Real Estate

A Revamped Early Townhouse in Williamsburg and Three Others to See Starting at $1.175 Million

This weekend’s open house picks include a redesigned Williamsburg townhouse with few remaining historic details, though it likely dates back to at least the 1850s.

by Stephen Zacks

03/01/2019 5 minute 0

All of a sudden there seem to be quite a few interesting places to see on the market — maybe sellers are getting a jump on spring? This Sunday’s open house picks include a redesigned Williamsburg townhouse with few remaining historic details — though it likely dates back to at least the 1850s — asking $2.39 million, a two-family Romanesque Revival in the Crown Heights Historic District with fretwork screens listed for $1.63 million, and another two-family with historic details such as classically influenced screens with pillars in Stuyvesant Heights that’s asking $1.275 million, plus an early 20th century single-family townhouse in Bay Ridge asking for $1.63 million.

First, at 506 Humboldt Street, an unusual two-story, semi-detached, brick two-family in Williamsburg is done up with bright red doors — one topped by a fanlight with green slag glass. The facade brings to mind a fire station, but a fire station it is not. Essentially it’s been remodeled by a design-build contractor, according to a listing that adds quite a bit of mustard to the affair, with its imagined popcorn movie nights, in-laws and rugrats, and florid descriptions of the local proprietors. While the facade dates from the early 20th century, the interior stair newel post and old maps indicate 19th century origins. On the 1898 map you can see a structure at No. 506 set back quite a bit from the street, unlike the others in the adjacent colonnade row, also pictured here in the 1920s and circa 1940. Otherwise the house, with its five bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, is almost entirely remodeled and new on the inside. It’s seeking $2.39 million, and floating some margin for further improvements.

At 864 St. Johns Place in the North II Crown Heights Historic District, a slightly narrow two-family with a very attractive Romanesque Revival brick facade is set up as a duplex over garden floor apartment. It’s got updated kitchens and baths, carpeting, and original details like fretwork screen and mantels, but it may need a bit of work. The listing shows few interior images, and it’s asking $1.63 million. With six bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms in 2,733 square feet of living space, and a long rear garden, it’s a fair amount of space for the dollar.

Then at 313 Bainbridge Street in Stuyvesant Heights, probably built toward the late end of 1885 and 1900, when development of the area was accelerating, according to the nearby historic district designation report, another two-family with more fretwork screens, pocket doors, built-in dish cupboards, and refinished window trim is organized as two floor-through units, one per floor. The listing indicates it’s in use as a one-family — in which case, it’s spacious at around 2,000 square feet. Plus there’s a backyard landscaped with slate, birches and evergreens. This one is asking $1.275 million.

Finally at 85 78th Street in Bay Ridge, an early 20th century single-family townhouse has lots of great vintage details. These include kitchen cabinets that date from mid-20th century, nicely updated with marble-patterned wallpaper and white subway tile. It’s got three bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms, and a garage with a little wood chip garden beside it. The outside takes after a 1960s suburb and is very altered from the original design, but at $1.175 million, it may be good enough.

506 Humboldt Street
Price: $2,390,000
Area: Williamsburg
Broker: Warren Lewis Sothebys International Realty (Michael Kawochka)
Sunday March 3, 2 – 4 pm

See it here ->

864 St. Johns Place
Price: $1,630,000
Area: Crown Heights
Broker: Corcoran (Fumiko Akiyama)
Sunday March 3, 12 – 1:30 pm