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The story of 59 Orient Avenue is a sad one. The 6,000-square-foot former squat had never been landmarked when it came up for sale a couple of years ago and the house came with the kind of lot size and accompanying FAR that makes developers drool. Ultimately, someone ponied up $1,725,000 (a good deal less than the asking price of $2,500,000) and started ripping it to shreds, though it’s unclear what the ultimate goal was because only a single building permit was filed and it only referenced relatively minor renovation activities and did not seek to change the C of O. Regardless, the owner managed to do a world of damage before losing his mojo. Now, notes the blog Flavorwire, the house is back on the market with a broker named Capri Jet. The asking price is $1,389,000 and, according to the broker, it needs a total gut.
59 Orient Avenue Listing [Capri Jet]
Open Letter to Michel Gondry: Buy This House [Flavorwire]
Another One Bites the Dust? [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark
House of the Day: Endangered on Orient Avenue [Brownstoner]


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  1. I have always liked this house and I think the location is great. It’s about a five minute walk from the Graham Ave L train and right near cooper park. I have heard that this block was once called “doctor’s row” and that it was all impressive single family homes. Some of the houses have been broken up but it’s still a really cute block. I’m not quite sure what dittoburg was referring to.

  2. I wonder if there would be a way to move the house over 10 or 20 feet, away from the building next door in order to center it on the property in order to maximize space on either side. Larger yards seem more fitting to detached wooden Victorians.

  3. Calling it a “former squat” seems to be somewhat of a disservice, since it was actually a rental building before the developers got hold of it. (From what I’ve read, anyways, they kicked the tenants out?) It was certainly a well-maintained building when I lived on that block twelve years ago. Capri Jet had the listing before too, I think.

    Really hope someone saves it. I think an all-cash of $600K would be fair, sadly, the land is probably worth more than that.