'Queer' Guy Snags Washington Avenue B-stone

It took some flexibility on price on the part of the sellers, but the Washington Avenue house that Aguayo & Huebener was hawking for much of last year finally closed in February. The buyer? Queer Eye for the Straight Guy‘s food expert Ted Allen (left) and his partner Barry Rice. The pair traded in their three-bedroom Chelsea condo for the grand four-story house. Amidst the negative market sentiment of last fall the sales price of $1.7 million might not have felt like a bargain, but given the location and the incredible level of historic architectural details, we’d say this was money well spent. House-hunting turned out to be a major production for the tv personality and his interior designer partner. The pair looked at more than 50 houses all over Brownstone Brooklyn. Park Slope? Too bustling. Carroll Gardens? Not enough architectural detail. Clinton Hill? Just the right combination of “gorgeously preserved houses” and a “great mix of people.” And despite having to deal with the occasional less-than-honest broker, Allen got addicted to the thrill of the chase: “I’m a total real-estate geek — we go to open houses for entertainment,” he says. “Barry yells at me for reading Brownstoner so much.” Keep on clicking.
Queer Eye’s Ted Allen Pays $1.7M for Brownstone [Big Time Listings]
Washington Avenue Listing [Aguayo & Huebener]