House of the Day: 226 Hancock Street
Any of you peeps who’ve been moping around complaining about how there’s still nothing decent to buy despite the market pullback would do well to stop your sobbing and get yourself over to Hancock Street. This 3,600-square-foot is dripping with details and in rarified company–it’s just a few lots over from the group of Montrose…
Any of you peeps who’ve been moping around complaining about how there’s still nothing decent to buy despite the market pullback would do well to stop your sobbing and get yourself over to Hancock Street. This 3,600-square-foot is dripping with details and in rarified company–it’s just a few lots over from the group of Montrose Morris houses on this block that we’ve mentioned several times on the blog. You may recall that one of them, Number 242, recently sold about 5% above its original asking price of $879,000. So watcha doing still sitting there reading this post. At $865,000, we think this is priced to sell, even though it’s gonna need some work. By the way, who the heck is Jack Mangra?
226 Hancock Street [Jack Mangra] GMAP P*Shark
242 Hancock In Contract: We Still Got It! [Brownstoner]
A Final Look At Hancock Street Glory [Brownstoner]
4:50, I agree with much of what you said, but I think it is quite possible to stroll down most of the streets now, today, this second. I never felt BS was Dodge City, and I lived here through the early 80’s through 2000. Sure, there were blocks that were rough, but you found out where they were, and you didn’t go there. There were certainly places that were dangerous, the park around the corner from me was one of those places, but again, you didn’t walk there at night. No one can predict the random tragedy that can happen, such as that poor man shot at the Canarsie subway stop yesterday, but criminals have feet, metrocards and cars too, and can take their evil wherever they go. The rest of us can only be street smart, an ability that I’ve needed in midtown as well as in the hood, and be as careful as possible.
I’m not going to go with my usual rant about how off base the Bed Stuy haters are, I have finally realized after posting here for over a year, that it’s a waste of time.
I am going to say this: If the area which makes up Bed Stuy was a stand alone city, it would easily be counted as a decent mid sized municipality. Does it not make sense that within that large an area there would be good, fair-to-middling, and bad areas? Outside of the historic district of Stuy Heights, the area around this house is one of the best parts of BS. I know, because I lived around the corner from here for 17 years. I used to walk out of my way to go down this block on my way to or from the subway, and I would gladly buy anything on this block if I had the money for a second purchase.
I don’t care who loves or hates Bed Stuy. I don’t understand why those who hate it are so vehement in their hatred, to the point of not being able to grasp that others are thriving and dare I say, HAPPY, to be there. If it’s not for you, it’s not for you. There are a few neighborhoods I wouldn’t be too comfortable living in. I don’t feel the need to tell everyone everytime they come up on Brownstoner.
Speaking of which, I applaud Mr. Brownstoner’s attention to the houses in so-called “fringe” neighborhoods. Brooklyn is more than just the Heights, Park Slope, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and all of the other “good” neighborhoods. Aside from the fact that we all can’t live in these nabes, what started Mr.B’s blog was a love for brownstones, old houses, architecture, renovation, etc. That is what drew me to the site. I read all the posts about the new construction, development, real estate bubbles and headier topics of race and gentrification, but what I enjoy most still are the topics about individual houses, the nabes they are in, architecture,and what people are doing to make their lives in their homes interesting and fulfilling. To me, that includes the “better nabes”, as well as Bed Stuy, Crown Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Bushwick, Flatbush, and anywhere else like minded people, oldtimers and newcomers, are trying to maintain, revitalize and continue to strive and thrive in their beautiful neighborhoods.
3:29 PM, many people who grew up in Bed-Sty have horrible memories associated with it. They can recall with vivid clarity which houses were the scenes of robberies, rapes and murders, which buildings housed the drug overlords, pedophiles and prostitutes. They can clearly recall the trash strewn abandoned lots, neighborhood junkies, etc. In their mind, Bed-Sty will always be the same, a place of poverty, hopelessness, sorrow and disaster. And, they high-tailed it out of that ghetto as soon as they got a chance and they never looked back.
