Flatbush: Bargain Hunters' Paradise?
This weekend’s profile of Flatbush in the Times (which defines the area’s ambiguous boundaries as Ocean Avenue, New York Avenue, Parkside Avenue and Avenue H) characterizes it as a place that’s becoming more attractive to buyers priced out of Manhattan and other parts of Brooklyn. According to a Century 21 broker, prices are hovering around…
This weekend’s profile of Flatbush in the Times (which defines the area’s ambiguous boundaries as Ocean Avenue, New York Avenue, Parkside Avenue and Avenue H) characterizes it as a place that’s becoming more attractive to buyers priced out of Manhattan and other parts of Brooklyn. According to a Century 21 broker, prices are hovering around $120,000 for one-bedrooms, $170,000 to $190,000 for two-bedrooms, $450,000 for one-family houses and $600,000 for two-family houses. Some recent transplants say they’ve also been won over by Flatbush’s diversity and retail offerings (which will soon include a new Target). The area’s primary lure, though, is its affordability. As one investor says, Where else do you find a one-bedroom in the mid-$100s, or if you’re a couple with a couple of kids, a two-bedroom for $200,000? Have any readers snagged a deal they’d care to brag about? What are the nicest old co-op buildings in the area?
Note to City Dwellers: Steals Available Here [NY Times]
Photo by Rob Hoey.
“The West Indian community gets only a passing mention in the article–which is ludicrous. The overwhelming West Indian character of Flatbush–in particular the narrow swath of it outlined in the article–is its defining feature. To ignore it is just plain bad journalism.”
Thus reinforcing my thesis that the article was ‘ghost written’ by the real estate industry. Do you really think that the target readers of the NY Times (affluent white liberals) would really have an interest in Flatbush if the article emphasized the “West Indian character of Flatbush”?
I totally agree 9:13. The West Indian community gets only a passing mention in the article–which is ludicrous. The overwhelming West Indian character of Flatbush–in particular the narrow swath of it outlined in the article–is its defining feature. To ignore it is just plain bad journalism.
My husband and I have lived in the area defined as Flatbush in the nyt article (in my experience Flatbush is much larger) since 1999. After renting for two years we bought a three bedroom coop in 2001, for a price I will decline to reveal, but it was very, very low. We are very happy here. Our neighbors are friendly and warm. We are walking distance to Prospect Park, as well as Cortelyou Road with its increasingly upscale vibe. Our local public school is well-regarded. Being a bit of a foodie, our location is perfect for exploring the many different ethnic enclaves and their cuisines in Brooklyn. The single downside in our immediate area is the gang/drug activity. While it doesn’t immediately effect us (the violence is mostly self-contained) I’ve learned to avoid certain blocks all the same. That said, there has been a noticeable downturn in crime in the area in the past 8 years. We used to hear gunshots on a regular basis in 1999. I haven’t heard a single one in over a year. In terms of real estate prices, I think the article slightly exaggerates how inexpensive apartments are. Even the listings accompanying the article are higher than the ranges quoted by the re agents. In our case, during the time we have been here the value of our apartment has multiplied 5 times over. But it doesn’t really matter to us, because we have no interest in leaving.
I don’t get your point, 9:43. Is the article inaccurate? Whether Flatbush is the next new thing for NYT readers or not, is the reporting accurate about the prices, and the description of the neighborhood? Should the Times just continue to write about the UWS? It is a feature piece, which talks about an area some readers may not know about. I guess by your argument there shouldn’t be a real estate section at all (or an Arts section, or a Sports section).
There’s a big ethnic mix in the apartment buildings in the Victorian Flatbush area, which is sort of West Flatbush (as opposed to East Flatbush, or more central Flatbush Ave Flatbush).
More crappy NY Times articles about the ‘next big’ neighborhood in New York City, obviously ‘ghost written’ by the real estate industry.
Now Flatbush is the next ‘big thing’?
I thought it was:
Red Hook
Bushwick
Bed Stuy
Morningside/Washington Heights
Long Island City, Queens
Jackson Heights, Queens
Newark, NJ
Jersey City, NJ
What will the ‘anointed’ NY Times and their real estate industry ghost writers tell us is the next big thing?
Camden, NJ?
Philadelphia, PA? (Only a 3 hour commute to NYC!!!)
Baghdad, Iraq (Just a short 10 hour plane ride from a vibrant multicultural ancient city!)
We closed on our 1890’s brick Flatbush 2 family at the end of August. We couldn’t have bought an apartment in other neighborhoods for what we paid for the 2 family. It’s in solid structural shape, with lots of original details (and of course a lot of cheap band-aid remodeling done by previous owners who were not occupants) we’re doing renovations ourselves and hoping to get a tenant in early 2008. As far as the neighborhood, we are close to the subway, there’s a great Stop N Shop grocery store nearby, and there’s some great Caribbean restaurants that we like a lot, I won’t deny we don’t miss some other types of restaurants we had access to in our previous brooklyn haunts. One of the happiest things is our neighbors have been very gracious and warm to us, our being ‘Yankees’ as the previous poster called it, not having presented itself an issue at all. There are some beautiful buidings here, and as we further explore the neighborhood we find new favorites each time.
West Indian food is REALLY good! Really, really good because it is influenced by Africa, India, Europe and China. The restaurants and take out joints may not look great all of the time but boy is the food tasty. Go Flatbush! Go Roti. Go Veggie Patty!
My wife and I snagged a beautiful two-bedroom near the Newkirk Plaza subway stop (B,Q) for about $275,000. The same space would have been over $600,000 in Park Slope or Cobble Hill. My office is right off of the Q train, so my commute will wind up being shorter than my current commute from 10th Street and 8th Avenue in Park Slope.
There definitely aren’t as many amenities in the neighborhood just yet, but a new restaurant is opening in January and a few storefronts are being renovated. Articles like the one in the paper yesterday certainly don’t hurt either.