Brooklyn's Most Desirable Buildings
The cover story in this weekend’s real estate section of The Times surveys in-demand, outer-borough co-ops that have an aura of exclusivity about them. In Brooklyn, the Heights’ One Pierrepont Street is highlighted: “As it has just 25 units, generally two per floor, sales are rare in the understated 12-story building. An 11th-floor three-bedroom sold…
The cover story in this weekend’s real estate section of The Times surveys in-demand, outer-borough co-ops that have an aura of exclusivity about them. In Brooklyn, the Heights’ One Pierrepont Street is highlighted: “As it has just 25 units, generally two per floor, sales are rare in the understated 12-story building. An 11th-floor three-bedroom sold earlier this year for $3.5 million, city records show; that makes it among the area’s priciest co-ops.” Meanwhile, 135 Eastern Parkway and Copley Plaza, at 41 Eastern Parkway, are mentioned as having cachet, as is the Emery Roth-designed 35 Prospect Park West. A question that springs to mind is which Brooklyn buildings will be considered the most exclusive/desirable 50, 75 or 100 years from now. One Brooklyn Bridge Park? On Prospect Park? 1 Main Street?
‘It’ Buildings of the Other Boroughs [NY Times]
“But what does the NY Times really know about the distant Boros?”
Just based on where the background for their articles comes from, I always figured slightly more than 1/3 of the Times’ writers live in Brooklyn, slightly less than 1/3 live in NJ (mostly Maplewood or Monclair), with the remaining third in Manhattan. Maybe a few scattered in Queens as well. Which would make the Bronx or Staten Island the distant boroughs.
We can call it Minihattan!~
And actually, co-ops may be the only area in which money isn’t the only factor anymore, for both good and bad. Turner Towers is actually an example of this – the board is seriously interested in people who will contribute to the spirit of the building – is it the Park Slope Food Coop of buildings?
In 100 years with rising sea levels I BBP will be underwater. BH will be an island by then, perhaps enhancing its desirability.
Ever hear of eminent domain? Or how about big-bucks buyout offers? If every shareholder but you in your building agreed to sell out to a developer, and in so doing also signed an agreement that they would try to persuade you to do the same, how long do you think most owners would hold out?
Totally agree as to the subjectivity of desirability, but in using the Times’ definition I still wonder if condos could ever be in the same category.
These buildings are as indestructable as any ever built. They are over-designed structurally, fireproof, and there is no way a co-op could ever convince all its shareholders to sell to a developer. Apart from avoiding insensitive masonry repairs to the facades, they don’t need landmark designation. Rental buildings come and go, big co-ops are forever.
1 Pierrepont Place no longer exists; it is a playground now. Pierrepont Place runs between Pierrepont Street and Montague; this building is on the corner of Columbia Heights and Pierrepont Street.
Desirability is in the mind of the buyer. There are a lot of factors that go into what one might find “desireable”, which may totally exclude all of these buildings for some, if not many, people.
Exclusive only means money, these days, which is certainly not any indication of anything else, good or bad. In other words, real estate fantasy baseball.