Real Estate

Studio Apartment in Eclectic Brooklyn Heights Romanesque Revival Mansion Asks $1,900 a Month

This studio has large arched windows and is stationed in a landmarked 1890-1891 mansion by Charles Pierrepont Henry Gilbert, a somewhat storied architect of turn-of-the-century New York.

by Stephen Zacks

12/27/2018 0

This studio has large arched windows and is stationed in a landmarked 1890-1891 mansion by Charles Pierrepont Henry Gilbert, a somewhat storied architect of turn-of-the-century New York. Located at 129 Joralemon Street, it’s on the second floor and in a prime location in Brooklyn Heights.

It’s roughly 300 square feet, so don’t expect a lot of space. It has two closets — one for coats in the small entry, another near the bathroom — and an original fireplace mantle.

The bathroom is not shown, but it looks to be decently sized on the floor plan. Parquet floors can be found in the main space and the kitchen, slightly recessed in the wall, has cabinets both above and below but lacks significant counter space.

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This one was built for the real estate developer and financier Daniel Chauncey, according to a write-up by Brownstoner’s Suzanne Spellen. The house was already divided into 14 units and two furnished rooms by 1946 according to its Certificate of Occupancy, probably to accommodate some of the 15.7 million veterans returning from World War II.

According to the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s map, the building is Eclectic/Diverse and Romanesque Revival, and we described it as Queen Anne. It really is all of the above, with an eclectic mix of details: a sharply angled bay on one side, terracotta dragons, grandiose doors with show-offy wrought iron hardware and a columned balcony that seems to demand formal proclamations followed by a tumbling routine.

Real estate ads from the time after its conversion for multiple dwelling indicates prices ranging from $13 a week for a large studio for a “business couple” in 1948 to $115 for three rooms in 1949 and $103 a month for 2.5 rooms.

The exterior apparently served as a stand-in for a post office for the TV Special “A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa.”

Brian Lehner of Brown Harris Stevens has the listing, which is asking $1,900 a month. A place to lay your head until you can afford something bigger?

[Listing: 129 Joralemon Street #2C | Broker: Brown Harris Stevens] GMAP