But one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.
Someone coming from a different part of the country would look at the same streets and houses and see something vastly different.
From their ‘fresh’ perspective, they see a classic, historical beauty filled with period details; they see leafy, tree lined streets with lots of charm and curb appeal, perfectly suited for strolling (maybe at least sometime in the near future); they see avenues lined with mixed use storefronts that will one day be homes to gourmet restaurants and boutiques.
They see financial opportunities. They see potential.
I think we’re in a transition phase where Bed Sty currently accommodates both viewpoints. It still has a lot of rough edges and patches of poverty but it’s changing. Slowly, inevitably, Bed Sty will look no different than the rest of downtown brooklyn.
Your memories of and experiences in Bed Sty are yours and no one can change them. But I think you do the rest of us a disservice when you continue to propogate the notion that Bed-Sty is a horrible place to live and raise a family. I can’t begin to tell you the number of ‘friends’ who grew up in Bed-Sty that warned me against buying in the area 5 years ago. I was close to buying a 4 family brownstone on Franklin and Greene. The area looked a bit like an urban wild wild west.
Two years later I drove past the same house and I was two or three blocks into Bed-Sty before I realized that I had left Clinton Hill. In retrospect, I wish all those ‘friends’ had just kept their opinions to themselves.
$0.5M is a joke.
Most assuredly there is need for better services in BS. I would appreciate a good grocery store. (Not the only neighborhood in NYC with that problem.) A nice restaurant or two would be great, and that will come in time. But people do have different priorities. I’m fine with not living down the street from Smith Street. And I can be there in 20 minutes if I want to. People look for different things, and as long as there is a big price difference (and there IS a big price difference) people will continue to buy in this area. Plus, there are a lot of great things about Bed-Stuy, again, depending on your priorities.
I think I am really glad that this last poster doesn’t live anywhere near me. I love BedStuy, and am so glad I moved there. So yes, dear last poster- please don;t come back to your old stomping grounds. I find it to be an exciting time to be in such a great place. And you can still get an incredibly gorgeous house within a tight community for a lot less than CH/FG.
anon @ 4:23 pm…let me get this straight…you basically said if we have nothing to contribute (as you determine in your sole discretion) to the value of the house, the market, etc., we should shut up. But you get to talk? Welcome to communist Russia.
sorry, but we all have something to say. it’s great that bed-stuy has great blocks, but those blocks don’t have fences surrounding them w/ guards…the block is w/in a larger neighborhood…i belive that does affect value and the market.
the post started by brownstoner asks why people are sitting here instead of plopping down a “cheap” $865K to live in bed-stuy..
now, sure the block may be nice, but you are living in bed-stuy…that’s my point and others, and it’s relevant to brownstoner’s post.
but, hey, gulag, ifyou dont think we should talk, just let me know when you give me permission so i may speak again, your majesty.
I think everyone is quite well aware of any shortcomings BedStuy may have.
After all it has had national rep for decades.
But what is not quite as well knows is that the nabe has many blocks/parts that are not crime invested/not run-down/have beautiful houses.
Understood that many are not in the least bit interested and would never ever consider living there (or even going out to dinner) – but obviously houses do sell, have value/market worth and comps. So everytime one is mentioned on this blog- it really isn’t necessary to tell us why YOU wouldnt live there.
If have any insight on what market will bear – please contribute- but if know nothing about what people who are buying into the area will pay keep quiet. (same goes for PLG, CrHts and the rest).
Don’t forget – there are many many narrow-minded provinicial people that dismiss PkSlope/Bklyn Hts for the fact its ‘Brooklyn’.
I still wonder why some people insist that their value judgements are universal.
i live in bed stuy and i agree it’s not the best. anon 3:39, we have no greek restaurants or sushi and i have to go to park slope to do my food shopping. thanks for rubbing it in.
however, this price is reasonable considering what properties are going for in the neighborhood now on worse blocks even.