Luxury Development Invades 'ProCro'
Today the Wall Street Journal has an article making the case that “the attack of the fish-tank condos is pushing the boundary of Prospect Heights eastward into Crown Heights, an in-between neighborhood that realtors and developers have dubbed ProCro. The result is a mingling of million-dollar condos and sleek wine bars with creaky, rent-controlled buildings…
Today the Wall Street Journal has an article making the case that “the attack of the fish-tank condos is pushing the boundary of Prospect Heights eastward into Crown Heights, an in-between neighborhood that realtors and developers have dubbed ProCro. The result is a mingling of million-dollar condos and sleek wine bars with creaky, rent-controlled buildings and graffiti-pocked bodegas.” Examples in support of this thesis are condos such as The Prospect, pictured above, at 823 Classon; St. Johns Heights, a condo on the corner of Classon Avenue and St. Johns Place; and newer business like Abigail Café and Wine Bar and the coffee shop Glass Shop. The story ends with information about another new development: “At Classon and St. Marks Avenue, a Florida-based investor is financing the construction of a 67-unit apartment building expected to open this spring. Israel Hirschfield, the building’s manager, said that he’s gauging the market at about $2,000 for a 700-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment. ‘If you would ask me two or three years ago, I wouldn’t expect to be able to get that kind of money. Maybe more like $1,500,’ he said. ‘You see what happened with Brooklyn Heights, you see what happened with Prospect Heights, and this is on the border. We have people coming by just to get a feel. It’s exciting.'” OK, but do we really have to start using the term “ProCro”?
Prospect Heights Edges Into Crown Heights [WSJ]
Photo of The Prospect from StreetEasy.
We went to the OH for The Prospect this weekend and weren’t impressed with either the neighborhood or the building. The 1BRs are small and have some poor design elements. For example, you enter the bedroom off the living room via a sliding pocket door.
The 1BRs severely lack closet space and all the units had this odd closet situation where there was one normal closet (small in size, though) followed by another extremely narrow (~10 inches wide!) one right next to it. The only thing I can think of is that it’s meant to be used for utilities/wiring (i.e. a Verizion Fios ONT) or something like that b/c nothing else would fit! The 2BRs have much more usable space in terms of storage but the actual rooms are small.
The neighborhood is “fringe” at best. The front of 825 Classon was littered with trash, empty beer bottles in front of the stoops across the street, and other than a wine bar, and a random postal/shipping store, all the storefronts in the immediate area are plain disgusting. Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh b/c my girlfriend and I were verbally hassled by a group of inebriated gentlemen on the corner or Classon & St. Johns. We’re not writing off the neighborhood based on this one bad encounter, but run-ins like that make us wonder what the area will be like when it’s warmer out…
I’ve been living on Franklin Av. for 2 years; before that, on Bedford. When we first moved here, we didn’t have a decent restaurant option unless we walked to Vanderbilt. Now, there are a dozen on Franklin, Classon & Washington–sushi, Thai, Mexican, Indian, burgers, coffee & tea, etc.
This neighbhorhood has changed dramatically in the 3+ years we’ve been here and it’s been fascinating to watch.
novanglus: I agree! We need an NYSC (or other inexpensive chain gym). I even suggested it on their website–you should do the same.
I live in Crown Heights and love it too. Pro-cro sounds like helf a legal term. Meaningless.
In the 50’s, Crown Heights extended all the way to Flatbush Avenue, encompassing half of Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park’s main entrance, the main branch of the library, etc. That is, until chunks of it were swallowed up in the popular imagination by Bedford Stuyvesant during the 60’s. Pretty soon the only piece left will be the house where Montrose lives.
“If I lived in Crown Heights I’d be offended that no one could conceive of my neighborhood being nice.”
Why be offended? I live in Crown Heights and think it’s nice. It’s not perfect, but I like it. My neighbors seem to like it. I can’t see why anyone who lives here and likes it would care what some realtors and people like Rob think.
That’s robtarded.
ProCo???? Oh come on.
Why can’t it just be Crown Heights? If I lived in Crown Heights I’d be offended that no one could conceive of my neighborhood being nice.
quote:
I can’t imagine a gay bar could exist in an intolerant area for close to half a century.
of course it could. and “butterflu?” :-/
*rob*
ProCro, pro-crown heights or pro-crow hill not so bad.
Crown Heights was home to Brooklyn’s oldest African American owned and operated gay bar the ” Starlite Lounge ” from 1960 to 2010 when it lost its’ lease when the building was sold. I can’t imagine a gay bar could exist in an intolerant area for close to half a century.