Boerum Hill: In a Nutshell
The New York Times profiled Boerum Hill this weekend (timed, perhaps, to coincide with yesterday’s Atlantic Antic), focusing on the neighborhood’s boutiques and its transformation from shady (“rooming houses, drugs, and prostitution” in the 1970s and ’80s) to chic. On the real estate front, prices in the neighborhood are dropping as they are everywhere else,…
The New York Times profiled Boerum Hill this weekend (timed, perhaps, to coincide with yesterday’s Atlantic Antic), focusing on the neighborhood’s boutiques and its transformation from shady (“rooming houses, drugs, and prostitution” in the 1970s and ’80s) to chic. On the real estate front, prices in the neighborhood are dropping as they are everywhere else, but still, nothing’s cheap in Boerum Hill: townhouses selling for over $1.5 million, condos and co-ops between $600,000 and $1 million, and rentals starting at $1,300 for a studio. New construction in the area includes Green on Dean and the Nu Hotel on Smith, as well as several planned or unfinished projects on the periphery of the area. Beyond the housing market and the area’s commercial offerings, the profile gives a nod to yesterday’s Atlantic Antic and it profiles Boerum Hill’s schools with their test scores of varying levels. Did the writer miss anything?
Subway Lines Galore, But Who’s Leaving? [NY Times]
Atlantic Antic photo by Jim in Times Square
oh please, Minard. THere are plenty of streets in Brooklyn today that are far less appealing to you Heights type people than Smith St was then. Frankly, I don’t think Smith is that attractive right now. It just has night life that didn’t exist that has now…and seems that majority of people on Brownstoner that is their biggest priority is restaurants. Tell me where the vacant stores were?
I can see that maybe a couple blocks from perhaps Butler to
Degraw didn’t have much retail – maybe because not the foot traffic from the subway stations. But that really not the BoerumHill part….north of Butler seemed to cater more to Hispanic population and south of Degraw not so much.
There is still one storefront on Smith between Butler/Baltic that has sat empty for decades now…I don’t know why-probably they landlord doesnt want to rent it out.
But back then I even had a place on Smith St. to get replacement glass for windows. And Ziads wasn’t only place you go to get a sandwich to go.
“you could barely walk or ride due to the broken and heaved pavement” – yes buckling from the old vaults or whatever they were – but again Minard sounding like drama person or NYTimes writer to say could barely walk….you were much younger then.
“The children of the summer’s end
Gathered on the [macadamed street]”
It sure was a destination yesterday too, Carol Gardens!!
What a day for the Atlantic Antic…good times!
Just wanted to say that Atlantic Avenue was a destination for many people from all boroughs back in the 80s due to the Middle Eastern restaurants and shops (mosly down at the western end) and the antiques row. I think these two clusters really anchored the area and attracted people throughout the tough times.
This is such a great thread to read.
santa- I initially lived on Remsen off Clinton, then moved to Schermerhorn. 96 was still boarded up with 24 hour guard dogs, the porn theater was still going strong (I know this from outside observation only 🙂 and Pandora seemed to be the most popular bookstore in the nab. At night it was creepy just walking down the street. I couldn’t get over how big a difference it was by moving just a few blocks.
Both the streetbed and the sidewalks were a mess, you could barely walk or ride due to the broken and heaved pavement. The street and sidewalk reconstruction was the right project at the right time. I think it was a around 1995-96 -does anyone remember precisely?
Two comments — This may be the first article of this welcome to the neighborhood ilk in at least 15 years to not mention the mohawk steelworker and skyscraper worker connection.
I am pretty sure that Patois opened up in early 1997 (maybe even in December 1996?), and Sur opened up in the autumn of 1997. I think a few more higher end restaurants on Smith opened between late 1998 and 2000, and then it has been a steady stream since then. I don’t recall when Saul or Grocery opened.
Pete, I know you and I have sparred over the neighborhood in the past (LOL), but my recollection of Smith Street is the same as Minard’s.