum on Wednesday night, writer Evan Mulvihill decided to ask her whether she ever makes it back to Flatbush, her place of birth. They were in nearby Prospect Heights, after all.
Said Tomei: “Well, I do, because, you know, DiFara Pizza is, you know, one of the best pizzas in the five boroughs. But I’m sure you’ve heard! But now the word is out. [True: Grub Street covered this yesterday!] My local—now everyone goes, but I still go back.”
After the interview below, where she describes how the Brooklyn Museum shaped her childhood and more, she came up to me, unprompted, to add: “I think you were asking why they chose me, and I was thinking, I was hoping that they chose me because I’m a feminist, but they probably chose me because I’m a Brooklynite. I’m proud to say I’m both!” I told her they weren’t mutually exclusive, then sidled up to the bar to order a very dry gin martini.
Do you have any family still in the neighborhood?
No, no, no, my parents live around the corner from me in the city. [laughs] In Manhattan. [laughs] We stuck together!
Movin’ on up!
Hey! A little elitism on your part. [laughs]
What do you love about the Brooklyn Museum?
Well, I grew up coming here. My mom brought me to this museum, and also going to the free arts classes and crafty things with my very good friend Celeste. I haven’t seen her in years but I was thinking about her today.
Did you take acting classes here?
No. We did all kinds of painting and crafts classes. And Christmas too is like special things you could make for decorations for your Christmas tree. Special things for the holidays.
What’s different about the Brooklyn Museum than Manhattan museums?
The humanity in its leadership. It really is for the people. Particularly, of course I’m obsessed with the Sackler Center. And so thrilled when it opened five years ago. Celebrating women’s contribution and a place to hear women’s voices that surprisingly hadn’t been built anywhere else in the world.
Are you happy with the state of feminist art?
That sounds like a crazy trick question.
Evan Mulvihill is a freelance writer who lives in Brooklyn Heights and makes occasional jaunts to Carroll Gardens for South Brooklyn Pizza. Follow him on Twitter, Tumblr, and/or Facebook.
Photograph by Eric Weiss Courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum
04/20/2012 12:00 PM
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DOT Called ‘Granola Gestapo’ at Meeting on Bike Lanes
Last night the Community Board 6 transportation meeting featured a bike-heavy agenda, including the discussion of the proposed bike lane on Plaza Street, continuing the bike lane on 3rd Street, and adding a bike rack to the corner of 5th Avenue and Park Place. The hot topic of the night was the Plaza Street bike lane, a proposal the DOT pulled last year after community concerns. Last night, the DOT presented a plan to both CB6 and CB8 that rep Chris Hrones felt was “an unorthodox approach” but “the best way to balance the street.” You can see the presentation here. DOT’s bike expert Josh Benson presented a plan (above) for an unprotected, contraflow bike lane that would shorten bike trips around Plaza by two to three stops. Instead of the protected bike lanes in the first proposal, two side-by-side, four-foot bike lanes would be installed next to an 11-foot wide traffic lane, each lane separated by 3 feet of buffer space. DOT also proposed to install two speed bumps between Lincoln and Berkeley and between Berkeley and Union. Painted sidewalk extension would go in on the southwest corner at Berkeley, southeast corner of Flatbush, and northeast corner of Vanderbilt. No parking spots would be lost.
Not surprisingly, the proposal was met with some resistance. A man in the audience, who addressed the DOT as “the granola gestapo”, asked “Where are all the cars going to go?” He proposed widening the street to allow more room for both bikers and cars. Actually, requests to narrow the sidewalk were supported by bikers and drivers alike. While it is a possibility, DOT said it would take several years and are currently looking for an immediate solution for bike safety. Some bikers who spoke preferred the protected lane of the first proposal, especially as Plaza Street is such an essential connector to Prospect Park West.
Click through for details on extended bike lanes on 3rd Street and a bike rack street extension on 5th Avenue and Park! (more…)
04/20/2012 10:00 AM
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Beny’s Delice Expansion Taking Shape on Vanderbilt
The owner of Beny’s Delice announced the popular Clinton Hill cafe was expanding to 567 Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights, by the corner of Pacific Street, last month, and now the space is starting to really look good. No one was around the Vanderbilt location, but signage is up and equipment is in place. This spot will feature coffee, fresh pastries, sandwiches, groceries, wine and beer. It’s slightly larger than the location on Fulton Street. We’re told the anticipated opening date should be the beginning of May.
Beny’s Delice Expanding to Vanderbilt Avenue [Brownstoner] GMAP
04/19/2012 2:00 PM
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Building of the Day: 249 Sterling Place
Brooklyn, one building at a time.
