Marketing PLG a Century Ago--And Now
Bob Marvin comes through again! Our discussion of 68 Midwood Street on Monday prompted the hardcore brownstoner to scan this ad he had in a frame on his wall. The advertisement shows 68 Midwood and its neighbors at top and some smaller houses one block over. The former were offered for $11,000 and the latter…
Bob Marvin comes through again! Our discussion of 68 Midwood Street on Monday prompted the hardcore brownstoner to scan this ad he had in a frame on his wall. The advertisement shows 68 Midwood and its neighbors at top and some smaller houses one block over. The former were offered for $11,000 and the latter $7,500. According to our calculations, if 68 Midwood Fetches its asking price of $1.495 million, the house will have appreciated at an un-bubblicious annual compounded rate of just under 5%.
In other PLG news, The Post gave the nabe a glowing profile yesterday:
If you’re panning for real-estate gold, you can strike the mother lode with Brooklyn’s Prospect Lefferts Gardens. It’s an increasingly popular neighborhood full of gorgeous townhouses, but it’s also a place where real-estate bargains still exist.
The article pegs price ranges for Lefferts Manor at between $1 million and $1.6 million and $625,000 and $875,000 for greater Prospect Lefferts. It also notes that there are currently NO condos in PLG–though some are in the works.
HOTD: Midwood Not Mid-Priced [Brownstoner]
PLG: Hot Prospect [NY Post]
I get a sense of tranquility immediately when I get past the apartment buildings. But my all time favorite block is Maple 2, for its gorgeous uniformity. The blocks with the 4 story houses are nice nice but more imposing and not as uniform. I really can’t get over the fact they are so huge for single families. I mean, who needs 8 bedrooms? Too much to furnish and clean. I think 3 floors and 3000 sq. ft. is plenty, and the scale of the blocks which house them are more human and pleasant. But it seems the grandeur of Midwood 1 really wows the folks.
Anon. 4:07/jd gives very good advice–see for yourself.
That was me.
As for Flatbush noise, I’d be more conservative than Bob. I’d say you need to be at least 5 houses in to get the sense of calm. But it also depends on the specific corner. Some apartment buildings are really noisy (both on the street and in the back, over your yard). On those blocks I’d try to be at least 10 houses in. But on a quiter corner it is less critical. I’m sure people will write in that they live one house in and it’s perfect, but I’m basing my comments on my own experience walking the streets and those of friends who have lived “too close” to Flatbush and have not been happy. The best advice is to visit the corners on different days and at different times of day and night (especially in the summer). You should be able to get a feel for the apartment building at each corner.
IMO the “tranquility” seems to start as soon as you turn the corner from Flatbush. You might not want the first house off of Flatbush IF you think living next to an apartment bldg might bother you, but other than that….
FWIW I live on a Bedford–Rogers block, but my very favorite Lefferts Manor Block is Midwood I (Flatbush–Bedford). Also, I know people whio are perfectly happy in the first house, next to an apt.bldg. On the other (west) side of Flatbush, the limestones on Ocean facing Prospect Parkare also quite beautiful and my impressiois that they’re pretty quiet EXCEPT when the circus is playing in the park.
What do people who live in PLG think about living close to Flatbush? How many houses should you buy away from the Avenue to feel the tranquility of the nabe?
If I were investing in a business I’d do a nice take-out place with some tables. Burritos! I for one would love to be able to grab some burritos on the way home. Whatever it is, it better be kid-friendly. No matter what is in the area, we’ll probably still leave the area for our parents-only nights.
Anon. 10:43,
I’ve heard rumors that it will be a Mexican restaurant, but I don’t know if that’s true.
Suzy,
if you’re “looking for a house in a brooklyn hood that gives me the trees and birds i crave”PLG is a reasonable option as brownstone neighborhoods go. We get a great variety of birds on the feeder in our garden, including generations of cardinals that have been nesting there as long as i can remember.
Our bedroom is in the front and the bird songs (mockingbirds, cardinals, and, for better or worse, starlings) are usually much louder in the mornings than the traffic. Of course brownstone gardens are small, but there are freestanding houses like the one you mentioned on Maple St. (from your description, I think its # 75). BTW, houses on Hawthorne St. are on lots 125′ deep, so the gardens there are quite large for 20′ brownstones. PLG is fairly country like (on the SIDE streets), as brownstone nabes go, but you might also want to look in places like Prospect Park Southwhich are beautiful and less urban.
Really? I heard it was going to be another west indian place. But that was just gossip. Where did you get your info Ed? Personally I’m not sure the area will support a high-end restaurant now–it’s very different from a coffee house. But if someone tries I’ll do my best to go there.