PLG Shocker! 185 Ocean Closes 33% Above Ask
The award for the craziest bidding war of the year so far has to go to 185 Ocean Avenue, home of blogger Planet PLG. After hitting the market with a price tag of $899,000 in early March, the turn-of-the-century brick house in PLG generated a torrent of offers; when the music stopped, the winner bidder…
The award for the craziest bidding war of the year so far has to go to 185 Ocean Avenue, home of blogger Planet PLG. After hitting the market with a price tag of $899,000 in early March, the turn-of-the-century brick house in PLG generated a torrent of offers; when the music stopped, the winner bidder had signed a contract for $1.2 million. He closed for all cash yesterday. The new buyer has been feeding locals the line that he plans on renovating and moving in with his family but the smart money, unfortunately, is on a tear-down. Man, do we hope we’re wrong.
185 Ocean Avenue [Brown Harris Stevens] GMAP P*Shark
Blogger Sells His Home [Planet PLG]
Open House Picks 3/2/07 [Brownstoner]
I posted this on ATP earlier:
IMO any new building on THIS site, whether it’s a Fedders POS or a Richard Meiers glass box, would be harmful to the neighborhood. What happens when one of the wonderful limestones in this row, also built way under allowable FAR, comes up for sale? Fortunately, that doesn’t happen very often, but there’s the potential for disaster. Can you imagine a glass box plunked down in the middle of the row? An extension of the PLG Historic District, to include this row of Ocean, Parkside Ave., Chester Court, and so on, is long overdue. The only good that MIGHT come out of the destruction of the “Planet” house would be that it could serve as a wake-up call, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
Another regular poster on ATP and THIS site (whose very short name begins with “E”) called me to task for equating a Meiers building with Fedders crap, but my point is that even the best possible replacement building on this site is likely to be a disaster.
“Stunning”, really? Hmm, I’m not sure of that myself. I still say pick the fights, and fight tooth and nail to protect the best examples of architecture in a neighborhood, but allow well-done new development too, in order to keep a neighborhood renewing itself and progressing.
1:45 I actually agree as far as this house goes–not a big loss. But this is next to a row of stunning limestones on Ocean, and this being torn down sets a horrible precendent. The problem with a “not all new construction is bad” approach is that we have no control over what is developed or town down. If this goes, the limestones may soon go too–and that would be a terrible loss.
When I heard some offers were coming in on the house from people who didn’t even go inside, I knew it would sell to a developer.
I don’t think new condo developments are a bad thing for PLG. I’m glad about it, frankly. There are plenty of landmarked gorgeous houses in LM and PLG, whose residents will benefit from the better amenities that will come when more nice new condos get built. Plus that house is surrounded by bigger buildings so putting a condo there fits in the surrounding environment fine. I don’t care if I’m being politically incorrect among the preservationists here. I’m for preservation, but I believe in picking one’s fights and weighing all pros and cons against each other when developing a neighborhood. The stance that all new construction sucks is ridiculous and unrealistic.
Congrats to the seller!
According to acrossthepark.com, the buyer is a developer who never even entered the building. Which expalains the wack price, but does not bode well for the future of the building.
Oh, there was even more stupidity in Anonymosuh’s comment – this site in particular is skewed in favor of preservation, not razing and condo-building. It certainly is only rarely in favor of such action, yet apparently it is one of the driving forces behind those people who choose to do so!
Actually, the stupid part of Anonymosuh’s comment is the idea that Brownstoner has some kind of obligation to try to influence the market, either up or down (and that he has the power to do so).
“plenty of ugly “new money” people (i.e., tasteless Wall Streeters”) –
Anynonymosuh, if you’re talking about me I’m going to kick you in the a^%^ with one of my gucci clad feet…
Seriously, what a stupid f’ing comment. All the houses selling on my FG block are being renovated (quite nicely thanks) by lawyers/bankers etc.
Oh and yes – black/white/jewish/chinese lawyers and bankers – just to head of the white-bread comments
why offer so much over the ask to tear it down? what a moron!