The Times Gives It Up For Alterna-Slopes
The Times had a case of Brooklyn fever this weekend, taking some precious column inchage to profile two neighborhoods that most readers of The Gray Lady probably hadn’t heard of until recently, Windsor Terrace and Prospect Lefferts Gardens. The subjects of the Windsor Terrace article, a couple who were pleased as punch to land a…
The Times had a case of Brooklyn fever this weekend, taking some precious column inchage to profile two neighborhoods that most readers of The Gray Lady probably hadn’t heard of until recently, Windsor Terrace and Prospect Lefferts Gardens. The subjects of the Windsor Terrace article, a couple who were pleased as punch to land a four-bedroom house in the nabe last year for $999,000, had this to say about how their new home stacked up versus the Slope: It’s a little less precious over here, and a little more real. We kind of like that.” (The director of the Jack Nicholson flick As Good As It Gets thought it was unprecious enough to cast one of the houses above on Fuller Place as Helen Hunt’s working-class digs. The idea that these places are now within reach of people with working-class incomes is, of course, laughable.) Despite initial concern about the “clusters of young men hanging out on some of the street corners,” the star of the PLG article ultimately was won over by the area’s racial diversity and proximity to Prospect Park, snapping up a small Victorian house just outside the historic district for $240,000 back in 2002. She now shares the house with her 11-year-old daughter, her brother and his wife.
Less ‘Precious’ Than the Slope? Certainly Cheaper [NY Times]
A Wished-For House With a Hideaway Nook [NY Times]
Photo by redxdress
Is someone doubting that Brooklyn Heights had become a semi-slum by mid century? The projects on Cadman Plaza and Monroe Place were built as slum clearance, lest we forget.
Jackson writes about it very succinctly in his “encyclopedia of new York”.
It’s not revisionist to tell the truth.
Brooklyn Heights was boarding house-ville, a Caucasian slum.
Ditmas is great too. No reason to bash PLG or Ditmas.
Ditmas is great too. No reason to bash PLG or Ditmas
Ditmas is great too. No reason to bash PLG or Ditmas
Oh come on! What’s the debate for? PLG houses cost 2/3 or 1/2 the price of other neighborhoods, depending on condition. If PLG were Park Slope, uh, hmmm, probably wouldn’t be priced so low!
Get some perspective, people.
1 million dollars for a one family house and they want to appear down to earth? How can the middle class afford that house? We are talking $6K a month, which is more than the gross household income of the NYC middle class.
If you want middle class, look way beyond WT. Windsor Terrace is full of the same yuppies as Park Slope.
some people are courageous when it comes to this sortof thing and my hat is off to you bob. in some ways i wish i were more comfortable with it because of the ability to make more money on an up and coming hood, but when it came down to it, it was all about the comfort zone.
i’m actually hoping to get down to your hood next weekend as it’s been about a year or so since i was last there and i’m always up for a long walk/exploration on a great weather weekend…
serge is up to his revisionist history again.
Anon.3:15,
Hate to disappoint you, but I DO love living in PLG and I raised a family quite successfully here. Yes, I DO encourage others to move here and have been doing so since 1975. However, since I never intend to move, I don’t really care that much about my RE bottom line–it’s sort of like Monopoly money 🙂