Prospect Lefferts Gardens: Next Condo Frontier
February 5, 2006–How hot is Brooklyn these days? So hot that condo developers are seeking building sites even in Prospect Lefferts Gardens — where single-family homes are the only thing that’s allowed in a big section of the neighborhood, because of deed covenants that date back to the 1890s. And other parts of the nabe…
February 5, 2006–How hot is Brooklyn these days? So hot that condo developers are seeking building sites even in Prospect Lefferts Gardens — where single-family homes are the only thing that’s allowed in a big section of the neighborhood, because of deed covenants that date back to the 1890s. And other parts of the nabe are included in a city landmark district, which also limits new construction. Builders are heading to this area despite the relatively low supply of available sites because of the continued strong demand for housing in one of the hottest boroughs. “The pattern in Brooklyn is a repeat of a century ago. First people settled in Brooklyn Heights, then the brownstone belt was created, then radiating bands were created outside the brownstone belt,” said Kevin Holmes of Massey Knakal Realty Services. “It’s a reclaiming of the brownstone belt.” (More…)
Building on Condo Boom [NY Daily News]
Funny–most people living in Prospect-Lefferts consider the Sterling Street stop to be a PLG stop. Neighborhood boundaries in Brooklyn are funny. The name “Prospect-Lefferts Gardens” is actually a fairly recent construct, going back to the founding of PLGNA in 1969. A number of brownstone neighborhood names are of similar vintage. Most people consider the dividing line between Crown Heights and PLG to be Empire Blvd. (Which also was, more or less, the dividing line between the City of Brooklyn and the Town of Flatbush before they merged in 1894–which merger was the motivating factor behind the subdivision of the Lefferts family farm, since the land was about to be taxed as city lots rather than farm land).
and just btw I don’t know the official boundaries of crown heights/plg but I thought I was living in crown heights. and the train which is one block away at sterling and nostrand is a Crown Heights Stop.
I live on this same block of these 3 condo development projects. Our apartment is spacious and beautiful and we rent a parking space for a legal garage across the street. The close proximity to the train is wonderful. However, this block is one big eye sore. If will try to get some pics. Soon enough the entire lefferts ave [ heading towards crown heights] will be one big condo lot!! ugh
Babs–you’re right that the part of PLG east of Nostrand often feels like a different neighborhood–I don’t suppose these new condos will do anything to change that 🙁
That’s the Bricolage… South Slope and Bobby’s Dept. Store fiascos.
Isn’t Bricolage the company that has the hundreds of violations and keeps lying on plans and applications to circumvent zoning and building codes?
You’re right Bob — I was referring to historic district boundaries, and also to the fact that most of the architecture on that side of Nostrand is apartment buildings, not townhouses (although there are some on Rutland Rd., I believe), but yes, officially, this is still PLG, even if it doesn’t feel like the same neighborhood, and obviously these condos are not being marketed to current PLG residents!
I’ll do my best to take a photo of 502 NY Ave, but I probably won’t be around in the daytime there until Thursday…
And check out the discussion of Phat Albert’s in acrossthepark (great tip!) — apparently many of us are dreaming of that site!
In which case it has nothing to do with Brooklyn, or Lefferts, being particular desirable to a new/growing market, which the article seems to suggest. It is really just a convenient location for a demographic that is already in place in Brooklyn and has no intention of relocating outside the Borough.
Is it a market in Lefferts, where the buildings are constructed? Or in neighborhing Crown Heights, in which case it is a reflection of overcrowding, lack of housing in Crown Heights?