Ah, To Have Bought In 1996
For everyone who missed the chance to buy a house in Fort Greene or Clinton Hill ten years ago, Sunday’s profile of Gitta Robinson and Richard Grisaru’s Clinton Avenue Edwardian townhouse will be a little bittersweet. How much did the couple pay for the 4,000-square-foot house back in 1996? A whopping $270,000. Ouch! As the…
For everyone who missed the chance to buy a house in Fort Greene or Clinton Hill ten years ago, Sunday’s profile of Gitta Robinson and Richard Grisaru’s Clinton Avenue Edwardian townhouse will be a little bittersweet. How much did the couple pay for the 4,000-square-foot house back in 1996? A whopping $270,000. Ouch! As the article describes, despite having been an SRO for years, the house had retained much of its original detail: oak paneling, claw-foot tubs, handsome fireplaces, a stained-glass skylight and a wall of casement windows topped by leaded-glass transoms stretching the width of the house. Even at what seems like a bargain-basement price today, the purchase was a stretch for the couple, both of whom are architects. Their strategy was to quickly fix up the top duplex to start generating rental income while they camped out amidst the renovation of the lower half. The process informed their outlook on architecture.
“When we work with clients on their own renovation projects, we design every square inch to perfection,” Ms. Robinson said. “But I’ve discovered that I don’t need that level of perfection in my own life. It doesn’t bother me that this house shows its quirky age.”
Amen, sista.
From the Beginning, It Felt Like Home [NY Times]
GMAP P*Shark
We looked in Beacon but decided it was too far. Daily commute would be a grind. We bought about 10 minutes from the Croton station. My commute is an hour and ten minutes from my house to my office downtown, which is totally dealable. I agree with 5:25 that the train ride is really pleasant compared to the subway. And Peekskill, about a 15 minute drive north, is wonderful. Prices varry a lot depending on the house, but you can probably find something small without land for the high 800’s.
I left Forest Hills (just outside the Gardens) for Brooklyn. FHG is a strange place.
I’ve been in Beacon for 2 years now, commuting daily to midtown, and the commute has never been an issue. I much prefer it to the ordeal of the subway. When I lived in Brooklyn, my subway was constantly breaking down and sitting in tunnels. Metro North has never been late, the seats are comfy, and the view of the Hudson is awesome. As for making sure I catch the last train at 2:00am, that’s never been a problem.
And the train to Beacon is 30 minutes longer than it is to Peekskill, so don’t lump them together.
Fastest train from Beacon to GC is 72 minutes (most are longer). So this guy claiming average 9 minutes before and after train. So he can get off a rush hour train and get thru GC to west midtown in how many minutes? And leaves his house how many minutes b4 train is scheduled to leave Beacon (park car walk thru parking lot).
Peekskill rush hour trains are about 60 minutes – so he thinks from Peekskill including 15 min to train and subway can’t take more than 1hr 10min? Now that would take a DashingDan.
Putting the time in minutes (90) instead of hours (1 1/2) does change the fact that Beacon is NO WHERE near the city and a HUGE commute.
In less than 1 1/2 hours I can WALK from Wall Street to Carroll Gardens (and have done so in blackouts and transit strikes). It takes 15 minutes for the same distance by cab and 20/25 minutes by subway.
I work with lots of Wall Streeters and when we go out in the evening, they have a pumpkin/Cinderella time where they all whip out their Metro North, LIRR, Jersey Transit schedules and determine when they have to bolt for their train or bus or be stranded in NYC for another hour (or if it’s late enough even stranded overnight).
But I can just hop on any train back to Brooklyn. And if it’s past midnight I might splurge for a cab which is all of ten bucks from lower Manhattan.
Try taking a cab to Peekskill, Beacon !
You people are so full of it. I actually live in Beacon, and my commute to west midtown is under 90 minutes (including time on each end). So the commute from Peekskill can’t be longer than an hour and ten max, even with a 15 minute drive to the station and bad subway connections.
As for prices, we looked in northern westchester and couldn’t find anything for under a million. We got a fabulous Queen Anne mansion for half of that and are loving it. And the commute is a breeze.
I’ve never been to Peekskill, but I must say that it takes me at least an hour door-to-door to midtown from Brooklyn. Another 20-30 minutes doesn’t seem like a big deal for less $.
45 min train ride from Peekskill to GC.
Great if live next to Peekskill train station and work next to Grand Central.
If not, figure 1hour and a half door to door.
Leila, Peekskill is a 45 minute train ride to Grand Central. That’s faster to midtown than most of Brooklyn. In fact, that’s faster than my commute from Brooklyn! There are people in my office who commute daily from Beacon, which is a 90 minute train ride. Lots of people are happy to have a longer commute in order to have a good house in a nice place.
As for cheap houses:
http://www.oldhouses.com http://www.historicproperties.com