Name: Public School 111, originally Public School 9
Address: 249 Sterling Place
Cross Streets: Corner of Vanderbilt Avenue
Neighborhood: Prospect Heights
Year Built: 1867-68, wings added 1887
Architectural Style: Early Romanesque Revival, with Italianate elements.
Architect: Original building by Samuel B. Leonard, wings by James Naughton
Other Buildings by Architect: Leonard – PS 34, PS 39. Naughton – PS 9 Annex across street, Boys HS, Girls HS, among others.
Landmarked: Yes, individual landmark (1978)
The story: In 1867, when this school was begun, this was still sparsely settled land. Flatbush Avenue was the main thoroughfare, and houses were beginning to be built on the side streets, but it wasn’t until the construction of Prospect Park that the neighborhood began to be noticed. The original plans for the park, as designed by Egbert Viele, before the Civil War, had the park encompassing nearby Mt. Prospect and the city reservoir, where the Public Library and the Brooklyn Museum now stand. The city had acquired most of what is now Prospect Heights through eminent domain, but now that the boundaries of the park had changed, due to Olmstead and Vaux’s new plans, this land was sold back to private holders for development.
As the brownstone blocks between Flatbush and Vanderbilt were being developed, and as construction of Prospect Park continued, the city fathers thought proactively, and built a grammar school for the new community. When the doors opened in 1868, the children were greeted by Mrs. Jane Dunkley, the first principal, and the first woman to be in charge of a large Brooklyn grammar school. (more…)
04/18/2012 3:30 PM
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Work Begins on Prospect Heights’ Hard-Knock 580 Carlton
580 Carlton Avenue, the rundown home in Prospect Heights put on the market for an eyebrow-raising amount of $1,999,999, is under renovation. The listing promised that the future owner could “pick all your own finishes” but it isn’t clear whether or not the home is already under contract and being designed to suit. (The listing was removed from Streeteasy but the website’s still up.) Regardless of interior plans, the LPC already approved renovations to the facade, front door, and stoop. About time this home got a little TLC.
Customize 580 Carlton Ave. for $2 Million [Brownstoner]
580 Carlton [Official Site]
Renovations Planned for 580 Carlton Avenue [Brownstoner]
Something’s Afoot at Dilapidated Prospect Heights Home [Brownstoner]
HOTD: 580 Carlton Avenue [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark
04/18/2012 2:40 PM
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Last Week’s Biggest Sales
1. PARK SLOPE $2,910,000
124 Park Place GMAP P*Shark
24 Park Place was asking $2,700,000 when it was a HOTD in February. We said: “The 20-foot-wide, four-story brownstone has lots of well-preserved original detail, two decks and a rental unit. Our only worry is about the kitchen, which is neither shown nor mentioned in the listing. The price of $2,700,000 isn’t even that high for something of this size and condition.” Entered into contract on 3/13/12; closed on 3/27/12; deed recorded on 4/12/2012.
2. PROSPECT HEIGHTS $2,621,993.75
1 Grand Army Plaza, #11C GMAP P*Shark
This is a 2,409-square-foot four bed, three bath. It sold for 11.1% below the asking price of $2,950,000. Entered into contract on 2/24/12; closed on 3/27/12; deed recorded on 4/11/2012.
3. BROOKLYN HEIGHTS $1,920,000
44 Henry Street GMAP P*Shark
44 Henry Street is configured as a one-three family with ground-floor commercial space. We thought the building was in very nice shape despite being a walk-up rental for many years. The home was asking $2,299,000. Entered into contract on 3/13/12; closed on 4/2/12; deed recorded on 4/11/2012.
4. PROSPECT HEIGHTS $1,807,393.75
1 Grand Army Plaza, #4J GMAP P*Shark
A 1,952-square foot, three bed, two-and-a-half bath. Sold 7.3% below its asking price of $1,950,000. Entered into contract on 3/14/12; closed on 3/27/12; deed recorded on 4/10/2012.
5. PROSPECT PARK SOUTH $1,800,000
85 Buckingham Road GMAP P*Shark
This is interesting. ACRIS lists this sale as a “one family home” but it appears the building is on a huge lot that spans from 77-85 Buckingham. StreetEasy lists the lot size as 6,465-square-feet, but doesn’t show the sale or a listing. Anyone have the skinny on this one? Entered into contract on 2/3/12; closed on 3/19/12; deed recorded on 4/9/2012.
04/18/2012 11:30 AM
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ruth2989
May 29, 2012 | 11:02 AM