Fantastic 4th? Eh, We'll See
We think the upzoning of Fourth Avenue made a lot of sense, especially in the context of preserving the brownstone blocks near it. But if the Novo at 343 4th Avenue is any indication of what’s to come, this won’t exactly be a boulevard of beauty (unless your idea of beauty is early-80’s Holiday Inn…
We think the upzoning of Fourth Avenue made a lot of sense, especially in the context of preserving the brownstone blocks near it. But if the Novo at 343 4th Avenue is any indication of what’s to come, this won’t exactly be a boulevard of beauty (unless your idea of beauty is early-80’s Holiday Inn chic). Luckily for developers, though, looks don’t matter too much when it comes to selling condos in this part of town, if one is believe the account in today’s NY Post about the demand for units in the Boymelgreen building:
“It was crazy,” says Dave Bell, one of those who waited on line the first afternoon and made a bid. “I actually didn’t get [an apartment] at first … I called my broker that night and told her I wanted it and to make an offer, but someone had already gotten it. But I decided to put my name on the waiting list.” Three weeks later – after the first offers had fallen through – Bell’s offer was accepted.
Then again, with one bedrooms available in the low-$300’s, buyers were perhaps willing to compromise on design.
According to the same article, The Crest at 302 Second Street (right, top), sold eight (of 68) units in the first day on the market last weekend. Prices here start at $354,000 for a one bedroom. The Post includes a list of some other projects in the pipeline: The 49-unit Park Slope Court at 110 Fourth Avenue; 255 Fourth Ave., a 41-unit boutique Scarano Architects and Developers Group project at Carroll Street; The Argyle, 410 Fourth Avenue, at Seventh Street, a 12-story, 54-unit condo; and 500 Fourth Avenue, at 12th Street, a 137-unit, 12-story luxury building. And don’t forget the Andres Escobar-designed boutique hotel (right, bottom) on the west side of the street. Even the Fifth Avenue Committee is now located on Fourth Avenue! Columbia Prof and New York history expert Kenneth Jackson has a theory: “What you’re seeing is a move towards the water,” he told The Post.” “It used to be that people were always afraid to get too far down the hill. Now, it’s, ‘How can I get to work?'”
Fantastic 4th [NY Post]
Guys, I think this is the only affordable project in Brooklyn today. Would you rather pay 500,000 in williamsburg for a 1 bedroom. I think that the devlopers priced this one right
Screw architecture, people just want a safe, decent, clean place to live at a cost that will not suck the blood out of their arteries. Architectural beauty -whatever that is- is a stupid waste of time. Give me central air, double glazed windows, elevators, modern bathrooms and a modern efficient kitchen. You can keep the effin’ Pritzer award. Modern architectural design is getting as convoluted and irrational as the late Victorian stuff, who needs it?
1:45 ….my building is closer to 5th st. im next door to the perch and only 2 buildings away from the 5th street corner. my tenents were not zoned for 321 when they were young. Did they change the zoning recently?
pharmd: the boundary for 321 runs down the center of 5th Street. If your building is out of the zone, then you must be on the south side. Novo is on the north side of 5th St.
Re: Overcrowding in 321 (and elsewhere)–why not get rid of the rule that allows you to stay in a school you’ve enrolled in when you move out of the zone? Brooklyn is full of families that briefly did a toe-tag in 321, then moved somewhere cheaper. (I don’t live in 321 zone, by the way.)
i’d say it’s even money whether or not the novo is falling apart by 2060.
On the issue of overcrowding at 321, I foresee battles between the new arrivals living legitimately in the 321 district going to war with the falsifiers who have created virtual residences in the 321 zone.
Could get ugly.
i’m in 100% agreement with you david.
i don’t think we could hope for glorious architecture on 4th avenue…it’s just not that kinda strip, but i do welcome the new development and think some streetscaping could really win me over.
will make for a much nicer walk from my place near 7th to 3rd in a few years when the whole foods opens.
or till i get a trader joes’ up here to the key food on 7th. whichever comes first.
Why aren’t the dynamic duo of Bill de Blabla and Marty (the tightrope) Markowitz making demands (Parking, Affordable Housing, Moving entrances, Community input, Community approval of residence, etc, etc,) of these Millionaire Developers.
How does the song go – “Who’s zooming who?”
We all know know who’s paying who?
petunia and Anonymous 12:59:
If the 321 school population surges as a result of the increasing Park Slope population, it becomes the job of your elected officials to obtain the funds for expanding 321 or building a new school.
P.S. 230 in Kensington is an example of a good school that added an annex to accomodate the rising student population. Excellent gifted program at PS 230, by the way.